A Visual Analysis of Sports Interest Research in China Since the 1990s Based on Citespace

Abstract

This paper systematically combs through the development trajectory, research hotspots, and collaboration networks in the field of sports interest in China since the 1990s using the CiteSpace visualization analysis tool. The research data were derived from 896 core journal articles screened from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. The study employed methods such as annual publication volume analysis, author and institutional collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and burst detection. The results show that the annual publication volume in this field follows an inverted U-shaped trend, peaking in 2007 and then declining year by year. Research efforts are concentrated in normal and sports universities, but the density of collaboration between institutions and authors is low, presenting an overall fragmented state. Research hotspots focus on keywords such as “school sports,” “physical education,” “interest,” and “college students,” and have evolved from being a teaching auxiliary tool to a core literacy element, and from a single interest dimension to a fusion with technology and innovation in curriculum models. In the future, cross-institutional cooperation should be strengthened to promote the continuous development of sports interest research under the deep integration of digitalization and education, in order to facilitate the comprehensive and healthy development of young people.