The Visualization Analysis on the Evolution of Foreign Sport Policy Research

Using the literature citations in WOS core collection as data samples, the study conducted the co-citation and cluster analysis on the data via information visualization software CiteSpace, and explored the general characteristics of sport policy research, classical literature as well as the hot and latest fields of the study abroad. The results show that the foreign sport policy research has entered a period of comprehensive reflection and expansion because of the uncertainty of the social environment with complex realistic problems. The research tendency is mainly summarized as followed: the research focuses both on tool and value concept; response to the social hot issues is the main driving force for researchers; researches are problem-oriented, mostly embedded with systematic, multidimensional and dynamic analysis; and most of the research subjects are under-privileged people like women and children. Besides, interdisciplinary and model researches are emphasized; methods of ecological model and network structure are introduced; and administration approaches are advocated as countermeasures.