Emerson Franchini, from the School of Physical Education and Sport, studies combat sports – especially judo – with a focus on producing knowledge for professionals in the field
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Professor and researcher Emerson Franchini, from USP’s School of Physical Education and Sport (EEFE), is the most cited author in the world in research on combat sports and martial arts, according to the study Bibliometric Comparative Analysis of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed Databases: A General Approach to Martial Arts, published in June 2025 in the Journal of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences. More than 12,000 articles indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases were analyzed, and Franchini leads all three evaluated databases. According to the study, the researcher has more than 200 scientific publications (across Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed) and nearly 6,000 citations (considering Scopus and Web of Science), placing him as an international academic reference on the subject.
“The number of bibliometric studies in sports science has been increasing, and our EEFE group has gained recognition for its focus on combat sports. Although the results do not change either my standing or USP’s, I believe the article’s data should undergo some mathematical adjustments,” Franchini explained.
In addition to Franchini, another USP researcher also stands out in the ranking: Bianca Miarka, PhD in Biodynamics from EEFE, ranks second in number of citations and third in number of publications. According to the study, USP stands out as the institution with the highest global scientific output in the area. In terms of country-level production, the top contributors are the United States, Brazil, China, and Poland, respectively.
Knowledge Production for Professionals
Franchini believes that one reason for the recognition and citations stems from his investigation of combat sports, specifically judo, in a cross-cutting way (as an integrated research theme) and with a focus on producing knowledge for professional intervention in the field. “This was possible thanks to the openness of my advisor, ´professor Maria Augusta Peduti Dal’ Molin Kiss, who supported projects on this theme from my undergraduate research through my doctoral studies, at a time when little scientific work was being done on these sports,” he explained.
The researcher has studied the topic since 1995 and attributes his status as a reference in the field to his persistence over the past 30 years. “We’ve managed to attract high-level students to investigate these sports, as well as build strong partnerships with scientists from other universities, both in Brazil and abroad.” He highlights review articles published in journals such as Sports Medicine, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, and Metabolites as key publications that synthesize his research group’s output.
Global Research Output in the Field
In martial arts and combat sports research, Franchini notes that after exponential growth in the first two decades of this century, the area has entered a phase of stabilization, with research groups from various countries producing quality studies. “Perhaps the main change in recent years is the growing participation of researchers from Chinese universities publishing on the topic in journals indexed in international databases.”
He also points out a diversification of topics, especially regarding the target audience of the investigations.
Among the most recent studies, the researcher also highlights a significant number of works focused on children with neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as research on improving physical fitness and quality of life across different age groups – especially among the elderly – through physical practices adapted to these populations.
This text was made with information by Guilherme Ike, intern under the supervision of Paula Bassi, EEFE-USP
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
