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What is esports? A systematic scoping review and concept analysis of esports

  • Di Tang
  • , Raymond Kim-wai Sum
  • , Ming Hui Li
  • , Ruisi Ma
  • , Peichi Chung
  • , Ray Wai-keung Ho
    • Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

    488 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    This study conducted a systematic scoping review to collect definitions and explanations of esports and its related concepts in the existing literature. A thematic coding approach was used to screen possible disagreements and issues between the different characteristics of esports as presented in the existing definitions. Based on a critical discussion, the results of the coding were combined with the objective facts of the current esports industry and theories from similar fields to reconstruct the construction of an esports definition. In addition, the relationship between esports and its related concepts was discussed based on the proposed esports definition structure. The proposed esports criteria can help avoid misunderstandings and confusion in future studies regarding the research subjects related to esports and propose standardized usage of relevant terms in the field of esports research.
    Original languageEnglish
    Article numbere23248
    Number of pages17
    JournalHeliyon
    Volume9
    Issue number12
    Early online date3 Dec 2023
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

    Bibliographical note

    This is an open access article under the CC BY license
    (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

    Keywords

    • Esports
    • Scoping review
    • Concept analysis
    • Definition
    • Thematic analysis

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General

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