A bibliographic study of the kaval instrument in the context of Türkiye

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the bibliographic structure of academic studies on the kaval instrument in Türkiye and to examine their distribution according to year, publication type, and subject area. A qualitative research approach was adopted, and document analysis was employed as the research method. The data consisted of academic studies published between 1942 and 2025 that included the term “kaval” in their titles. The studies were accessed through the Council of Higher Education National Thesis Center, DergiPark, Academia, Google Scholar, the proceedings of the 1st International Kaval Symposium, and previously published bibliographic studies. The identified studies were classified and analyzed according to publication year, publication type, and subject area. The findings identified 83 academic studies on the kaval across eight different study types: 28 master’s theses, 3 doctoral dissertations, 4 proficiency-in-art theses, 23 articles, 14 conference papers, 9 method studies, 1 opinion paper, and 1 symposium. In addition, one study whose type could not be determined was identified. The findings indicate that academic output on the kaval increased markedly after 2000, with the highest number of studies published in 2014. In terms of subject areas, performance techniques constituted the most extensively studied topic, followed by methodology, general review and analysis, and education. In contrast, technology-oriented studies remained notably limited. By providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of kaval literature, this study offers a bibliographic framework for future research, particularly in technology, organology, interdisciplinary studies, and other underexplored areas.