This guide introduces some basic print and electronic research sources which may be useful for papers, projects, speeches, etc., on topics related to physical education and sports studies. All resources listed can be found in Memorial Library and by calling up the library’s home page at http://library.cortland.edu
Before you start your research in depth:
- Define your topic. If you are at all uncertain about your topic or assignment, do not hesitate to ask your instructor for guidance.
- Discuss your topic with a librarian at the reference desk who can guide you to the best sources that the library has to offer on the topic.
- Also consider looking at general and specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries. Most print encyclopedias and dictionaries are located in the library's Reference Area, second floor. A librarian will be happy to show you their locations.
- Look for books on your topic by checking the online catalog to see if the library has any materials about your topic. The online catalog is available on the library homepage
< http://library.cortland.edu > under “Web-based Library Catalog”. Finding book information
by topic often begins by selecting a subject search.
Before using the Catalog, you can look for the proper term(s) for your topic in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, the "big red books" located in the Reference area second floor. These books will list the proper term to look under for your research topic, as well as related terms under which you might search. Examples of subject headings of relevance to physical education include the following:
- AFRO-AMERICAN ATHLETES
- BIOMECHANICS
- COACHING
- EXERCISE
- HUMAN MECHANICS
- MOVEMENT
- MUSCLE STRENGTH
- PERCEPTUAL MOTOR LEARNING
- PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS
- TELEVISION IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
NOTE: Most sports will have specific subject headings for the name of the sport, as well as subdivisions for special topics specifically related to the sport. For example:
- BASEBALL — UNITED STATES — HISTORY
- SWIMMING — ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES
Periodical Indexes
Online databases available from the library homepage under “All Databases”:
- SportDiscus
- International database which indexes periodicals, books, conference proceedings, selected audiovisual materials, and other documents relating to all aspects of sports and sport sciences. Coverage from 1975 to the present; updated quarterly. Produced by Canada's Sport Information Resource Center.
- AskEric And ERIC — (same databases)
- Education materials, including journals and other types of documents. Contains citations from Resources in Education and Current Index to Journals in Education. Coverage from 1966 to the present; updated monthly.
- Education Abstracts
- The library has excellent coverage of the journals and magazines contained in this index.
- Health Reference Center
- Comprehensive index to consumer health literature and health-related articles from 130 periodicals. Includes full-text and abstracts of major publications. Coverage for the last three years; updated monthly.
- Leisure, Recreation Tourism Abstracts
- Includes “sports” as a topic. Coverage is from 1976 to the present.
- Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe
- A full-text database that contains journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Very good for law, business, and medical topics related to sports.
- PsycINFO 1967-Present
- Includes journal articles, book chapters, books, dissertations, and technical reports on all aspects of psychology. Coverage from 1967 to the present; updated monthly.
- Sociological Abstracts
- Records covering sociology, social work, and other social sciences. Coverage from 1963 to the present (abstracting begins in 1974); updated bimonthly.
Print Index
Physical Education Index [Abstr/Indexes/GV/201/P452]. An excellent source for finding a few articles on general topics in physical education and sport. The library has most of the journals covered in this index.
Full-Text Periodical Databases
Some periodical indexes also incorporate complete articles within their databases. Check with a
reference librarian to find out if any of these databases are appropriate to your topic. Once you've identified periodical articles about your topic, check to see if the library has the
periodical you need by looking at the Periodical Holdings a link on the library home page.
Interlibrary Loan
If the library does not have the book or periodical article you need, ask the library to try to borrow it from another library through interlibrary loan. Forms for interlibrary loan are located at the Reference Desk or by using a form found through the library’s homepage. It can take as long as three weeks to get an item through interlibrary loan.
Dissertations and Theses
Doctoral dissertations and masters theses relative to physical education can be found through SportDiscus, which includes all of the dissertations and theses indexed through the University of Oregon's Microform Publications project. The library owns most of the microfiche produced by this service. They will be listed in the Library Catalog. A printed index to these documents is Microform Publications Bulletin [Abstr/Indexes/GV/201/H424]. Dissertations and theses may also be identified through Dissertation Abstracts database.
Internet — World Wide Web
A wide variety of information relating to physical education and sports is found on the Internet. A good place to start looking is the Memorial Library homepage. (http://library.cortland.edu) First select "Academic Subjects" to see categorized web locations listed under "Physical Education" or under “Exercise Science and Sports Studies.”
Prepared by the Physical Education Bibliographer
Updated: 1999