Databases
Library Resources for Sports Science, Physical Activity and Sports Therapy
This section guides you to the library's key print and electronic resources for Sports Science, Physical Activity, and Sports Therapy. You can access print and electronic books through your unit reading lists and the library catalogue. Online databases such as Discover and Sport Discus will allow you to search for academic journal articles independently. You will also find links to Study Hub with guidance and support to help you develop your databases searching, referencing and other research skills.
The resources covered in this guide relate to all aspects of sports including the business, management, and sociology of sports, sports coaching, sports science, and related healthcare subjects such as sports therapy. The majority of databases provide access to peer reviewed journal articles, but you will also see links to a wider range of resources such as ebooks, newspapers, and the interactive 'Visible Body' human anatomy application.
Sports Studies and Sports Science Resources
The following databases relate to the study of sports and sports science
Reading lists for your unit can be accessed from BREO, or by searching for the unit title. Reading lists will provide access to the core-texts and selected readings for your unit. These could be books, journal articles, and sometimes other types of information such as organisational websites.
You can use the Library Catalogue to find print books and ebooks held by the University of Bedfordshire. You can also find journal titles and databases here.
The Discover database allows you to search across multiple academic databases provided through the University of Bedfordshire Library. It is a good place to start searching for academic journal articles on all topics relating to Sports and Sports science.
SPORTDiscus with Full Text provides access to journal articles and conference proceedings for all areas of sports studies and exercise science.
PsycINFO includes reference information and full-text access to the international literature of sports psychology.
Academic Search Complete provides access to over 7000 academic journals, many relating to English such as the Chaucer Review, Shakespeare Studies, and Children's Literature in Education.
Web of Science database indexes over 10,000 of the most respected journals in science and social science. The Web of Science is part of a set of databases called Web of Knowledge.
Scopus indexes a vast number of peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences. The database also encompasses tools to track citations so you can see how often and where a paper has been cited.
Google Scholar searches a huge range of resources across many subject areas. Google Scholar will provide useful reference information and can be used to access the full-text of journals that are open access publications.
Oxford Reference contains many electronic reference books and encyclopedias, including dictionaries and thesauri. You can browse by subject (e.g. modernism) or enter a search word to find relevant content.
Below is a selection of useful online refence books relating to English studies.
Oxford Companion to English Literature
The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature
The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare
The Oxford Companion to Modern Poetry
Credo Reference contains a variety of electronic encyclopedias and reference books. You can search within individual books or across all content at once. The 'Mind Map' search tool in Credo is useful if you wish to consider related concepts and ideas.
Examples of Credo reference books relating to English studies include,
The Cambridge guide to children's books in English
The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English
The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English
Lexis Library News contains the full text of many UK newspapers, both local and national. Try searching for recent books publications and theatrical productions to see how they were first reviewed.
NewsBank contains the full text of many UK newspapers, both local and national. Try searching for recent publications and theatrical productions to see how they were first received by the press.
The University of Bedfordshire Special Collections are a group of archives relating to subjects taught at the University of Bedfordshire. These include the Bedfordshire Physical Education Archive and the Levick Boyd Archive for Women's Lacrosse.
Sports Medicine and Sports Therapy Resources
The following resources relate to Sports Medicine and Sports Therapy. More general databases such as Discover and Scopus (linked to above) will also have useful academic information relating to sports medicine related subjects.
Visible Body: human anatomy atlas - contains interactive 3D models of the human body.
AMED (Allied and Alternative Medicine) contains references to journal articles in alternative medicine and complimentary therapy.
BIOSIS contains indexes to journal articles on aspects of human health, and sports medicine.
CINAHL Complete - large database with full-text and indexing records covering health care topics.
The Cochrane library is a well established set of databases for carrying out systematic reviews of healthcare topics. Covers clinical interventions and sports injuries. Guidance and training on using the Cochrane Library for systematic reviews is available in the Cochrane Library Training Hub
Medline is wide ranging US-based medical database.
PEDro is a database of systematic reviews in physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
PubMed Central is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Librairy of Medicine.
UK PubMed Central is a free Europe based archive of health and biomedical sciences literature.
Trip is a database with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine. Contains lots of international guidelines.
Free Resources and Useful Websites
Below is a list of useful websites and other online resources that are relevant to the Sport Science and Physical Activity.
Sport England This is government affiliated body which aims to unlock the advantages of sport and physical activity for everyone. There are similar government bodies based in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Department for Digitial, Culture, Media, and Sport UK Government Department working with a range of agencies and public bodies to promote sport.
UK Sport This is the UK's high performance sports agency organizing strategic support and funding for the Paralympics and Olympics. The English Institute of Sport is the science, medicine and technology arm of UK Sport.
UK Coaching This organization funds, supports, and trains coaches in the community.
Association for Physical Education Supports people and organinizations in the delivery of physical education, school sport and physical activity in schools and beyond.
Activity Alliance: Disbility inclusion in sport The national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity.
BBC Sport Homepage of BBC sport journalism.
European Association for the Sociology of Sport Association promoting research, publications and professional development in the area of sport and social sciences. Based at the University of |Vienna.
Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)The professional development body for the UK's sport and physical activity sector.
British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Association working with member institutions to get more students active through competitive sport and other physical activity opportunities.
British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES) Leads the advancement of knowledge and evidence-based practice within the UK's sport and exercise sciences.
British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine Professional organization for sports medicine practitioners.
British Association of Sport Rehabilitators Represents professionals working in the sport rehabilitation sector.
American Sports Medicine Institute Aims to improve the understanding, prevention and treatment of sports related injuries through research and education.
American College of Sports Medicine Representing over 70 occupations within the field of sports medicine this organization aims to integrate scientific research with educational and practical applications of sports science and medicine.
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) US based profesional body for strength and conditioning.
UK Strength and Conditioning Association Represents the UK strength and conditioning profession.
Sports Massage Association The Association for soft tissure therapists.
Human Kinetics A key publisher of sports science and medicine related books.
Association for Applied Sport Psychology American association for the advanced application of sports pyschology.
Sports Therapy Association UK based professional body for Sports Therapy.
American Society for Nutrition Aims to advance the science, education and practice of nutrition.
Association for Nutrition UK based professional association and resource hub for nutrition.
The Nutrition Society Advances the scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human health.
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