Contact the Librarian at Your Campus for More Help!
For questions on gender, race, and other social aspects of sports:
Bernadette Lear
(BAL19@psu.edu or 717-948-6360)
For questions on the culture and history of sports:
Heidi Abbey Moyer
(HNA2@psu.edu or 717-948-6056)
For questions on science relating to sports:
Andrea Pritt
(ALP5088@psu.edu or 717-948-6071)
KINES 341 Search Tips
Use each database's thesaurus or subject headings list to identify the best wording for your topic. For example, SportDiscus uses:
- Billiard Tables (not "Pool Tables")
- Football for Children, as well as "Pop Warner Football"
- Youth League Baseball (not "Little League Baseball")
The names of some sports vary according to the locations they are played. For instance, the game that Americans would call "soccer" is called "football" in many other countries.
There are also different terms used among competitive and recreational players. For example, serious players talk about "table tennis," while you might call the same game "ping pong."
Using EBSCO databases (including America: History and Life and SPORTDiscus)
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EBSCO Product HelpA gateway to resources for using EBSCO databases.
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EBSCO Recorded SessionsWatch recorded webinars to learn how to use other EBSCO databases.
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EBSCO Tutorials (on YouTube)EBSCO's playlist of database tutorials.
Using ProQuest Databases (including History Vault and Sociological Abstracts)
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APA PsycINFO: AboutProQuest's detailed guide to using PsycINFO. Includes explanations, tips, and videos.
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ERIC: AboutProQuest's detailed guide to using ERIC. Includes explanations, tips, and videos.
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Social Science Training MaterialsA gateway to resources for using ProQuest's Social Sciences databases.
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ProQuest WebinarsOnline training for ProQuest products. Some are for database users; others are more appropriate for library educators.
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ProQuest VideoProQuest's YouTube channel. Includes videos about its products, and about database research in general.
Using Other Databases
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LionSearch TutorialsHow to use LionSearch, Penn State's federated search engine, which enables you to tap the library catalog and most journal databases simultaneously.
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Online Students Use of the LibraryAlthough this guide is intended for Penn State World Campus students, it's a helpful orientation for anyone who is doing most of their research off-campus.
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How to GuidesPenn State's library tutorials. They cover a wide variety of research-related skills.
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Gale Training ToolsTips sheets, tutorials, and other resources for those learning to use Gale databases.
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Gale Training Tools (YouTube)Gale's YouTube channel for tutorials on its databases.
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Google Scholar Search TipsAdvice for using Google's search engine for journal articles.
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JSTOR Support > StudentsJSTOR's student page is helpful for any user.
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JSTOR on YouTubeVideos from JSTOR's support team.
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PubMed HelpVideos and other resources for using PubMed, the world's largest medical literature database.