Subject guides

Page title

School of Sport and Exercise Science

Make the most of your Library

Learning how to use Library resources, such as books, journal articles, and databases, is a key part of your academic development.

Your librarian, Kathryn, can help support you to find, evaluate, use, and reference information from a wide variety of sources to produce high-quality assignments.

If you would like to book a one-to-one or small-group appointment, you are very welcome to contact me by email or drop by the askalibrarian desk in The Hive. Use the boxes to the left to check my availability on the askalibrarian desk.

Go beyond Google

When it comes to finding material for your assignments, your resource lists are a great place to start. You can use Library Search to start looking for academic books and e-books, book chapters, and journal articles. For more targeted searches, you can use research databases -- use the tabs below to discover the recommended resources for the School of Sport and Exercise Science.

Subject-specific databases

These resources are focused on specific subjects, including Business, Education and Health sciences. You may find it useful to consult other library subject guides on these areas to find other resources.

UK Coaching
Useful library of videos, guides, blogs and answers for coaches. Contains good practice cases, training and research material as well as blog posts. The Library also subscribes to the organisation's print journal Coaching Edge. To get login details, email askalibrarian.

Multi-disciplinary databases

These databases bring together journals, e-books and other scholarly material across a number of different disciplines.

Academic Complete ebooks
Academic Search Complete
Directory of Open Access Journals
Emerald Journals
JSTOR Arts & Sciences Collections I, II and III
Proquest Central
The collection includes full-text scholarly journals, newspapers, magazines, dissertations, working papers, and market reports.
SAGE Complete A-Z List
ScienceDirect Journals
Taylor & Francis Online

What is a journal article and how do I use a research database?

Use these handy tutorials from our YouTube channel to find out about why and how to use journal articles.

Using websites critically

Websites can be useful sources of relevant information, but you must critically evaluate them. While books are checked by publishers and editors and journal articles are reviewed by academic experts, online content can easily be produced and disseminated without these checks. Here are some useful starting points to evaluate a website:

Current - is the information up-to-date or relevant to what you are looking for? Does the website share when it was published or last updated?
Reliable - is the information accurate and can it be verified? Do they reference their information?
Authority - where does the website derive its expertise? Is it written by practitioners, researchers, or someone else with expert knowledge? What kind of sources and references do they use?
Purpose - what is the purpose of the website? Is it trying to sell you something or push an agenda?

For more guidance, see our Evaluating sources guide.

National agencies, Sports Councils, and other public bodies

These organisations all promote sport across the UK, investing in elite and amateur sport.

English Institute of Sport
Governmental agency that aims to help athlete's improve their performances through science, medicine, technology and engineering.
Sport England
Sports Council responsible for England, building community sports, increasing sports participation and supporting diverse talent to reach elite levels.
Sport England - Active Lives Survey
Active Lives Surveys measures activity levels across England, producing regular research reports.
Sport Ireland
Sport Council in Ireland, aiming to champion Irish sport.
Sportscotland
Sports Council for Scotland, aiming to develop sports participation in Scotland.
Sport Wales
Sport Council for Wales, advising the Welsh Government on sporting matters and supporting elite and amateur sport in Wales.
UK Data Archive
Social research data: UK censuses, surveys, studies and data.
UK Data Service
UK Census Data. Once logged in, new users will need to complete a registration form and validate via email to gain access.
UK Sport
Governmental agency investing in elite (Olympic and Paralympic) sport. Explore funding and investment made into sport.
UK Anti-Doping
Governmental agency that manages anti-doping policy in the UK, complying with the World Anti-Doping (WADA) Code.

Other organisations and useful resources

These resources span other sporting organisations, coaching, sport business, sport education and more.

British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)
Professional body for sport and exercise science in the UK.
UK Coaching
Coaching organisation with information and guidance on areas related to coaching.
Connected Coaches
Connected Coaches is the online community platform for coaches in the UK where coaches find forums to discuss and share experiences. This is of value for practicing coaches but also for students to find more professional insight and provide them with opportunities to connect with the professional world.
Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD)
A social inclusion project which aims to combat racism by using football to break down barriers.
Association for Physical Education (afPE)
PE subject association for the UK, developing education related policy, supporting professional learning, and promoting high standards in physical education and school sport.

Improving your performance

Going to university is a bit like gym membership - your fees get you access to great services and facilities, but if you want to see any changes, you have to put the work in. If you're not sure what to do or where to go, we are happy to help!

We can help with finding, evaluating, using and referencing information. Get in touch with Kathryn or askalibrarian for support over email or to book a face-to-face appointment.

You can find guidance on referencing, finding and evaluating sources, plagiarism and copying on our Study Skills page, and guidance on essay writing, taking notes, organising yourself and more on the UW Study Skills page.

Academic writing

Language Centre - seek advice from tutors on how to improve your academic English. One-to-one appointments are available daily, with online booking.
Writers in Residence - get support from professional writers on your own writing. One-to-one appointments, book over email.

Recommended books

The study skills handbook by Stella Cottrell
Call Number: Ebook
Publication Date: 2019
This book covers the core study skills, including thinking and writing critically. It's written in an accessible way, with lots of useful illustrations and exercises.
Reading Critically at University by Mike Metcalfe
Call Number: 378.170281/MET
Publication Date: 2006
Are you not sure what you need to do to "critique" a book or an argument? Have you been asked to read or write more "critically", but aren't certain what to do differently? This book covers 13 different ways to analyse and evaluate information, with practical exercises to support your learning.

Kathryn Devine

Academic Liaison Librarian

Appointments

The Hive Level 3 askalibrarian

Please note that I am currently working from home whilst the Hive remains closed. Please email me at k.devine@worc.ac.uk if you have any queries or would like to book a time to speak via Collaborate or by telephone. Please consult our coronavirus webpage for the latest information on Library Services at this time,

Book an appointment