Finding References for Research
Topics in Exercise Physiology,
Exercise Science, and
Kinesiology
KINE 5300
Research Methods
Dr. Joel T. Cramer
CSCS,*D; NSCA-CPT,*D; ACSM H/FI
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology
References
Academic Resources
– Primary
– Secondary
Non-academic Resources
Primary Academic References
Original research studies conducted
by authors
– Published in scholarly journals
– Require IRB approval
– Refereed or Peer reviewed
– Specific hypotheses tested and
discussed
– Focused
Secondary Academic References
Summaries and syntheses of the literature
Benefits:
– Can be published in
the form of journal
articles or books
– Peer reviewed
– May provide an idea
or starting point
for:
Identifying topics
Structure
Key words
Drawbacks:
– No IRB approval
– Older information
Not as current as
primary sources
Non-academic References
Anything that is published outside of the primary
and secondary academic resources, including:
newspapers, magazines, and the world-wide web
Benefits:
– General idea or
starting point
Identifying topics
Key words
Drawbacks:
– 1st Amendment
Can be published
anywhere; can say
anything
– No IRB approval
– Not peer reviewed
– Based upon
speculation and
opinion
Locating References
Accessing appropriate databases
Searching databases
– Same as searching the web!
Narrowing your searches
Viewing copies of specific articles
Databases
List of databases and indexes available
through the UTA Libraries Online system
http://library.uta.edu/Main/home.uta
– Right side links – “Education & Kinesiology”
– Under “Library Databases”, click “Kinesiology”
http://library.uta.edu/Main/subjNarrow.uta?DBID=KI
NESIOLOGY
– Scroll down to see all databases
Two primary databases for topics in
Exercise, Health, and Disease:
– MEDLINE
– SPORT Discus
MEDLINE®
Medical Literature, Analysis, and Retrieval
System Online
– U.S. National Library of Medicine's (NLM) primary
bibliographic database
– Can be searched online or through library-based
search engines:
PubMed® http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
NLM Gateway http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd
UTA Libraries Online: via FirstSearch
– Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®)
NLM’s indexing vocabulary
– 1966 to present; updated daily; 460,000 added
annually
– Index Medicus journals only
MEDLINE® Access
PubMed®
– http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Easy online access
Great for quick searches
Access to other databases (3D structures, etc.)
Search on campus with (OCLC) FirstSearch
– FirstSearch Basic
– FirstSearch Advanced
– FirstSearch Expert
More sophisticated search-and-retrieve capabilities
Slightly different vocabulary search definitions
Library interface
FirstSearch Tips
About 44 different types of searches
– Examples of commonly used searches:
Key Words (kw:)
Abstract (ab:)
Authors (au:)
Title (ti:)
Specify articles that can be found in
the UTA Library System
FirstSearch Expert
FirstSearch Tips
Plurals:
– “+” = -s or -es
[kw:disease+] = disease and diseases
[ti:hypothesis OR hypotheses]
Truncation:
– Minimum of first three letters followed by an
asterisk “*”
[ti:hypothes*] = hypothesis, hypotheses, hypothesized
Wildcards:
– Minimum of first three letters followed by “#” or
“?”
# = a single letter
? = a number of letters in a single term
FirstSearch Expert
FirstSearch Tips
Boolean Searching
– Combining search terms
AND, OR, and NOT
– [kw:pediatric AND kw:disease]
– [ab:cardiovascular AND ab:heart AND ab:disease]
Nesting
– [kw:(pediatric OR geriatric) AND kw:disease]
Proximity Searching
– Combining adjacent search terms within a
specified proximity
“W” = with
“N” = near
– [au:cramer W jt]
– [ti:cardiovascular N disease]
FirstSearch Expert
SPORT Discus
Offered by SilverPlatter Information
– A unique resource for both practical and research
literature on sport, physical fitness and physical education
topics
http://www.silverplatter.com/catalog/spor.htm
– Can be searched for free through the library:
http://library.uta.edu/Main/subjNarrow.uta?DBID=KIN
ESIOLOGY (scroll to find SPORTdiscus)
SPIRS (SilverPlatter Information Retrieval System)
Not limited to Index Medicus journals, but not as updated or
extensive as MEDLINE
Source:
Access Options:
Coverage:
Number of Records:
Records Added Annually:
Subjects:
Sport Information Resource Centre
Internet;Hard Disk
1975-Present, updated quarterly
500,000+
22,000+
Sports Medicine, Allied Health, and Psychology
Database Searches
Types of Searches
– Key words
Titles, abstracts, subjects, phrases, etc.
– Authors
Last names, first initials
– Identification numbers
ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)
ISBN (International Standard Book Numbering)
Medline number
Accession number
– Year / date of publication
Identifying Key Words
Write out an example title or research
question for your project.
– Select the “key words” from the title that capture
the essence of the project.
– The goal is to focus your search, so try to focus
your topic.
Example 1: “Cancer and exercise” [kw:cancer and exercise]
Example 2: “Can exercise positively influence cancer
treatment?” [kw:(cancer w treatment) and kw:exercise]
Example 3: “The effects of exercise during the
treatment and recovery from non-hodgkins
lymphoma” [kw:(non-hodgkins w lymphoma) and kw:exercise]
Secondary academic references…
Other Examples
Combining authors and keywords
– Example 1: “White” [au:white]
– Example 2: “White AT?” [au:white w at]
– Example 3: “White AT and multiple sclerosis”
[au:(white w at) and kw:(multiple w sclerosis)]
Other areas of interest
– Example 1: “EMG or MMG” [kw:EMG or kw:MMG]
– Example 2: “EMG and MMG?” [kw:EMG and kw:MMG]
– Example 3: “EMG, MMG, and disease” [kw:EMG
and
kw:MMG and kw:disease]
– Example 4: “EMG, MMG, and pediatric disease”
[kw:(sound or acoustic or MMG or mechanomyography) and kw:EMG and kw:(pediatric and
disease)]
Other Examples
Who are the leaders in the field?
– Example 1: “White AT?”
[au:white w at]
Ask about names to search
Authors of textbooks/book chapters
Referenced in other secondary academic
references
– Example
– Example
– Example
– Example
2:
3:
4:
5:
“Enoka RM” [au:enoka w rm]
“De Luca CJ” [au:de luca w cj]
“Orizio C” [au:orizio w c]
“Housh TJ” [au:housh w tj]
Getting a Full-text Copy
Accessing full-text articles on-line
– Must be on campus for some full-text articles (or
proxy access)
– UTA has subscription with ScienceDirect®
– “Google” the name of the journal – check archives
Does the library have it?
– FirstSearch function
– UTA Libraries Online Catalog
http://pulse.uta.edu/
Interlibrary Loan Services
– https://illiad.uta.edu/illiad/
Must register online first!
Review of Topics Covered
Types of References Available
Locating References
– Databases
– Searching
Examples
– Getting a copy