Course: RPTA 397
Topic: Research and Evaluation in Leisure Services
Spring 2008 -- Katherine Pawelko
Librarian: John Stierman – jp-stierman@wiu.edu
Leslie F. Malpass Library, Office 219
Phone: 298-2756
Office Hours: Monday, 3-4; Tuesday, 4-5; Wednesday, 11-12 &6-7
Off-Campus Access: Library Internet Resources. Most of the libraries' databases are proprietary (owned by third parties). As long as you are on campus, the database providers assume that you are a WIU student. If you are off-campus, the providers require proof of enrolment. If you want to access library databases off-campus, be prepared with your student id # or your ecom username and password. Call the reference desk at 309-298-2700 or 800-413-6544.
Primary Search Tools
- ABI/Inform, 1971-
- ABI/Inform is one of our most popular business databases. Look here for articles that evaluate the effectiveness of corporate wellness/fitness centers, among other programs aimed at the corporate world. Not limited to U.S. Many full-text articles.
- Hospitality and Tourism Index. 1960- .
- Includes all aspects of the hospitality and tourism industry including: demographics and statistics, hotel management, food service management, event management, law, market trends and research. Selected full-text.
- Leisure, Recreation & Tourism Abstracts, 1973- .
- Leisure, Recreation & Tourism Abstracts brings together information for those interested in research and strategic development of leisure, recreation, sport, tourism and hospitality activities, facilities, products and services. Includes the following topics: Leisure and tourism policies; Tourism and leisure industries; Travel and transport; Facility management and planning; Recreation, cultural, entertainment and sport activities; Natural resources and environment. Limited to only a few users at a time.
- Physical Education Index. 1970- .
- A subject Index to domestic and foreign periodicals which are published in English. Covers Dance, Health, PE, PT, Recreation, Sports and Sportsmedicine. Also covers specific subject areas like Sport Psychology, Training, Teaching Methods, and Sport Sociology. Some overlap with SPORTDiscus.
- SBRnet (Sports Business Research Network). 1947- .
- SBRnet's site combines market research from the largest single research supplier to the industry, the National Sporting Goods Association; the U.S. Department of Commerce; various sports governing bodies; and full-text articles from 14 magazines and newsletters published by VNU, the world's largest sporting goods trade publisher, and newsletters provided by leading independent industry experts. Subjects covered include sporting goods industry, sports sponsorship and marketing, broadcasting, facilities, broadcasting and new media [from the About Us section of the SBRnet site].
- SPORTDiscus. 1975- .
- SPORTDiscus is the world's most comprehensive bibliographic resource for all aspects of sport and fitness. The database includes over 400,000 references and 16,400 dissertations/theses in over 50 different languages. The database includes multiple document types, including conference papers, journal articles, unpublished papers, theses. Twenty-five percent of the material is considered research level material. SPORTDiscus specializes in information on leisure, recreation, sport and physical education topics, teacher and coach training, sport skills and physical training regimens. The multidisciplinary coverage and international scope of the database gives important research focus to topics.
Determining Full-Text Access
When you see this button, click on it to determine full-text availability. By clicking on the Find It! button you are engaging the libraries Peridocials Holdings List. The example below shows the Find It! button in a bibliographic citation:
If you click the you will see that WIU Libraries provides this title only in print, not in full text:
- Periodicals Holdings List
- From the Libraries' homepage (www.wiu.edu/library), click on Locate a Journal. Print & Electronic Periodicals Holdings List (PHL) is a listing of both periodical titles (print/microform formats) available on the shelves of the Western Illinois University Libraries, and e-titles available in full-text databases purchased by the WIU Libraries. This resource currently indexes over 20,000 unique periodical titles. If the Library does not have a document you need, consider, if time allows, requesting the document via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). In some cases, your request can be made directly from an online index. In others, you can use the form on the Libraries’ home page. Look under Library Services.
Citing Your Sources: Hard Copy, Internet and RefWorks
To my knowledge, the RPTA Department uses the APA style format. Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual features three popular formats: MLA, APA, and Chicago. For special instructions on how to cite Internet sources, see Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual, Fourth Edition, pages 174-175. You can, of course, always consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition (APA Manual). We have APA Manuals at the Reference Desk. For Internet sources, see pages 268-281. The Reference Staff have created handouts on two of three popular styles.
To manage your citations, you might consider learning how to use RefWorks. It is citation management software that is compatible with most of the University Libraries's databases. Ask me how to set up a personal account and begin filling folders with citations. You will find RefWorks on the WIU Libraries list of databases. To access your RefWorks folders off-campus, use this school code: rwwillinoisu.