As the peak body for organisations in Australia, Sports Medicine Australia produces a number of information documents for the general public. These can be ordered from Sports Medicine Australia for a small charge, or downloaded for free from this site. Most of our general information can be found at the following link www.sma.org.au/information/resources.asp

Quick guide to locating sports medicine information

Prepared by Greg Blood
Information Services Manager
National Sport Information Centre
Australian Sports Commission
Updated October 2008

Accessing sports medicine today can be very easy but also very complex. The growth of internet services has decreased the need for sports medicine practitioners to visit libraries to locate relevant books, journals or conference papers. In turn, libraries are increasingly moving away from collecting information to providing gateways to electronic information. The following information outlines the availability of sports medicine information on the internet and the services provided by the National Sport Information Centre (NSIC).

Databases on the Internet:

Databases remain the primary method of locating quality sports medicine information. Listed below are several databases available through the internet that can assist you.

Science Direct - www.sciencedirect.com

Science Direct features more than 2,500 Journals and over 6,000 Books. Click here for online access to the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Scopus - www.scopus.com

Scopus is a leading database or research literature.

PubMed (also known as Medicine and Index Medicus) -www.pubmed.com

This well known medical database provides access to over 18 million journal citations in 5000 journals. In particular, PubMed covers all core sports medicine journals as well as allied journals in fields of othopaedics, physical therapy and biomechanics. There is no charge for accessing this database on the internet and it is extremely up to date. Useful features of the database include links to full text articles, journal browsing, marking regerences and latest references lists (NCBI). The NSIC uses NCBI to alert staff to the most recent references on a topic or a journal.

SPORTDiscus

This is the most comprehensive database covering sports medicine. Besides covering core sports medicine/science journals, it provides access to research in conference proceedings, theses, chapters in books and non-core sports medicine hournals that are not covered by PubMed. Access to this database will be through the NSIC, state sport information centres and university libraries as it is not free.

Cochrane Library - www.cochrane.org.au/library/

The Cochrane Library consists of a regularly updated collection of evidence-based medicine databases, including nearly 3500 Cochrane reviews published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. These reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments (medications, surgery, education, etc) in specific circumstances. Australians are provided free access to the database.

Pedro - Physiotherapy Evidence Base Database - www.pedro.fhs.usyd.edu.au

This database has been developed by the Centre for Evidence-Based Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney to give quick access to bibliographic details and abstracts of randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews in physiotherapy.

SportScan Update Database - www.ausport.gov.au/information/nsic/catalogue/sportscan_article_database

This database created by the NSIC provides a listing of topical journal articles held in its collection. This database allows you to research for articles on specific sports injuries or sports medicine issues. All articles listed can be obtained from the NSIC through its Document Delivery Service.

NSIC Catalogue - www.ausport.gov.au/information/nsic/catalogue/nsic_catalogue

The NSIC Catalogue became available through the interet for the first time in November 2005. Catalogue lists the extensive sports medicine/science resources held by the NSIC including research published by AIS sports medicine/science staff.

Sports Medicine Australia Online Library - www.medinfonow.com

This online resource library for SMA members is powered by Med Info Now.

Sports Medicine Bookshelf - essentialsportsmedicine.medinfo.com

The bookshelf lists the latest "must-have" titles in Sports Medicine.

Keeping Up To Date

Journals

Most major sports medicine journals allow you to receive a contents page update service. To subscribe go to the home page of the journal, go to email alerts e.g. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/14402440 has an Alert Me function for new volumes/issues/topics. Many of these alert functions are a free service.

PubMed NCBI

PubMed allows you to save searches on topics of interest and be alerted by email each week or month to the latest articles on the topic i.e. posterities pubis in footballers. If you have difficulty in setting up the NCBI alert, staff at any medical library or the NSIC will be able to assist you. To register fo to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SportScan Update

This free email monthly alert service lists popular/topical/cutting edge articles on sports medicine and physical therapy identified by NSIC staff and added to the SportScan Update Database. To subscribe to this service email nsic@ausport.gov.au Sample issues can found at www.ausport.gov.au/information/news

Full text articles

Many sports medicine journals now provide full text access as part of a subscription or pay for view e.g. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. As previously mentioned, PubMed now provides direct links to may full text articles. Several journals provide free access to their contents. A listing of these journal can be found at the websites www.freemedicaljournals.com or www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov

Internet Search Engines

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo etc should be utilised to locate sports medicine information published on website ie research/conference papers. contents pages, reference lists etc. Google Scolar is very useful for locating academic/scientific information only as it searches inside PubMed, journal and organisation websites.

National Sport Information Centre (NSIC) Services

The NSIC located at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has developed one of the leading sports medicine collections in the world. This collection was developed to service the information needs of sports medicine/physical therapy staff at the AIS and state institutes of sport. However, sports medicine practioners working in Australia can access this world-class collection.

Features of the collection include: core sports medicine/science books and comprehensive collection of sports medicine and science journals.

Accessing this collection can be through the following NSIC services:

• Inter-library loans - all books and conference proceedings held by the NSIC are listed on the NSIC Catalogue. Loans can be arranged through your local library.
• Document Devlivery Service provides access to journal articles and conference papers. Details of this service, including order and payment forms can be found at the website www.ausport.gov.au/information/nsic/catalogue/ordering_information
• Literature Searches of Sport Discus and PubMed can be undertaken. The cost of this service is based on the complexity of the search and time spent doing the search.

For further assistance in accessing sports medicine information or NSIC services, please contact:

National Sport Information Centre
Australian Sports Commission
PO Box 176 Belconnen ACT 2616
nsic@ausport.gov.au
www.ausport.gov.au/information/nsic
Tel. 02 6214 1369. Fax. 02 6214 1681