Library Guides: Sports Studies: Background Information

Overview of Sports Studies

Sports Studies examines different kinds of athletic endeavor within the context of the broader culture, present and past. It commonly utilizes methodologies derived from the social sciences, including history, sociology, economics, psychology, and other disciplines. To a lesser extent, it examines representations of sports in the visual arts, literature, and popular media like newspapers and film. Among the more familiar lines of investigation in sports studies are the intersection of sports and education, journalism, race, ethnicity, class, and gender. The Joyce Sports Research Collection in the Libraries’ Rare Books and Special Collections is one of the nation’s finest accumulations of older printed materials relating to sports.

News and Popular Press

Popular press resources such as newspapers and magazines are expert but non-scholarly sources that report basic facts and offer opinions. One benefit of these sources is that they are printed shortly after an event, but they do not reach the level of analysis necessary for scholarly work.

Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis Academic) This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni delivers unmatched depth and quality when it comes to content. With more than 15,000 news, legal and business sources, Nexis Uni helps students find credible sources including: Print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs; Local, regional, national and international newspapers with deep archives; Extensive legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790; Unparalleled business information on more than 80 million U.S. and international companies and more than 75 million executives.
New York times (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window
The New York Times is the paper of record in the United States, with 122 Pulitzer Prizes, and with second-largest circulation among metropolitan newspapers in the United States.

The Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. It is the eighth-largest newspaper in the United States by circulation.

McClatchy-Tribune collection This link opens in a new window
Includes a 90-day archive of newspapers from the McClatchy-Tribune wire service. The data is updated daily.
America's historical newspapers This link opens in a new window
A growing collection allows users to search more than 1,000 U.S. historical newspapers published between 1690 and 1998 [and beyond], including titles from all 50 states. Created by Readex through partnerships with the American Antiquarian Society, Library of Congress, Wisconsin Historical Society and others.

ESPN
Visit ESPN to get up-to-the-minute sports news coverage, scores, highlights and commentary for NFL, MLB, NBA, College Football, NCAA Basketball and more.

	(574) 631-0290
	rarebook@nd.edu