Recreation and Leisure Studies: Reference

Reference materials are useful to consult during the early stages of your research and can help you to:

• learn the controlled vocabulary and terminology for your research topic
• understand the broad context and background
• establish a coherent organizational structure for your work

Reference materials focus on different types of information. Examples include:

• Bibliographies
• Companions
• Critical Analysis
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• Guides
• Handbooks
• Manuals
• Thesauri

Reference materials often contain:

• Abstracts
• Annotations
• Definitions
• Facts
• Summaries

Dictionaries

• Dictionary of Concepts in Recreation and Leisure Studies
• Dictionary of Leisure, Travel and Tourism
• Dictionary of Tourism
• Dictionary of Travel and Tourism Terminology
• Dictionary of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
• SAGE Dictionary of Leisure Studies (record under revision)
• Tourism Society's Dictionary for the Tourism Industry

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia of Leisure and Outdoor Recreation (record under revision)
• Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America
• Encyclopedia of Tourism
• Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments
• Oxford Reference Online

Thesauri

• Parks and Recreation Terminology (record under revision)
• Thesaurus of Park, Recreation & Leisure Service Terms