Academic and professional content for the developing world

Welcoming Human Kinetics Journals to the Research4Life partnership

We’re excited to announce that Human Kinetics Journals has joined Research4Life partnership, bringing 27 journals focused on physical activity, kinesiology, sport, and public health. All 27 titles are available to all Research4Life users, supporting our shared goal of improving access to quality research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

By joining our growing community of publishing partners, Human Kinetics Journals is helping expand global access, promote diverse research voices, and strengthen cross border collaboration.

In this Q&A, Crystal Lasky Robinson, Journals Digital Publishing Manager at Human Kinetics Journals shares why this partnership matters, how it supports their mission, and what they hope to achieve by reaching new audiences through Research4Life.

How do you see your participation in Research4Life contributing to your organization’s mission?

Human Kinetics Journals partners with societies and organizations to help achieve our mutual goals of nurturing a robust, active community of researchers in the fields of physical activity and education, kinesiology, public health, and sport. Our hope is that our participation in Research4Life will help further these goals.

As is the case with many publishers based in the US, Human Kinetics Journals’ authors and their research tend to come from and focus on the US and other English-speaking, high-income countries. Our readership and subscribers are also primarily from higher income countries. For our international journals, in particular, this represents a gap in research and reach.

Our intention in participating in Research4Life is to increase readership and authorship in lower income countries, as well as collaborate with these individuals and organizations to contribute to more complete research in physical activity and education, kinesiology, public health, and sport.

What are your thoughts on the importance of access to research in low- and middle-income countries?

Research that only interacts with high-income countries is research that cannot fully achieve its purpose. Research results cannot be complete or settled without collaboration with researchers and organizations in LMICs. That collaboration needs to start with access to research.

The world is facing complicated and daunting problems, and LMICs are often at the forefront. Providing access to research to researchers and organizations in LMICs puts that research where it is urgently needed and where it has the chance to adapt and grow to meet diverse needs.

At Human Kinetics, our mission is to increase the knowledge, enhance the performance, and improve the health and fitness of all people around the world by developing and delivering authoritative information about physical activity and sport. Thus, partnering with Research4Life is an organic collaboration to help us jointly meet our missions.

We are excited to partner with Research4Life and work together to deliver free online access to the Human Kinetics Journals’ scholarly peer-reviewed content to support the Research4Life mission of building an inclusive and equitable environment for scholarly research.

–Kathleen Burgener, Vice President & Director of the Human Kinetics Journals Division

Do you participate in any other initiatives that provide access to your content in developing countries? How do these initiatives complement Research4Life?

Our partnership with the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) includes providing access to the Journal of Sport Management and the Sport Management Education Journal to select organizations in LMICs, as identified by NASSM in partnership with other regional sport management associations. The intention of this initiative is to help NASSM support and collaborate with other organizations with similar purposes and goals.

The initiative above has similar goals to R4L, but on a smaller, subject-specific scale.

Is there any content (any specific journal, book etc) or product feature that you would particularly like to highlight to Research4Life users?

• Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly is dedicated to the advancement of original empirical research relating to physical activity for and among disabled people, including international para sport.
• Journal of Physical Activity and Health has made a concerted effort to have a more global publication focus., and Research4Life users are more likely to find directly applicable research in this journal.
• Journal of Teaching in Physical Education has a Spanish language special series on Current Research Approaches to Physical Education in Spanish-Speaking Countries. This special series is slated to publish in the four issues of Volume 44. 44(1) and 44(2) have already been published.