Why Sports Science and Medicine Practitioners Should Use ResearchGate
- Jo Clubb
- Aug 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 28
This post explains five reasons practitioners in sport should use the online platform, ResearchGate, for their sports science and medicine research.
As applied practitioners, staying up to date with current research can be challenging. Journal paywalls, time constraints, and the sheer volume of literature make it difficult to access and engage with scientific findings that could inform our day-to-day work. However, platforms like ResearchGate can help bridge that gap.
ResearchGate is a free online platform where researchers share their work, ask and answer questions, and connect with others in their field. While originally built for academics, it has become a valuable tool for sports science and medicine practitioners looking to access research, follow emerging trends, and connect with the people behind the publications.
I'm often surprised when practitioners have not heard of ResearchGate. Given it is completely free, to me, it is a no-brainer for sports science practitioners. Below, I outline several reasons why ResearchGate is worth including in your professional toolkit.
1. Read Research You Might Not Otherwise Access
One of the main barriers practitioners face is access to academic publications behind paywalls. While ResearchGate is not a replacement for institutional access, it does enable you to request full-text versions of research articles directly from the authors. In many cases, researchers upload their accepted manuscripts or preprints, making them freely available to others.
I always add my publications to my ResearchGate profile and while I may not have the ability to share the full text publicly, as much as possible, I always encourage practitioners to request a copy of the full text. (The exception here is book chapters, which I am not able to share).
This is particularly useful for sports scientists and clinicians working outside of academia, such as in professional clubs or private practice, who may not have subscriptions to scientific journals. ResearchGate provides an accessible route to expand your reading beyond just open-access publications or abstracts.
Tip: If a paper is listed but the full text isn’t available, click the “Request full-text” button. This sends a direct message to the author, who can then share the paper with you if permitted by the journal’s copyright policies.
2. Follow the Researchers, Not Just the Topics
Staying current in applied sports science is not just about reading papers, it's about understanding where research is heading and who is leading it. ResearchGate allows you to follow individual researchers whose work you value. You’ll receive notifications when they publish new research, ask a question, or contribute to a discussion.
For example:
interested in training load? Follow Franco Impellizzeri.
Interested in football analytics? Follow Marco Beato and Mauro Mandorino.
Interested in women's football? Follow Naomi Datson and Stacey Emmonds.
Interested in force-velocity profiling? Follow JB Morin and Dylan Hicks.
To name only a few...
This makes it easier to keep up with leading authors and also allows you to discover early-stage work and preprints before formal publication.
3. Connect and Engage with the Scientific Community
For practitioners, one of the most valuable aspects of ResearchGate is the ability to engage directly with researchers. Whether it's to ask a clarification question about methodology, explore the context of a finding, or begin a potential collaboration, the platform creates opportunities for direct communication that are often harder to establish via traditional academic routes.
Professional courtesy applies: If you reach out to a researcher, be respectful of their time and clearly state your context and interest.
Of course, we have more than enough options for social media platforms these days in both life and sports science! So not all practitioners will choose to use the platform in that way, nor do you have to. It remains primarily a research depository.
4. Share Your Own Work and Insights
If you have publications, ResearchGate is an easy way to help share your work. While confidentiality must always be respected, ResearchGate offers a way to disseminate practice-led insights in a professional context, contribute to the evidence base, and build visibility around your expertise.
But ResearchGate isn’t only for academics with peer-reviewed journal articles. Practitioners can also upload and share other types of work, including conference posters, preprints, and project summaries. This is particularly relevant for those working in high-performance environments who may not publish frequently but still generate insights that contribute to the broader understanding of applied practice.
For those conducting or supporting practitioner-led research (e.g., MSc or PhD students, performance consultants), ResearchGate can also serve as a personal repository of your work over time. In my opinion, it is something worth having on your CV as it shows interest in research and connection to the scientific community. For more tips like this, take a look at my Career Insights playlist on the Global Performance Insights YouTube channel:
5. Use It to Build Better Research Literacy
Even if you don’t use the platform to publish or network, ResearchGate can be a helpful tool to build research literacy. You can browse citation metrics and see how studies are received and cited in follow-up work. These features can support a deeper understanding of the scientific process and how knowledge evolves over time.
This type of contextual awareness is useful when interpreting research findings and making informed decisions about applying them in practice.
Limitations and Considerations
While ResearchGate is a useful tool, it does not provide access to all research, and not all authors are active users. Some papers remain behind paywalls and cannot legally be shared on the platform. Additionally, like any social media platform, the quality of content and engagement varies, and some features (like the “RG Score”) are not necessarily meaningful indicators of scientific quality or impact.
Practitioners should also be aware of journal copyright policies. Authors are typically allowed to share accepted manuscripts (pre-proof), but not the final published version. ResearchGate has faced legal challenges in the past for hosting unauthorised versions, which has led to some content being removed.
Nonetheless, when used appropriately, ResearchGate can serve as a valuable, practical complement to more formal literature search strategies and academic resources.
Final Thoughts
ResearchGate offers a low-barrier, professional way for sports science and medicine practitioners to access research, stay current with developments in their field, and engage with the people driving those developments. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of a specific topic, connect with a researcher, or build your own online portfolio, this free platform can play a role in that.
For those working in applied environments where access to academic resources is limited, it may well be one of the most practical and time-efficient strategies to stay engaged with research that matters.
Once you have your full-text papers, attention then turns to how to review and synthesise the research. For help with that, check out my post on the Top 5 AI Tools for Sports Scientists.
FAQs – Why Sports Science and Medicine Practitioners Should Use ResearchGate
Is ResearchGate free to use?
Yes, ResearchGate is completely free to join and use. You can create an account using a professional email address and begin accessing content immediately.
Can I legally download full papers from ResearchGate?
Researchers are typically permitted to share the accepted manuscript version of their papers on ResearchGate. If a full-text version is not available, you can request it directly from the author for personal use. Always respect copyright restrictions.
Do I need to be an academic to use ResearchGate?
No. While ResearchGate is commonly used by academics, practitioners in applied settings—including professional sport—can also create accounts, follow researchers, and request access to publications.
Can I upload my own work as a practitioner?
Yes, if you’ve contributed to research (e.g. posters, conference presentations, technical reports), you can upload them to your profile, as long as you retain the rights to share them.