Qualitative Research In Sport And Physical Activity

Designed especially for students in sport and physical activity, this book provides a detailed guide to planning, undertaking, and writing up qualitative research. Opening with a discussion of the main traits of qualitative inquiry and its use in sport and physical activity, the authors provide a coherent and accessible overview of qualitative research using numerous examples to bring the text alive. The book is divided into five parts informed by stages in the research process, with chapters on: • early steps in the research process • ethics • choosing your an approach • methods of data collection • analysing the data • writing up and disseminating your findings. This is essential reading for undergraduate and Masters students carrying out a qualitative research project in sport and physical activity and for PhD students looking to refresh their knowledge.

Twitter, Facebook, online forums, blogs and websites – scholars are increasingly turning to digital sources to study sport and physical activity. These platforms have generated new digital content ripe for analysis and are making it possible to investigate communities that were previously inaccessible. However, they have also created theoretical, methodological, practical and ethical challenges. This book critically examines the opportunities open to qualitative researchers working in digital spaces and offers novel insights into how the rise of new technology is helping to shape sport studies. Showcasing original research on emerging themes, trends and issues such as digital sociology, media citizenship, online gaming, Big Data, fitness apps and online fan cultures, this collection leads the way in this fast-developing field of study. It not only considers the possibilities and limitations of using digital tools to conduct qualitative research into sport, but also provides innovative examples of how researchers can adapt successfully to ever-evolving technologies. Digital Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity is essential reading for all students and scholars interested in the latest digital developments in sport studies and research methods.

Researching Difference in Sport and Physical Activity goes beyond the content of introductory research methods texts to provide an insight into the methodological hurdles that are experienced when researching ‘difference’ in Sport and Physical Activity. Contributors reflect upon how the rhetoric of research methodology transfers into the reality of data collection across ‘difference’. Presenting case studies of real research projects, the book covers a range of topics, such as: disability in sport and physical activity vulnerable children in sport and physical activity visual research tools when working with children in a primary school setting physical activity, sedentary behaviour and obesity through childhood diverse ethnic groups in sport and physical activity settings. Each chapter contends with practical issues of power and representation within the research process, to recognise how a researcher–participant relationship that considers those who are ‘othered’ serves to change the dynamics and processes of research. This is an important resource for students of all sports related subjects and essential reading for anyone interested in the study of marginalised populations in sport and physical activity.

The last two decades have witnessed a proliferation of qualitative research in sport and exercise. The Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise is the first book to offer an in-depth survey of established and emerging qualitative methods, from conceptual first principles to practice and process. Written and edited by a team of world-leading researchers, and some of the best emerging talents, the book introduces a range of research traditions within which qualitative researchers work. It explores the different methods used to collect and analyse data, offering rationales for why each method might be chosen and guidance on how to employ each technique successfully. It also introduces important contemporary debates and goes further than any other book in exploring new methods, concepts, and future directions, such as sensory research, digital research, visual methods, and how qualitative research can generate impact. Cutting-edge, timely and comprehensive, the Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise is an essential reference for any student or scholar using qualitative methods in sport and exercise-related research.

Academics around the world recognise the effectiveness of storytelling as a way to engage audiences in conversations, raising awareness of issues, and encouraging change. Stories are now seen as the best medium to convey information to diverse audiences. This book explores a novel approach to representing research findings through the adoption of creative nonfictional stories (CNF). At a time when dissemination of scientific research is constantly highlighted as a fundamental aspect for academics, CNF represents an opportunity to effectively communicate science to non-academic audiences through stories. By providing practical examples of how to transform findings into compelling stories rooted in data, following the mantra of showing rather than telling, which characterises CNF, Creative Nonfiction in Sport and Exercise Research helps researchers – qualitative, quantitative, established professors, and students – to turn their research into stories. A unique contribution to the field, this book is the first in the sport and exercise research field to take scholars on a discovery jouney, moving from their classic realist to a more creative, compelling, but still rigorous representation of research findings. The book features chapters written by authors from different sport research backgrounds, who present the findings of a previously published ‘classic’ study rewritten in the form of a story. Reflective chapters focusing on the how-to and the challenges of this creative analytical practice complete the work, to support scholars in developing their creative skills.

Physical activity is vital for good health. It has an established strong evidence base for its positive effects on functional capacity, reducing the risk of many chronic diseases, and promoting physical, mental and social well-being. Furthermore, these benefits are evident across a diversity of ages, groups and populations. The need for these benefits in current societies means that exercise practitioners, professional bodies, institutions, health authorities and governments require high quality evidence to establish appropriate exercise guidelines, implementation strategies and effective exercise prescription at individual, group and population levels. Research Methods in Physical Activity and Health is the first book to comprehensively present the issues associated with physical activity and health research and outline methods available along with considerations of the issues associated with these methods and working with particular groups. The book outlines the historical and scientific context of physical activity and health research before working through the full research process, from generating literature reviews and devising a research proposal, through selecting a research methodology and quantifying physical activity and outcome measures, to disseminating findings. Including a full section on conducting research studies with special populations, the book includes chapters on: Observational and cross-sectional studies; Interviews, questionnaires and focus groups; Qualitative and quantitative research methods; Epidemiological research methods; Physical activity interventions and sedentary behaviour; and Working with children, older people, indigenous groups, LGBTI groups, and those with physical and mental health issues. Research Methods in Physical Activity and Health is the only book to approach the full range of physical activity research methods from a health perspective. It is essential reading for any undergraduate student conducting a research project or taking applied research modules in physical activity and health, graduate students of epidemiology, public health, exercise psychology or exercise physiology with a physical activity and health focus, or practicing researchers in the area.

A step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of qualitative sports, exercise and health research. Each chapter includes practical exercises to enable new researchers to engage with and experience core methods and procedures, from semi-structured interviews to content analysis.

Addresses issues in methodology, contemporary issues in research methods and innovative trends in qualitative research that are addressed through case study examples from areas of research in sport studies. This title includes: historical methods; ethnography; auto-ethnography; embodied methods; interviewing; and, narratives.