Research Methods for Sports Studies

Ian Jones is Associate Professor in Sport at Bournemouth University, UK.

• 1. What is Research?, 2. Research Traditions in Sport, 3. The Research Process, 4. Research Questions, Aims and Objectives, 5. Reviewing the Literature, 6. Theories, Concepts and Variables, 7. Research Designs and Research Ethics, 8. Collecting Data I: The Questionnaire Survey, 9. Collecting Data II: Interviews, 10. Collecting Data III: Unobtrusive Methods – Observation and Content Analysis, 11. Collecting Data IV: Ethnographic Research in Sport, 12. Online Sport Research, 13. Analysing Data I: Quantitative Data Analysis, 14. Analysing Data II: Qualitative Data Analysis, 15. Writing the Research Report, 16. Practical Issues

'Research Methods for Sports Studies has been my go-to text since I first started teaching undergraduate research methods to sport and leisure students. While research methods textbooks have burgeoned, I have continued to find this book really useful. The book has helped me to teach my undergraduate classes in a more practical and hands-on way, focusing on research as a process, using the suggested activities. Written in an accessible way, the book covers all of the essentials of both quantitative and qualitative research and demystifies the process of doing research. My students have found the explanations of positivism and the ways ontological and epistemological standpoints influence the methodological decisions they make accessible. Students embarking on their own research projects have also found the book helped to make the process less daunting. Now in its fourth edition, it includes some useful new sections and chapters such as the importance of social media, and its impact on various truth claims. It also comes with useful resources for time-pressed teachers.'Belinda Wheaton, Professor, School of Health, University of Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand