Contemporary qualitative research methods in sport management

Over the past 10 years, qualitative research methods have become more commonplace in sport management scholarship. In the main, they are largely defined by a formulaic approach in which case studies, semi-structured interviews, and coding are often used. Alternative qualitative approaches, which may open up research to new audiences and research participants, and challenge assumptions about ‘good research,’ appear to be largely absent. This special issue on contemporary qualitative research methods in sport management includes conceptual advances in community-based research approaches, Indigenous methodologies, participatory action research, autoethnographies, and narratives. In addition, we present empirical papers that illustrate the use of autoethnography, narrative, digital ethnography, and phenomenology in the field. These articles provide examples for use in classes on qualitative research methods, and can serve to inspire others to use contemporary methods. We encourage sport management researchers to learn about and use contemporary qualitative data collection and analysis, and alternative means of disseminating their work to further enhance the field and challenge ways of knowing and doing research.     

Narrative inquiry: ongoing conversations and questions for sport and exercise psychology research

Narrative inquiry, as one form of qualitative research, has recently attracted some interest within the field of sport and exercise psychology. Seeking to be theoretically imaginative and instigate dialogue, this article focuses attention on five main issues within ongoing conversations among sport and exercise psychology researchers who promote and/or engage in narrative research. Theoretically inspired and grounded, these interrelated issues include, motivations for why researchers have turned to narrative, the concept of ‘the self’, interviewing, the issue of ‘truth’, and representation. Some implications of these issues for sport and exercise psychology are also highlighted. The article closes with some reflections about the future directions that narrative inquiry might take.     

Qualitative research: comments and controversies

Larry Locke's timely and well-written introduction to qualitative research procedures will undoubtedly serve its purpose. It makes us reassess our traditional beliefs and practices, educates us on the rudiments of qualitative methodology, and, hopefully, makes us more tolerant and appreciative of alternate ways of conducting research. Although Locke focuses his paper on pedagogical research issues, it is important to realize that many other sub-disciplines within the general field of physical education also utilize qualitative procedures. For example, 10 years ago Martens (1979) called for a paradigm shift in sport psychology by appealing to researchers to abandon their labs and to embark on naturalistic field studies. While North American sport psychologists, and psychologists in general, have been slow to formalize qualitative techniques, the European psychology community has been much more active (e.g., Ashworth, Giorgi, & de Koning, 1986). Perhaps Locke's article will encourage researchers in all our sub-disciplines to consider the utility of qualitative research. Hopefully, readers will treat Locke's article as an introduction to the broad area of qualitative research and not as a rigorous set of procedures for conducting participant observation research in school physical education studies. Additionally, it must be recognized that there are other approaches and other applications, that the area has its critics and its unresolved methodological problems, and that qualitative research does not necessarily exclude the application of formalized data analyses. Keeping these issues in mind, the addition of qualitative approaches to our repetoire of research methodologies can only enhance the quality of research in physical education and exercise and sport science.     

A meta-study of athletic identity research in sport psychology: Current status and future directions

The aim of this meta-study is to provide a critical synthesis of qualitative research on athletic identity in sport psychology. A total of 108 empirical studies were identified, including 63 quantitative studies, 40 qualitative studies, and five mixed methods studies. Qualitative and mixed methods studies were reviewed with the meta-study method, which involves a meta-analysis in terms of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and findings. In our discussion we focus on evaluating and critiquing the current status of qualitative research on athletic identity and outlining recommendations for improving methodological rigor. It is concluded that both quantitative and qualitative studies need to be more explicit about their philosophical underpinnings and better grounded in psychological identity theory.     

Unclipping our wings: Ways forward in qualitative research in sport management

In this review article, we aim to explore and promote dialogue regarding the use of contemporary qualitative research methods being used in sport management. The first section is a snapshot of qualitative research from 2011 to 2013 in the three main sport management journals: Sport Management Review (SMR), the Journal of Sport Management (JSM), and European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ). Secondly, we comment on this snapshot, outlining not only how far we have come in qualitative research in sport management but also drawing attention to some of the constraints to its current use. Thirdly, we illustrate what might help us to reflect on our use of qualitative research methods. This leads us to our final section, in which we utilise that reflection to outline some ways forward; how can we contribute to sport management by using qualitative research methods in imaginative and innovative ways?     

Developing rigor in qualitative research: problems and opportunities within sport and exercise psychology

Qualitative research has grown within sport and exercise psychology and is now widely conducted. The purpose of this review is to discuss three commonly used ways to demonstrate rigor when conducting or judging qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology. These are the method of member checking, the method of inter-rater reliability, and the notion of universal criteria. Problems with each method are first highlighted. Member checking and inter-rater reliability are shown to be ineffective for verification, trustworthiness, or reliability purposes. Next, universal criteria within the context of Tracy’s, heavily drawn on paper within sport and exercise psychology is problematized. Throughout the discussion of each method and universal criteria more suitable possibilities for conducting rigorous qualitative research are offered. The paper concludes that to support high-quality qualitative research, scholars – including journal editors and reviewers – need to change how rigor is developed and judged, rather than perpetuate the problems with how it has been commonly evaluated in the past. Recommendations for developing rigor when conducting and/or judging qualitative research within sport and exercise psychology are also offered.     

Qualitative research as a form of scientific inquiry in sport and physical education

Qualitative research includes a family of loosely related inquiry traditions rooted in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Each differs in origins, assumptions, central questions, and methods. They are united at a deeper paradigmatic level, however, by a shared view of the nature of the world which distinguishes all qualitative research traditions from the conventional natural science model of inquiry in the domains of education, sport, and exercise. This divergence of world view is illustrated by how scientists using qualitative and conventional designs would respond to the query, "How do you know?" There, qualitative traditions yield distinctly different perspectives on questions about the social world. Despite both heuristic power and great promise for application in sport and physical education, however, unresolved questions and troublesome concerns remain. Active scholars, editors, reviewers, and research consumers will control the future for qualitative research and all must stretch to accommodate an unfamiliar way of knowing.     

Meta-analysis in sport and exercise research: Review,recent developments,and recommendations

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of the principles and practice of conducting quantitative psychometric meta-analytic reviews in the sport and exercise sciences and highlight some of the recent developments and recommendations from researchers regarding the conduct and validity of meta-analytic methods. After outlining the historical context, the general principles involved in a quantitative cumulation of research findings across empirical studies is reviewed. Subsequently, recent controversies and issues surrounding the use of meta-analysis are reviewed with examples provided from the sport and exercise psychology literature. Specifically, the basis for and selection of meta-analytic models (use of fixed vs. random effects models), the treatment of data from theories that explicitly demand testing the effects of multiple independent variables on a dependent variable (use of multiple regression), and how to treat studies that contain multiple tests of a given effect (use of averaging and structural equation modeling methods) are covered. Recommendations are provided for researchers conducting meta-analytic studies based on these issues.     

Research methods in sport and exercise psychology: quantitative and qualitative issues

Contemporary aspects of research methods in sport and exercise psychology are discussed in this wide-ranging review. After an introduction centred on trends in sport and exercise psychology methods, the review is organized around the major themes of quantitative and qualitative research. Our aim is to highlight areas that may be problematic or controversial (e.g. stepwise statistical procedures), underused (e.g. discriminant analysis), increasingly used (e.g. meta-analysis, structural equation modelling, qualitative content analysis) and emergent (e.g. realist tales of writing). Perspectives range from the technical and speculative to the controversial and critical. While deliberately not providing a 'cookbook' approach to research methods, we hope to provide enough material to help researchers to appreciate the diversity of potential methods and to adopt a more critical perspective in their own research consumption and production.     

Trends and knowledge base in sport and exercise psychology research: a bibliometric review study

Bibliometric methods were used to examine: (1) research themes in sport and exercise psychology articles published between 2008 and 2011; and (2) the intellectual base of the field of sport and exercise psychology, defined as influential literature being cited in these articles. The dataset consisted of 795 articles from five sport and exercise psychology journals and 345 articles obtained through citation-based extension (n = 1140 articles). A cluster analysis yielded 73 clusters showing themes in sport and exercise psychology research. Principal component analysis was used to identify and analyze relationships between 14 highly cited research areas constituting the intellectual base of sport and exercise psychology. Some main findings were: (1) the identification of many re-emerging themes, (2) research related to motivation seems to be extensive, (3) sport psychology and exercise psychology research share theoretical frameworks to some extent, however (4) differences compared to previous reviews indicate that sport psychology and exercise psychology may be regarded as two distinct research fields, rather than one united field, and (5) isolated research areas were identified indicating potential for research integration. Suggestions for future research are provided. The bibliometric approach presented a broad overview of trends and knowledge base in sport and exercise psychology research.     

A meta-study of qualitative research examining stressor appraisals and coping among adolescents in sport

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to create an integrated theoretical perspective of the qualitative adolescent sport stressor appraisal and coping literature. A secondary aim was to critique theoretical and methodological issues in the extant literature. Following database searches, 20 studies were retained for analysis. Meta-data, meta-theory, and meta-method analyses were conducted followed by a final meta-synthesis of findings. Analyses produced four themes: contextual and dynamic stressor appraisals, contextual and dynamic coping, coping resources and processes of acquisition, and social networks as assets and liabilities. Findings highlight the need for precise use of theory in the study of coping. Finally, while several data collection methods have been used, there is scope for greater methodological diversity to advance our understanding of coping among adolescent athletes.     

Sport communication research: A social network analysis

Sport communication research has experienced exponential growth since the 1980s. As one of the four primary sport management functions, sport communication has formed a synergistic relationship with sport management. Researchers have documented this relationship and the continued role of communication within sport. The current study explored the evolution of sport communication research through social network analysis (SNA). This methodological approach offers a visual display of research collaborations and helps identify areas for growth—among researchers, academic institutions, and topics—in an effort to expand research productivity and diffusion. From January 1980 to June 2015, 1255 sport communication researchers shared 2537 collaborations and authored 1283 publications. Their studies most frequently examined topics such as gender, mass media, and sport consumption. The number of researchers, publications, collaborations, and researchers per publication increased over time. A select group of researchers hailed from a smaller number of universities and emerged as key contributors to the field. The findings underscore the importance of prominent researchers, academic institutions, and collaborations in the production of sport communication research. The study also outlines the benefits of using SNA to investigate a field's development and growth opportunities.     

Collaborative self-study: Lessons from a study of wearable fitness technology and physical activity

While researchers in related disciplines have embraced and benefited from use of unconventional contemporary qualitative research methods extending beyond interviews and case studies, sport management researchers largely have not thus far. The purpose of this article is to encourage greater use of collaborative self-study (autoethnography and self-ethnography) within sport management research. Based on our experience with a collaborative self-study research project examining the influence of wearable fitness technology on physical activity, we explore key methodological considerations focusing on the ethics of self-study, and the benefits, challenges, and opportunities associated with employing this underutilized qualitative method in sport management research. Collaborative self-study offers the opportunity to address questions and examine sport phenomena from perspectives rarely addressed by traditional approaches. Through reviewing collaborative self-study, we provide guidance for sport management researchers and encourage researchers to consider this method in their future projects.     

A meta-study of qualitative research on mental toughness development

Mental toughness (MT) is considered a necessary ingredient for high-level performance. Unsurprisingly, scholarly interest in the development of mental toughness has increased over the past decade, with much of this work informed by qualitative designs. No study to date has systematically reviewed and integrated this body of qualitative research on MT development. The primary purpose of this study was to create an integrated theoretical framework that incorporates extant MT development research in sport and performance settings. Three subsequent aims were to (a) systematically review and evaluate the qualitative literature regarding key developmental factors and processes for MT; (b) synthesise knowledge of key developmental factors and processes for MT; and (c) generate an integrated framework that can inform future research and advancement in theory with regard to MT development. Following a systematic search of online journals, search engines, and databases, 10 papers met the criteria for inclusion and were retained. These studies served as the primary data for meta-data, meta-method, and meta-theory analyses, which were integrated using a meta-synthesis approach. Four key themes were identified from the existing qualitative evidence: personal characteristics, interactions with environment, progressive development, and breadth of experience. These unique themes were integrated with existing theory to propose a bioecological model of MT development that encompasses interdependent interactions among the person, proximal processes, context, and time. We describe how this model can be used as a heuristic for research and practice, and underscore the importance of methodological diversity for future work on the development of MT.     

Positive organizational psychology in sport

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature relating to the positive aspects of organizational psychology research in sport. To this end, the narrative is divided into three main sections. The first section defines and delimits relevant concepts, including organizational psychology, positive psychology and positive organizing. The second section presents the background to positive organizational psychology in sport and provides an overview of positive environments, behaviours and outcomes in sport. The third section speculates about the future of this area of inquiry, suggesting that attention needs to focus on positive organizational scholarship and behaviour, together with methodological considerations, in order to advance our understanding and practice.     

运动心理测量研究进展(2008-2011)

对2008-2011年初国内外运动心理测量的研究进行系统的梳理和文献学分析.结果表明:(1)心理测量的方法并不过时,仍是运动心理学研究的主要方法之一;(2)国外学者运用心理测量法研究的比例高于我国学者;(3)新编或新修量表仍以竞技运动心理为主,锻炼心理次之,体育心理较少,我国学者相对更重视体育心理测量工具的研发;(4)国外学者相对更为重视竞技心理的研究,而我国学者更为重视锻炼心理领域的研究;(5)中外心理测量研究的水平相当,量表研究的质量参差不齐.为迸一步提高我国量表研修的质量,提出以下建议:(1)尽力提供更多的信效度参数,努力提升数据的质量;(2)量表研究的理论基础应该加强;(3)充分发挥因子分析的作用,统计参数的表达应更加规范;(4)更多地以积极心理学为导向对心理健康进行测量.     

Perceptions of elite coaches and sports scientists of the research needs for elite coaching practice

Abstract

A major objective of sports scientists and elite coaches is the enhancement of athletic performance. Despite this common goal, there is a general perception that research in sports science does not meet the needs of coaches. A study using survey and interview examined the perceptions of elite coaches and sports science researchers in Australia regarding the research needs of elite coaching. Congruence was found between coaches and researchers regarding research practice at the elite level. Both groups held common perceptions on the importance and application of research, the methods by which research questions are determined, and the qualities valued in elite coaches and sports science researchers. However, elite coaches perceived a need for more research in the area of sports psychology, dissemination of research findings via coaching clinics and sports-specific magazines, and the use of more appropriate “lay” language in information dissemination.     

Using transdisciplinary research to examine talent identification and development in sport

Abstract

Effective sport talent identification and development (TID) programmes are integral to a nation’s success in international sport. Using a transdisciplinary approach that involved sport practitioners and researchers with diverse theoretical perspectives, we investigated TID factors in four Australian sports (Australian rules football, cricket, kayaking and tennis). A transdisciplinary approach allowed us to isolate and explore a range of factors critical to successful sport TID. This methodological article explores how this project moved TID research beyond its paradigmatic, quantitative, sport science lens and advanced knowledge and practice in TID from both theoretical and applied perspectives. The use of a transdisciplinary approach in future TID research is recommended.