SPT2320 MIDTERM

Research

• The creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way

• Generates new concepts, methodologies and understandings

• “A scientific, purposeful, systematic and rigorous method of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data objectively or subjectively about some characteristic in order to gain knew knowledge or add to the existing knowledge base of the field of sport organization management studies”

Importance of Research

• Tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning

• Means to understand issues and increase public awareness

• Helps us succeed in business

• Disprove lies and support truths

• Means to find, gauge and seize opportunities

• Promotes sharing valuable information

• Provides nourishment and exercise for the mind

Research Interests Five Key Questions

1. What is your focus?

2. What are your interests?

3. What has been done?

4. What is unknown?

5. How can you address an unknown?

Primary Source

A document providing direct evidence rather than evidence gleaned from the works of others (scholarly articles, original research

Secondary Source

Interprets or critiques knowledge based on primary sources (books, textbooks, reviews)

APA Reference List

• References NOT Works Cited (centered and not bolded)

• Alphabetical order by last name

• TNR, 12 pt, 1” margins, double spaced

• Author last and first initials, year of publication, title of article, title of journal, volume number, issue number, DOI

APA Capitalization

• First letter of the first word in a sentence

• “I”

• Proper nouns

• Titles that appear before a person’s name (President Connie Book)

• The first word of a subtitle in a reference, usually after a colon :

APA Reference List Citation 

1. Last Name, F. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume Number(Issue Number), pages. DOI.

2. Last Name, F., & Last Name, F. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume Number(Issue Number), pages. DOI.

3. Last Name, F., Last Name, F., & Last Name, F. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume Number(Issue Number), pages. DOI.

APA

American Psychological Association

Scholarly Journals

• Periodical publication that contains articles written by experts and researchers in a specific academic field.

• Share original research, analysis, and theory with other scholars, students, and professionals

• Peer-reviewed by other experts to check accuracy, quality, originality

Theory

An explanation of a phenomenon that can be used to make testable predictions supported by prior research

Principles

A collection of thoroughly tested theories that can be used to guide behavior

Facts

A notion so firmly supported by evidence that there is no longer a compelling reason to continue testing it

Five Perspectives of Research

1. Application of Research Study

2. Objectives of Research Study

3. Type of Info Sought

4. Presence of Data

5. Data Source Analyzed

Pure Research

• Gain a better understanding of a theoretical concept (broad)

• May be conducted without regard to a specific problem or issue

• Example: experimenting to learn about how short-term memory works

Applied Research

• Carried out to solve a specific problem (narrow) or provide a solution to a practical question

• Example: testing which study techniques help students remember info better for exams

Qualitative Research

Studies which usually attempt to describe a problem, issue, phenomenon, or situation without quantification (the act of giving a numerical value to a measurement of something)

Quantitative Research

• Studies which usually attempt to quantify the variation in a problem, issue, phenomenon, or situation

• Usually involved statistical analysis/modeling and interpretation

Exploratory Research

Qualitative, quantitative and mixed are all used

Ontology

• Study of philosophy of knowledge

• Example: “What is sport?”

Epistemology

• The philosophical study of how such knowledge is acquired

• Example: “How do we know what sport is?”

Pragmatism

A research tradition in which researchers are primarily concerned with applications and solutions to problems

Postpositivism

A research tradition in which researchers stress the need to identify and assess causes that influence outcomes

Social Constructivism

A research tradition rooted in the assumption that individuals seek understanding of the world in which they live and work, and that they develop subjective meanings of their experiences

Ethics

A set of principles that often describes one’s particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong

Ethical Decision Making

Tenets vs. Virtues

• Tenants: only cheating if you get caught, referee’s job to catch wrongdoing, ends always justify the means

• Virtues: fairness, integrity, responsibility, respect

Ethical Principles

1. Beneficence and non-maleficence (not harmful)

2. Fidelity and responsibility

3. Integrity

4. Justice

5. Respect for people’s rights and dignity

Lit Review

• An example of academic writing that serves as a critical summary of research on a specific topic

• Identified what is already known

• Highlights gaps or contradictions

• Sets the foundation for your research

Research Question

• Focuses on a single problem

• Feasible to answer within the timeframe

• Specific

• Complex enough to write a paper or thesis on

Purpose Question

• Announces the purpose, scope, and direction of the paper

• Tells reader what to expect in a paper and what the specific focus will be

• Appears toward the end of the introduction

• SPECIFIC + CONCISE

Purpose of Lit Review

• Understand existing research

• Justify your research question or hypothesis

• Identify methodological frameworks

• Avoid duplication

• Provide context for your study

Purpose of Research Question

• Explore

• Explain

• Evaluate

• Experiment

Kinds of Research Questions

• Why

• When

• Who

• How

• Where