writing assignment

MSA 670

Capstone Seminar in Sports

Administration

Belhaven University Unit 2

The Research Process

1

 Unit 2 presents the steps of the research process in a

certain chronological order, but usually moves back and

forth between steps in a quest to refining a research

question.

 The researcher might also vary the steps in the research

process for methodological reasons, for instance:

 Qualitative research may dictate that the literature review

and data collection stages be merged

 Therefore, the steps presented in this unit should be

viewed as essential elements of a high-quality

research study.

2

Introduction

 Problem Selection

 Literature Review

 Development of Conceptual Framework

 Types of Research Design

 Non-Response Bias

 Descriptive Statistics

3

Unit Topics

 Discuss methods commonly used in selecting a

research problem

 Identify potential sources for conducting a

literature review

 Understand the relationship and differences

between a population and a sample

 Describe strategies for increasing survey

response rates

 Understand the process of data coding

4

Unit Objectives

Biblical Foundations

 Biblical References:

 John 16:30-33, Ezekiel 43: 11-12, and 2 Corinthians 1: 20-22

 To create a good research study, the researcher must go

through important steps such as choosing a research problem

or topic, reviewing the relevant literature, developing a

conceptual framework, defining specific research questions,

identifying variables, and outlining hypotheses.

 The above scripture passages applies to the course content

based off the importance and creation of good research

questions through wisdom and knowledge that is given to you

by God.

 Problem Selection:

 For sport managers, one of the most challenging stages of

the research process is the initial selection of a problem or

topic to explore.

 The problem selection process begins with a general topic

of interest, and identifying:

1. Existing Literature,

2. Social Concerns,

3. Popular Issues,

4. Personal Characteristics,

5. Brainstorming Ideas,

6. Talking with Professors, and

7. Practitioners.

6

The Creation of Research Questions

Problem Selection, cont.  Existing Literature

 Potential research problems or topics can be designed from

this

 Social Concerns

 Research ideas rooted in contemporary social concerns and

problems

 Popular Issus

 Research ideas that can be found in popular contemporary

news sources

 Personal Characteristics

 Personal experiences/previous occupational duties that can

provide great research problems

Problem Selection, cont.

 Brainstorming

 Dialoguing with others can help to develop

research problems

 Practitioner

 Can identify applied problems that they have

encountered through their work experiences

 Professors

 Concentrate on a modest number of research

topics and design research projects to facilitate

further explorations of the topics.

 A literature reviews involves critically reading, evaluating,

and organizing existing literature on a problem in order

to assess the state of knowledge in the selected area.

 Gratton and Jones (2004) mentioned a number of

purposes that a literature review can serve in a research

project:

 Demonstrate the researcher’s familiarity with and

knowledge of the subject

 To focus on the research question

 To develop a hypothesis (i.e., and educated guess

regarding the study’s outcomes)

9

Literature Review

Sources of Literature

 With the rise of the Internet, Information is more

accessible than ever.

 Researchers may utilize various potential sources from:

 Electronic databases

 Library Catalogs

 Internet Searches

 Publisher’s Web pages

 Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Writing the Literature Review

1. Well-written literature reviews begin with an introduction

that identifies the problem under investigation and

provides a context for review.

2. Emphasize not just methodologies, but previous

pertinent research

3. Differentiate how the selected research is different from

previous studies (i.e. Understanding the Gap in the

literature).

Questions to Ask regarding your

Literature Review 1. Is the included literature related to the problem?

2. Is the literature too broad or too narrow?

3. Are all seminal works included? (Extremely Important!!)

4. Are the most recent studies included?

5. Is the review logically organized?

6. Is there a brief introduction and conclusion?

5 Steps in Developing a Conceptual

Framework  The development of a Conceptual framework is

structured around the following:

1. Identifies relevant concepts in the study

2. Define the relevant concepts

3. How will each variable be measured?

4. What variables change the relationship between variables

(moderate), or explain the relationship (mediate)

5. Identify the relationship between each of the variables

Establishing Research Questions

 Does the question(s) address gaps within the literature? (Extremely Important!!)

 Is the question(s) clear and concise?

 Is the question(s) too broad, too narrow, or adequately in

the middle?

 Can I access the necessary information to answer the

research question(s)?

 Is the question(s) significant?

Research Design

 Can be divided into two main categories:

 Qualitative Research

 Quantitative Research

 However, in modern research studies,

researchers are beginning to utilize a third design:

 Mixed-Methodological Research

 Focuses on both Qualitative and Quantitative research in

one study.

Qualitative Research

 Typified by rich and subjective data

 Often collected via open-ended questions

 Usually deals with small sample sizes

 Techniques used are interviews, observations,

small-sample surveys, and first person accounts.

 Creswell (2009) asserted that qualitative research aims to

develop theory and promote description, understanding, and

meaning primarily through non-numerical analysis

Strengths of Qualitative Research

1. Depth and richness of results

2. Opportunity to ask follow-up questions that

are not feasible when using a data collection

instrument such as a survey

3. Flexibility

4. Ability to address complex why questions

Quantitative Research

 Typically tests theories by examining the

relationships between variables.

 Used to test a theory statistically rather than

to build theory (as is commonly the case w/

qualitative research)

 Variables are usually measured by

instruments that produce numerical data for

statistical analysis.

 Often uses closed-ended questions.

Strengths of Quantitative Research

 Able to take data from a sample and generalize

into a larger population because of statistical

accuracy

 Precise measurement of variables

 The ability to statistically test research questions

and hypotheses

 The opportunity to longitudinally measure

subjects’ subsequent performance

Mixed-Methods Research

 Can be capitalize on the strengths of both

qualitative and quantitative research

 Uses techniques from both approaches to

triangulate research results

 Meaning, it reaches the same conclusion through

the use of multiple methods.

3 Types of Strong Mixed-Method

Designs 1. Sequential Mixed Methods

 Begins with either qualitative or quantitative method, then

uses the alternative method in order to expand the findings

produced

2. Concurrent Mixed Methods  Converges both qualitative and quantitative data in order to

provide a comprehensive analysis of the research problem

3. Transformative Mixed Methods  Uses a theoretical lens as an overarching viewpoint within

a design that uses both research styles

Sampling and Sample Size

 In order to select a sample, the researcher must

define the population!!!!

1. Probability Sampling- a random sample, where every member of a selected

population has an equal probability of being selected

2. Non-probability Sampling- a convenience sample, where a population is chosen

based on convenience and specific criterion

 The goal is to select a sample that is large enough to be a

representative of the population!

Reliability

 Refers to the consistency of the results

obtained

 It concerns the extent to which the research

instrument yields the same results on

repeated trials

 If consistent results are produced from the

research instrument, then this gives the

researcher confidence.

Validity

 The extent to which the research instrument

accurately measures what it was designed to

measure

 Does it accurately address its designed

purpose?

 Does it measure what it intended to?

 If your research instrument is not valid, then your whole research

study will not be valid or accurate!

Non-response Bias

 This occurs when there is a systematic

difference between respondents and non-

respondents

 Researchers hope to avoid low response

rates because they may indicate bias within

the data

 Could alter the researcher’s preferred data

analysis technique

Increasing Survey Response

 Follow-up reminders have been shown to

increase response rates

 Researchers can also offer inducement

(objects of value to the participant) to

individuals who agree to participate in a study

 Another way to increase response rates are

to use a pre notification letter, focusing on the

positive aspects of participating in the study

Coding Data

 This involves grouping and assigning numeric

codes to the various responses to a particular

question

 For closed-ended questions

 The coding process involves assigning a number

for each respective possible response

 For open-ended questions

 All responses are listed coded by similar

response, and even frequency

Descriptive Analysis

 These include a number of data analysis options

with the expressed purpose of describing or

summarizing data

 In most cases, researchers incorporate descriptive

statistics in a study to summarize information about

a sample

 There are 4 main types of descriptive statistics:

 Measures of Central Tendency

 Measures of Variability

 Measures of Relative Positions

 Measures of Relationships

Measure of Central Tendency

 These measures permit the researcher to

describe a set of data with a single numerical

value

 Represents the average or typical value that is

associated with the data set

 The most common measures of central tendency

are the mean, median, and mode

Mean, Median, and Mode

 The Mean is simply the arithmetic average of

a set of scores

 The Median is the score that divides the

upper 50% from the lower 50%

 The Mode is the most frequently occurring

score in a distribution

 This does not account for the value or order of

scores in the data set

Measures of Variability

 The measures give an indication of how

scores are spread around the mean, or

another measure of central tendency

 Standard Deviation

 Measures the average distance of scores from the mean

 Variance

 Measures variability and is calculated simply by

squaring the value of the standard deviation

Measures of Relative Position

 These measures indicate where a specific

score is located in relation to the rest of the

score distribution

a) Percentile Rank

 Indicates the perception of scores that fall at or below a

given score

b) Standard Scores

 A manipulation of a raw score that indicates how far

away the mean a given score is located

Measures of Relationship

 These measures indicate the degree to which

two quantifiable variables are related to each

other

 They verify only that a relationship exists

between two variables

 However, they do not imply a casual

relationship

 X is related to Y, but X does not cause Y

Statistical Design

 When determining which statistical design to

use, follow these steps:

1. Identify the variables in the research question

2. Indicate which variables are the independent and

dependent variables and covariates

3. Determine the type of variables (categorical or

quantitative

4. Determine the purpose of the research question

5. Apply the information from the preceding steps to

arrive at the appropriate design

Academic Conference Presentations

 Today, sport management researchers enjoy

large variety of scholarly conferences to

present their research or to enhance their

knowledge from listening to other researchers

present

 Academic conferences generally publish a

call for papers several months prior to the

submission deadline

 The call includes specific submission

requirements

Academic Conference Presentations, cont.

 Typical presentation categories include:

 Oral Presentations

 Is normally 15-25 minute PowerPoint presentation that is

categorized similarly to scholarly papers

 Oral Symposium

 Is usually 35-90 minutes and designed as a panel

discussion, or a presentation with multiple presenters

 Poster Presentation

 Display boards where researchers illustrate their data

and describe their studies

Academic Journal Selection

 First, the researcher must decide where to

submit the manuscript

 The evolution of the internet has made it easier

to find various academic journals that are

interesting and related to your research

 Second, the researcher should ensure that the

manuscript conform to the publication’s

guidelines for potential authors

Manuscript Structure

 Most scholarly research studies published in

academic journals contain:

 Specific title

 Abstract

 Literature Review

 Methodology

 Findings

 Discussions of Results

 Conclusion

Specific Title and Abstract

 The title for an academic manuscript is

usually brief by design

 Commonly refers to the population of interest

and the variable studies

 An abstract is a brief summary of the

research, and addresses the study’s:

purpose, research questions, methods,

results, and implications

Literature Review

 Typically features a broad to narrow focus

 Makes liberal use of subheadings to guide

the reader

 Provides a critical review of previous

research, and identifies trends, themes, and

gaps in the literature

Research Methods Section

 Often included 3 main subsections

 Participants

 Identification and Selection of participants

 Instrumentation

 Describes the tools to collect data

 Data Analysis

 Describes the specific analysis procedure in the study

Results Section

 Reports the findings associated with the data

analysis

 Often included visual aids

 The findings are often reported in order

according to the specific research question or

hypothesis they address

Discussion Section

 Typically concludes with an outline of the

specific strengths and limitations of the study

 As well as treatment of any potential

implications

 Some researchers also thoughtfully include

recommendations for future research

Journal Publication Process

 Once a research

manuscript has been

received by the journal’s

editor, the peer-review

process begins.

 After receiving the

manuscript, the editor

forwards a blind-copy of

the manuscript to a group

of anonymous reviewers

that are apart of the

editorial board.

 The editorial board judges

the quality of the

manuscript, and decides if

the manuscript is suitable to

be published in the

academic journal.

 Once a decision is made, the

editorial board decides to:

1. Accept the manuscript

2. Accept the manuscript after

minor revisions

3. Or reject the manuscript

outright

 Complete reading assignments

 Complete writing assignments

 Answer discussion questions

 Complete unit quiz

45

What’s next?

Andrew, D., Pedersen, P., & McEvoy, C. (2011). Research methods and design in sport

management (11th ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods

approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gibson, H., Qi, C., & Zhang, J. (2008). Destination image and intent to visit China and

the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Journal of Sport Management, 22, 427-450.

Mahony, D., Mondello, M., Hums, M., & Judd, M. (2006). Recruiting and retaining sport

management faculty factors affecting job choice. Journal of Sport

Management, 20, 414-430.

Walker, M. (2009). Do fans care? Assessing the influence of corporate social

responsibility on consumer attitudes in the sport industry. Journal of Sport

Management, 23, 743-769.

46

References