Research Methods in Sport Studies and Sport Management

This book explores every element of the research process, including research plans, literature review, qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, data analysis and communication of research results.

A.J. Veal is Adjunct Professor in the Business School at the University of Technology, Sydney and previously worked in the University of Birmingham and the then Polytechnic of North London. He is past president of the (UK) Leisure Studies Association and of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies and well known for his writing in the fields of leisure, sport and tourism, including co-authorship of The Olympic Games: A Social Science Perspective. Simon Darcy is Professor of Events, Sport and Tourism in the Business School, University of Technology, Sydney. He is a mixed-methods and interdisciplinary researcher with interests in sport event legacies, sport tourism, inclusive organisational practices, disability sport and volunteer management. He has published in Sport Management Review, Journal of Sport Management, European Sports Management Quarterly, Event Management and Disability & Society, is co-author of Benchmark Games: The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, and has produced sport research reports commissioned by government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations.

Part 1: Preparation 1. Introduction to research: what, why and who? 2. Approaches to sport studies research 3. Starting out: research plans and proposals 4. Research ethics 5. The range of research methods 6. Reviewing the literature Part 2: Data Collection 7. Secondary data: sources 8. Observation 9. Qualitative methods: data collection 10. Questionnaire surveys: typology, design, etc. 11. Experimental methods 12. Case study method 13. Sampling: quantitative and qualitative Part 3: Data Analysis 14. Analysing secondary data 15. Analysing qualitative data 16. Survey analysis 17. Statistical analysis Part 4: Communicating Results 18. Preparing a research report