Research Methods in Kinesiology

This text offers an accessible introduction to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research design in the field of kinesiology. Written by a team of leading experts and filled with a range of examples from Canadian studies in sport, exercise, health, and physical education, this text gives students the unique opportunity to learn the research process as it is applied by kinesiology researchers in Canada.

Table of Contents:
Note: Each chapter also includes: - Learning outcomes - Summary - Discussion questions - Recommended readings Preface 1. Introduction to Research in Kinesiology Introduction: Current Knowledge in Kinesiology Introduction to Research Methods in Kinesiology Components of a Research Design Philosophical Worldviews as Guiding Frameworks of Research Text Content Overview 2. Identifying a Research Question and Study Purpose(s) The Research Topic The Research Problem The Literature Search and Review Purpose The Research Questions and Hypotheses 3. Ethics Ethical Standards in Research Research with Indigenous Peoples Animal Research Ethics Ethical Decision-Making 4. Quantitative Study Design Quantitative Study Design Threats to Experimental Validity Measurement in Quantitative Research Sampling for Quantitative Studies 5. Data Analysis in Quantitative Studies Introduction to Data Analysis Descriptive Statistics Matching Research Questions to Statistical Analyses A Brief Primer on Hypothesis Testing Statistical Significance versus Practical Significance 6. Evaluating the Merits of Quantitative Research Studies in Kinesiology A Brief Primer on Validity as a Standard for Evaluating Quantitative Research Application of Logical Validity Application of Construct Validity Application of Internal Validity Application of External Validity 7. Qualitative Study Designs Qualitative Strategies of Inquiry Role of Theory in Qualitiative Research Sampling for Qualitative Studies Data Generation in Qualitiative Research 8. Data Analysis in Qualitative Studies Introduction to Qualitiative Data Analysis Qualitative Data Analysis as Immediate, Ongoing, and Spiral Steps in Qualitative Data Analysis 9. Evaluating the Merits of Qualitative Research Studies in Kinesiology A Brief Primer on Evaluating Qualitative Research Trustworthiness as a Starting Place for Evaluation Additional Considerations for Evaluating Qualitative Research Taking a Relativistic Approach to Evaluating Qualitative Research Ethics: The Bottom Line for Evaluation 10. Mixed Methods Research Introduction to Mixed Methods Research Planning Mixed Methods Research Mixed Methods Research Designs 11. Participatory Action Research Introduction to Participatory Action Research Defining Features of PAR Research Process Role of Theory in PAR Process for Engaging Underrepresented Populations in Research Inherent Challenges of PAR 12. Knowledge Translation What is Knowledge Translation? Knowledge Translation Strategies Traditional Knowledge Translation Approaches Innovative Knowledge Translation Approaches Selecting Knowledge Translation Strategies Glossary References Index

About the Author :
Kent Kowalski is a Professor in the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. His research, teaching, and applied work is primarily in the area of sport, exercise, and health psychology. Most recently, his Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) funded research has focused on exploring the role of self-compassion in the lives of both women and men athletes. His research spans a range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs, and he has numerous publications in prominent journals in the field. He has been the instructor for many introductory research methods courses in kinesiology at the undergraduate and graduate level over the past two decades. Tara-Leigh McHugh is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. She has taught research methods courses to kinesiology undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, and the University of Saskatchewan. Her research is focused on psychosocial aspects of sport and physical activity participation, and she has received numerous research grants including ongoing funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). She has extensive experience with a wide range of qualitative study designs, as well as engaging in collaborative research with Indigenous communities. Her research has been disseminated in leading qualitative, health, sport, and psychology journals, as well as through numerous national and international research conference presentations. Catherine Sabiston is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto and holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in physical activity and mental health. She has taught kinesiology research methods, measurement and evaluation, and statistics courses at the University of British Columbia, McGill University, and the University of Toronto. She has held grants from all three tri-council funding agencies (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) and several other national and provincial funding agencies to conduct her quantitative and qualitative research. Her work has been disseminated in a range of psychology, health, education, and medical peer-review journals, through numerous conference presentations, public talks, and workshops, and in diverse media outlets such as television documentaries, radio shows and podcasts, reports, and featured in newspapers and popular magazines. Leah Ferguson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Her sport, health, and exercise psychology research focuses on young women's physical activity and psychological well-being; two parallel tracks examine ways for Indigenous and non-Indigenous athletes and youth to flourish and reach their potential. She is a mixed methods researcher, with experience in a range of quantitative and qualitative designs, methods, and analyses. Her research is provincially funded (i.e., Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation) and nationally funded through two tri-council funding agencies (i.e., Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research). Her research has been published in a number of prominent peer-reviewed journals, as well as delivered to local, provincial, national, and international audiences through conference presentations and workshops. She has taught research methods courses to over 600 undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan, where she continues to teach research methods.

Review :
"Importantly, this textbook treats research methods not only as a base of knowledge that should be understood by researchers, but also as a set of skills that can be practiced and improved upon." --Lindsay Duncan, McGill University "This text is an excellent resource for kinesiology students... [It] also exposes students to the diversity in the research being conducted in kinesiology." --Erin McGowan, Memorial University