Research Methods in Physical Activity

Jerry Thomas, EdD, retired in 2016 from the University of North Texas, where he served as a professor and dean of the College of Education. He has authored more than 200 publications, 120 of which are in refereed journals. In 1999 SHAPE America named him the C.H. McCloy Lecturer for his production of research throughout his career. Thomas has been editor in chief of Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and a reviewer for most major research journals in kinesiology and numerous journals in psychology. He has also served as president of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK), founding president of American Kinesiology Association (AKA), AAHPERD Research Consortium (now SHAPE America), and North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). In 1990 he was named an AAHPERD Alliance Scholar and in 2003 was named a NASPSPA Distinguished Scholar based on lifetime achievement in research. Thomas received an honorary doctorate of science from his undergraduate institution, Furman University, in the spring of 2015. Philip Martin, PhD, is a professor emeritus in the department of kinesiology at Iowa State University. Previously, he served as the head of the department of kinesiology at Penn State and as chair of exercise science and physical education at Arizona State University in Tempe. Martin's research activities have addressed mechanical factors influencing the economy and efficiency of walking, running, and cycling. He has authored 80 research articles and book chapters and presented at regional, national, and international professional meetings. Martin is an active member and fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). He serves on the board of directors and the executive board of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA). He is a former president of the NAK and the ABS and former vice president of the AKA. He has also served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sport Biomechanics, as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, and as a biomechanics section editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. Additionally, he served on the scientific advisory committee for the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Council. Jennifer L. Etnier, PhD, is a Julia Taylor Morton Distinguished Professor and chair of the department of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she has received the Health and Human Performance Teaching Award and UNCG Alumni Teaching Excellence Award. Etnier's research focuses on the cognitive benefits of physical activity. She has authored over 90 peer-reviewed research articles and contributed to over 20 book chapters and editorials. She is also the author of two books for the lay public focused on the youth sport experience: Bring Your "A" Game and Coaching for the Love of the Game. Etnier is a past president of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), where she had previously served on the executive board. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK), where she also served as member-at-large. Etnier serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology and the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, where she previously served as editor in chief. Steve Silverman, EdD, is a professor of education and senior advisor to the provost for research preparation at Teachers College at Columbia University. He has taught and written about research methods for more than 30 years and has conducted research on teaching in physical education focusing on how children learn motor skill and develop attitudes. He has published more than 80 research articles in addition to many books and book chapters. Silverman is a fellow and past president of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) and the AAHPERD Research Consortium (now SHAPE America) and a fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). A former coeditor of the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education and former editor in chief of the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Silverman was an AERA Physical Education Scholar Lecturer, a Research Consortium Scholar Lecturer, and Weiss Lecturer and Alliance Scholar for AAHPERD. In 2010, he was inducted into the Kinesiology and Health Education Hall of Honor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Part I. Overview of the Research Process Chapter 1. Introduction to Research in Physical Activity The Nature of Research Unscientific Versus Scientific Methods of Problem-Solving Alternative Models of Research Types of Research Overview of the Research Process Parts of a Thesis: A Reflection on the Steps in the Research Process Summary Chapter 2. Developing the Problem and Using the Literature Identifying the Research Problem Purpose of the Literature Review Basic Literature Search Strategies Steps in the Literature Search Summary Chapter 3. Presenting the Problem Choosing the Title Developing the Introduction: Background and Justification Stating the Research Purpose Presenting the Research Hypothesis Operationally Defining Terms Basic Assumptions, Delimitations, and Limitations Justifying the Significance of the Study Differences Between the Thesis and the Research Article Summary Chapter 4. Formulating the Method How to Present Methodological Details Why Planning the Methods Is Important Two Principles for Planning Experiments Describing Participants Selecting and Describing Instruments Describing Procedures Describing Design and Analysis Establishing Cause and Effect Interaction of Participants, Measurements, and Treatments Summary Chapter 5. Ethical Issues in Research and Scholarship Seven Areas of Research Misconduct Ethical Issues Regarding Copyright Model for Considering Scientific Misconduct Working With Faculty Protecting Human Participants Protecting Animal Subjects Summary Part II. Statistical and Measurement Concepts in Research Chapter 6. Becoming Acquainted With Statistical Concepts Why We Need Statistics Use of Computers in Statistical Analysis Description and Inference Are Not Statistical Techniques Ways to Select a Sample Ways to Assign Participants to Groups Post Hoc Justifications Difficulty of Random Sampling and Assignment: How Good Must It Be? Measures of Central Tendency and Variability Basic Concepts of Statistical Techniques Data for Use in the Remaining Statistical Chapters Summary Chapter 7. Statistical Issues in Research Planning and Evaluation Probability Hypothesis Testing Meaningfulness (Effect Size) Power Using Information in the Context of the Study Summary Chapter 8. Relationships of Variables What Correlational Research Investigates Understanding the Nature of Correlation What the Coefficient of Correlation Means Using Correlation for Prediction Partial Correlation Semipartial Correlation Procedures for Multiple Regression Logistic Regression Discriminant Function Analysis Moderators and Mediators Multivariate Forms of Correlation Summary Chapter 9. Differences Between Groups How Statistics Test Differences Types of t Tests Interpreting t Relationship of t and r Analysis of Variance Analysis of Covariance Experiment-Wise Error Rate Understanding Multivariate Techniques Summary Chapter 10. Nonparametric Techniques Chi Square: Testing the Observed Versus the Expected Procedures for Rank-Order Data Correlation Differences Between Groups Summary Chapter 11. Measuring Research Variables Validity Reliability Methods of Establishing Reliability Intertester Reliability (Objectivity) Standard Error of Measurement Using Standard Scores to Compare Performance Measuring Movement Measuring Written Responses Measuring Affective Behavior Scales for Measurement Measuring Knowledge Item Response Theory Summary Part III. Types of Research Chapter 12. Sociohistorical Process in Sport Studies Development of the Discipline Theory and Sport History Relationship Between Theory and Method Research Sources Research Topics Research Design Data Analysis and Interpretation Research Findings Exemplary Studies in Sport History Summary Chapter 13. Philosophical Research in Physical Activity Identifying the Purposes of Philosophical Research Philosophical Inquiry Continuum Locating a Research Problem Analyzing a Research Problem Summary Appendix Chapter 14. Research Synthesis (Meta-Analysis and Systematic Reviews) Purpose of Research Synthesis Presenting Effect Size Data Summary Chapter 15. Surveys Questionnaires Additional Considerations for Online Surveys Delphi Method Personal Interviews Normative Surveys Summary Chapter 16. Other Descriptive Research Methods Developmental Research Case Studies Observational Research Unobtrusive Research Techniques Correlational Research Summary Chapter 17. Physical Activity Epidemiology Research U.S. National Physical Activity Guidelines and Plan Observational Versus Experimental Research What Is Physical Activity Epidemiology? Definitions of Physical Activity and Its Components Assessment of Physical Activity Epidemiological Study Designs Reading and Interpreting a Physical Activity Epidemiological Study Summary Chapter 18. Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Sources of Invalidity Threats to Internal Validity Threats to External Validity Controlling Threats to Internal Validity Controlling Threats to External Validity Types of Designs Summary Chapter 19. Qualitative Research Procedures in Qualitative Research Data Analysis Concluding Remarks Summary Chapter 20. Mixed-Methods Research Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Methods Designing Mixed-Methods Research Issues in Mixed-Methods Research Examples of Mixed-Methods Research Summary Part IV. Writing the Research Report Chapter 21. Completing the Research Process Research Proposal Thesis and Dissertation Proposals Advisor and Dissertation Committee The Good Scholar Must Research and Write Scientific Writing First Things Are Sometimes Best Done Last Developing a Good Introduction Describing the Methods The Proposal Process Preparing and Presenting Qualitative Research Proposals Writing Proposals for Granting Agencies Submitting Internal Proposals Completing Your Thesis or Dissertation Results and Discussion Handling Multiple Experiments in a Single Report Using Tables and Figures Summary Chapter 22. Ways of Reporting Research Basic Writing Guidelines A Brief Word About Acknowledgments Thesis and Dissertation Format: Traditional Versus Journal Helpful Hints for Successful Journal Writing Revising Research Papers Writing Abstracts Making Oral and Poster Presentations Summary Appendix. Statistical Tables