This is the first book to focus on participatory research in the context of sport and physical activity. It explores the transformative potential of participatory research methods and provides an introduction to the practicalities of doing participatory research in sport and physical activity. The book is structured around phases of the research process, covering research design, data collection, data analysis, and knowledge mobilization and translation. Chapters cover research design topics such as building research partnerships, reflexivity and ethical issues; methods such as social photo-elicitation, go-along interviews, and biographical mapping; analytical approaches such as collective memory work and collaborative analysis; and knowledge mobilization and translation topics such as podcasting, digital tools, and peer review. Every chapter includes a review of key developments, a guide to how that approach can be employed, an example from the author’s own work, and critical reflections on how that approach can shape future research and have an impact on public discourse. This book is an invaluable resource for students and researchers working in sport studies, the sociology of sport, sport and exercise psychology, sport management and policy, and human movement and health studies more broadly. It will be particularly useful for those interested in diverse and inclusive approaches to qualitative research methodologies.

Researching Difference in Sport and Physical Activity goes beyond the content of introductory research methods texts to provide an insight into the methodological hurdles that are experienced when researching ‘difference’ in Sport and Physical Activity. Contributors reflect upon how the rhetoric of research methodology transfers into the reality of data collection across ‘difference’. Presenting case studies of real research projects, the book covers a range of topics, such as: disability in sport and physical activity vulnerable children in sport and physical activity visual research tools when working with children in a primary school setting physical activity, sedentary behaviour and obesity through childhood diverse ethnic groups in sport and physical activity settings. Each chapter contends with practical issues of power and representation within the research process, to recognise how a researcher–participant relationship that considers those who are ‘othered’ serves to change the dynamics and processes of research. This is an important resource for students of all sports related subjects and essential reading for anyone interested in the study of marginalised populations in sport and physical activity.

Community-based research has recently gained attention within the sport and exercise sciences. When seeking to understand community based research methodologies, one finds a diversity of approaches spanning a breadth of ontological views and equally diverse methodological approaches. Though little is known about community-based sport, exercise and physical activity research, these foci are beginning to gain scholarly attention, in part through the emerging sport for development and peace literature. This book features a conceptual introduction and eight pioneering examples of community-based research from North American, European, and Oceanic scholars. The topic matter reveals scholarship undertaken in relation to health, physical activity, youth sport, and elite sport, exemplifying work with mainstream and marginalized populations. This book, perhaps the first compilation of community-based research relating to sport, exercise and health, will be of interest to sociologists of sport, sport and exercise psychology scholars, sport management scholars, qualitative researchers, health scholars and practitioners, sport for development organizations, and research ready communities seeking to engage in localized research projects. This book was published as a special issue of Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health.

Twitter, Facebook, online forums, blogs and websites – scholars are increasingly turning to digital sources to study sport and physical activity. These platforms have generated new digital content ripe for analysis and are making it possible to investigate communities that were previously inaccessible. However, they have also created theoretical, methodological, practical and ethical challenges. This book critically examines the opportunities open to qualitative researchers working in digital spaces and offers novel insights into how the rise of new technology is helping to shape sport studies. Showcasing original research on emerging themes, trends and issues such as digital sociology, media citizenship, online gaming, Big Data, fitness apps and online fan cultures, this collection leads the way in this fast-developing field of study. It not only considers the possibilities and limitations of using digital tools to conduct qualitative research into sport, but also provides innovative examples of how researchers can adapt successfully to ever-evolving technologies. Digital Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity is essential reading for all students and scholars interested in the latest digital developments in sport studies and research methods.

It represents an entirely novel way of reconstructing how we conduct research, taking account of the values, voice and ethics inherent in this transaction. It is an innovative, yet user-friendly practical and theoretical guide using authentic research vignettes to show how new approaches to research on children and youth might be developed and applied in reality. It extends the work done by all contributors to the book (50 years cumulative experience).

This is the first research methods book to focus entirely on physical education and youth sport. It guides the reader through the whole research process; from the first steps to completion of a dissertation or practice-based project, and introduces key topics such as:formulating a research questionqualitative approachesquantitative approachesmixed method researchliterature reviewcase studiessurvey, interviews and focus groupsdata analysiswriting the dissertation.Each chapter includes a.

Academics around the world recognise the effectiveness of storytelling as a way to engage audiences in conversations, raising awareness of issues, and encouraging change. Stories are now seen as the best medium to convey information to diverse audiences. This book explores a novel approach to representing research findings through the adoption of creative nonfictional stories (CNF). At a time when dissemination of scientific research is constantly highlighted as a fundamental aspect for academics, CNF represents an opportunity to effectively communicate science to non-academic audiences through stories. By providing practical examples of how to transform findings into compelling stories rooted in data, following the mantra of showing rather than telling, which characterises CNF, Creative Nonfiction in Sport and Exercise Research helps researchers – qualitative, quantitative, established professors, and students – to turn their research into stories. A unique contribution to the field, this book is the first in the sport and exercise research field to take scholars on a discovery jouney, moving from their classic realist to a more creative, compelling, but still rigorous representation of research findings. The book features chapters written by authors from different sport research backgrounds, who present the findings of a previously published ‘classic’ study rewritten in the form of a story. Reflective chapters focusing on the how-to and the challenges of this creative analytical practice complete the work, to support scholars in developing their creative skills.