Research Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Data
Introduction
The study of Research Methods has become both a more important and significant part of sport in recent years and there has been a rapid growth in interest in the theoretical side of Sport and Exercise.
In this assignment I will be talking about the key issues in Research Methods for Sport and Exercise Sciences and focusing on two aspects in particular – Qualitative and Quantitative research. I will be giving examples and opinions of these methods and pointing out advantages and disadvantages backed up by references. Finally I will conclude, comparing the two and giving my opinion on which method of research is more superior.
Task 1:
Description of Quantitative Research.
“Quantitative research involves either trying to discover a relationship or testing a hypothesis and is generally deductive research (this means that a scientist would start at a hypothesis and then begin observations to prove it). It is designed to establish differences, relationships or causality.”
This type of research is both formal, factual and a systematic process in which numerical data is used to obtain information and is not influenced by emotions or personal prejudices. I feel this can also be described as using data and statistics to form an opinion.
In line with the scenario outlined in this assignment, we know that research is a collection and analysis of data. An Example of Quantitative Research I am including in this report is that number of training sessions can or cannot determine an athlete’s performance. An example of where this is evident is when detraining the aerobic system in a runner, the participants level of VO2max (the maximal oxygen uptake or the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilized) decreases. Recent studies show that there is little reduction in VO2max for the first ten days following inactivity in high performance athletes. It is cautiously mentioned that all of these guidelines assume the runner is a high performer, training
The study of Research Methods has become both a more important and significant part of sport in recent years and there has been a rapid growth in interest in the theoretical side of Sport and Exercise.
In this assignment I will be talking about the key issues in Research Methods for Sport and Exercise Sciences and focusing on two aspects in particular – Qualitative and Quantitative research. I will be giving examples and opinions of these methods and pointing out advantages and disadvantages backed up by references. Finally I will conclude, comparing the two and giving my opinion on which method of research is more superior.
Task 1:
Description of Quantitative Research.
“Quantitative research involves either trying to discover a relationship or testing a hypothesis and is generally deductive research (this means that a scientist would start at a hypothesis and then begin observations to prove it). It is designed to establish differences, relationships or causality.”
This type of research is both formal, factual and a systematic process in which numerical data is used to obtain information and is not influenced by emotions or personal prejudices. I feel this can also be described as using data and statistics to form an opinion.
In line with the scenario outlined in this assignment, we know that research is a collection and analysis of data. An Example of Quantitative Research I am including in this report is that number of training sessions can or cannot determine an athlete’s performance. An example of where this is evident is when detraining the aerobic system in a runner, the participants level of VO2max (the maximal oxygen uptake or the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilized) decreases. Recent studies show that there is little reduction in VO2max for the first ten days following inactivity in high performance athletes. It is cautiously mentioned that all of these guidelines assume the runner is a high performer, training
Bibliography: www.moodle.hartpury.ac.uk www.skysports.com www.theguardian.com www.sportsblog.com www.bbcsport.com