CHAPTER FOUR
RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES
WHERE DO I GET MY RESEARCH TOPIC?
Possible sources include:
• Existing sport literature.
• Literature from other disciplines.
• Social concerns.
• Popular issues.
• Your own history and personal characteristics.
• Your tutors.
MAKING THE QUESTION ORIGINAL
Research is adding to knowledge, so if someone has
already researched the topic, how do you make it original?
Veal (2006) has some suggestions:
• Geographically. Certain theories may have been tested
in one area but have not received the same attention
elsewhere. Thus, you may find research focused on sport
in the USA. Undertaking similar research in the UK would
provide you with the basis for an original study.
• Socially. You may find that certain social groups have not
received as much attention as others. Existing work may
focus exclusively upon men, and exclude women, or you
may find a certain theory that has not been applied to the
elderly, or to the physically disabled for example.
• Temporally. A theory may have been developed a number
of years ago, thus its relevance in contemporary society
could be investigated. Comparing the findings would be an
original study in itself. You may also come across a study
that took place some years ago. Collecting more up to date
data may also form the basis for an original project.
• Contextually. You may find existing theories from outside
the field of sport studies that have yet to be applied to the
sport context. Alternatively, you could revisit existing
research using new theories and assess whether such
theories have greater explanatory power.
• Methodologically. You could collect different data to
explore a phenomenon. An example may be if you find a
theory that has been tested quantitatively, and apply a
qualitative research design, or if you collect data using indepth interviews rather than questionnaire surveys.
FOCUSING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION
1. Define your core concepts.
2. What is your time frame?
3. What is the geographical location?
4. What aspect of the topic are you interested in?
5. What is your unit of analysis (i.e. the ‘thing’ that you collect
data about and from which you draw conclusions)?
FOCUSING A RESEARCH QUESTION
Do coaches have different leadership styles depending
upon whether they are coaching team or individual
sports?
Male
Female
Professional
Amateur
Novice
Experienced
Seniors
Which sport?
Elite
Male
Juniors
Non-elite
Female
Adult
Do experienced male amateur coaches have different leadership styles
depending upon whether they are coaching team or individual non-elite
female junior sport?
ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF A QUESTION
• Is the question of the appropriate complexity?
• Do you have access to required data, background etc.?
• Are there any specialist facilities and resources
required?
• Do you have the required expertise?
WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Include:
1. A clear statement of the overall aims and objectives of
the research.
2. A statement outlining the originality and importance of
the research.
3. A brief description of existing work in the area.
4. How the research is to be conducted, the research
design to be adopted, anticipated methods and indication
of the sample group, sample size and recruitment
methods.
5. How the data collected are to be analysed.
6. The anticipated time scale for the research.
7. The anticipated outcomes of the research.
8. Any specific requirements in terms of access, financial
requirements, etc.
9. Any ethical issues that may be relevant to the study.
WEAKNESSES IN RESEARCH PROPOSALS
1. The research problem
• The problem is of insufficient importance or unlikely to
produce any new or useful information.
• The hypothesis upon which the research is based is
unsound, or is not based on any existing evidence.
• The problem is more complex than the investigator appears
to realise.
• The research is overly complex, with too many elements.
2. The approach
• The proposed methods are not suitable to achieve the
research objectives.
• The description of the approach lacks specificity and
clarity.
• The research design has not been carefully considered.
• The statistical aspects/details of the means by which
qualitative data are to be analysed have not received
sufficient attention.
3. Personal characteristics
• The researcher does not have adequate experience or
ability to undertake such a project.
• The researcher seems unfamiliar with recent or important
work in the area.
SUMMARY
1. The first stage of the research process is to identify a
research topic for investigation. This can be a difficult task,
but it is important to the success of the subsequent
research project.
2. There are a number of sources of ideas for research
topics, the main ones being existing literature, social
concerns and popular issues, personal characteristics and
preferences, brainstorming, and debate with your tutor.
3. Although some degree of originality is desirable, the extent
of this originality is often overestimated. There are a number
of ways by which research can be seen to be original.
4. The topic should lead to a focused question, which forms
the ‘vertical thread’ of the research.
5. Answering the research question must be achievable, in
terms of the personal abilities of the researcher, access to an
appropriate sample, and the availability of any specialist
resources or equipment.