Research

Methods and
Statistics in Sport
Science
Debrework Tesfaye, B.Ed., M.Sc., Assistant Professor
 Etymology
• The word research is derived from the Middle
French "recherche", which means "to go
about seeking", the term itself being derived
from the Old French term "recerchier" a
compound word from "re-" + "cerchier", or
"sercher", meaning 'search'.
• The earliest recorded use of the term was in
1577
 MEANING OF RESEARCH:
• Research: Re + search
• ‘Re’ means again and again and
• ‘Search’ means to find out something.

• The following is the process:

• Observes Collection of data
• Person/objects --------> Phenomena --------> Conclusions
• Again and again Analysis of data
 Research in common parlance refers to a search for
knowledge.
 Research is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing
and interpreting information in order to increase our
understanding of phenomena of interest.
 Once can also define research as a scientific &
systematic search for pertinent information on a specific
topic.
 Research is a systematic process of discovery and
advancement of knowledge (Chris Gratton and Ian
Jones, 2010).
 In fact, research is an art of scientific investigation.
 According to Clifford Woody -Research comprises
defining and redefining problems, formulating
hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting,
organizing and evaluating data; making
deductions and reaching conclusions; and at last
carefully testing the conclusions to determine
whether they fit the formulating hypothesis .
 According to D.Slesinger – The manipulation of
things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of
generalizing to extend, correct or verify knowledge
aids in construction of theory or in the practice of
an art.
 Characteristics of Research
 The characteristics of research include various points such
as:- Six X/cs
1. Research should be controlled-
 It should be controlled because of the relation between two
or more variables are affected by each other (whether it is
internal or external).
 If the research is not controllable, then it will not be able to
design a particular research report.
2. Research should be rigorous-
 It should be rigorous because it helps to follow the
procedures to find out the answers related questions which
are relevant , appropriate and justified in nature.
 The research information consists of two types of sciences
such as physical and social sciences. These two sciences
are also varied from each other.
3. Research should be systematic-
• Research should be systematic because if a researcher
wants to do a perfect research design or process then it
will have to evaluate or obtained the necessary
information from the market in a systematic manner.
• It takes various steps to do a perfect or systematic
research process and all the steps of procedures are
interlinked to each other.
4. Research should be valid and verifiable-
• It means the information which is collected by the
researcher can be the correct and verifiable by yourself
(i.e, researcher himself). If our collected information is
fair or valid, then our research will also be ethical in
nature.
5. Research should be empirical-
• This means that any conclusion drawn is totally based
upon ethical or hard evidence gathered information
collected from observations and real-life experiences.
6. The foundation of knowledge-
• Research is the foundation of knowledge for the purpose
of knowledge and an important source for providing
guidelines or norms for solving different social, business,
or governmental problems. It is a variety of formal
training which enables us to understand the new
developments in one’s field in an efficient way.
 Importance or Objectives of the Research
• Research objectives help to identify the full purpose or
attention of your research with the type of basic questions
that will be noted.
• Explaining your research objectives means explaining
what do I need to investigate and evaluate. The
importance of research is also known as the objectives of
the research. It includes various points such as:-
• What are the objectives of the research and What is
the importance of research
• 1. To find out the real facts-
• As we know, every type of research has its own object but
the basic aim of the research is always to find out or
obtained the information from the markets and societies
and their number of respondents. A researcher evaluates
or finds the real or exact information for our problem-
related questions.
• 2. To achieve the new thoughts-
• In this objective of the research, anybody can find new
thoughts from the research. Research is the process of
finding the exact information through proper observation,
optimization, and experiments.
• These are the scientific methods to find out or evaluate
the information which is very necessary for evaluating the
problem task.
• 3. To evaluate the information-
• The first aim of the research is to find out the information
and then evaluate them in an appropriate or efficient
manner so that they can easily design the research
problem and solve them also.
• A researcher evaluates the information through various
scientific approaches and methods, statistical analysis
and procedures, and another type of tables and graphs.
• 4. To test a hypothesis-
• In this objective of the research, the researcher
does the causal relationship between the
variables (it can also be said that the hypothesis
testing research studies). The hypothesis testing
study represents the number of actions like these
terms:
• (a) Making a formal statement,
• (b) Selecting a significance level,
• (c) Deciding the distribution use,
• (d) Selecting a random sample and computing
an appropriate value,
• (e) Calculation of the probability,
• (f) Comparing the probability.
• 5. To design or implement the research-
• After the collection of all information, the
researcher prepares the structure of a research
design for the company so that they can easily
describe or identify the structure of a particular
research theme.
• The research designs can be broadcasted into
two forms such as experimental designs and non-
experimental designs.
 Motivation in research
• What makes people to undertake research is a question
of fundamental importance. The possible motives for
doing research may be either one or more of the
following:
• Desire to get a research degree with its consequential
benefits;
• Desire to face challenge in solving unsolved problems;
• Desire to get intellectual joy of doing more creative work;
• Desire to be of service to society; and
• Desire to get respectability (Kothari, 1990).
• However, this is not an exhaustive list of factors motivating
people to undertake research studies.
• Many more factors, such as: directives of government,
employment conditions; curiosity about new things; desire
to understand causal relationships, social thinking and
awakening, and the like may as well motivate people to
perform research operation
 Classification of Research
• Types of research can be looked at from three different
perspectives:
• 1 applications of the findings of the research study;
• 2 objectives of the study;
• 3 mode of enquiry used in conducting the study.
• The classification of the types of a study on the basis of
these perspectives is not mutually exclusive: that is, a
research study classified from the viewpoint of
‘application’ can also be classified from the perspectives
of ‘objectives’ and ‘enquiry mode’ employed.
• For example, a research project may be classified as pure
or applied research (from the perspective of application),
as descriptive, correlational, explanatory or exploratory
(from the perspective of objectives) and as qualitative or
quantitative (from the perspective of the enquiry mode
employed).
 1) Application: What is Basic Research?
• Basic research is also known as fundamental or pure
research since it is mainly concerned with the
improvement of scientific knowledge.
• The purpose of basic research is simply to gather
more information to further understand existing
phenomena specially in the field of natural sciences.
• Its focus is on supporting as well as challenging
assumptions which aim to explain various
phenomena.
• Pure research looks at the “big picture” in the sense
that it looks for overall factors and related postulates.
• Hence, fundamental research is purely theoretical as
it delves into basic laws and principles.
 What is Applied Research?
• The purpose of applied research is to know more about a
certain real-world problem and take steps to solve it.
• It focuses on the application of natural science principles
on practical difficulties as well as enhancing innovations.
Such studies are often associated with the fields of
business, economics, health, and politics.
• For instance, a company may hire an applied researcher
to look into the best way of hiring applicants and placing
employees in connection with the organization’s various
positions.
• Many applied researchers utilize the naturalistic
observation method to verify existing social difficulties and
then conduct experiments to ascertain solutions.
• However, data gathering challenges such as ethics and
validity issues may arise specially when testing procedures
may pose harm for humans and animals.
Basic, Applied and Action Research
 2) Objectives
• Exploratory research
• Exploratory research is defined as a research used to
investigate a problem which is not clearly defined.
• It is conducted to have a better understanding of the
existing problem, but will not provide conclusive results.
• For such a research, a researcher starts with a general
idea and uses this research as a medium to identify issues,
that can be the focus for future research.
• An important aspect here is that the researcher should be
willing to change his/her direction subject to the
revelation of new data or insight.
• Such a research is usually carried out when the problem is
at a preliminary stage.
• It is often referred to as grounded theory approach or
interpretive research as it used to answer questions like
what, why and how.
• Descriptive Research
• Descriptive research is defined as a research method that describes the
characteristics of the population or phenomenon that is being studied.
• This methodology focuses more on the “what” of the research
subject rather than the “why” of the research subject.
• Descriptive research primarily focuses on describing the nature of a
demographic segment, without focusing on “why” a certain
phenomenon occurs.
• It “describes” the subject of the research, without covering “why” it
happens.
• For example, a sport apparel brand that wants to understand the
fashion purchasing trends among Addis Ababa buyers will conduct a
demographic survey of this region, gather population data and then
conduct descriptive research on this demographic segment.
• The research will then uncover details on “what is the purchasing
pattern of Addis Ababa buyers”, but not cover any investigative details
on “why” the patterns exits.
• Because for the apparel brand trying to break into this market,
understanding the nature of their market is the objective of the study.
• Explanatory Research
• When the focus is on cause-effect relationships, the study can be
explanatory explaining which causes produce which effects.
• The concern in casual analysis is how one variable affects, or is
“responsible for‟, changes in another variable.
• The stricter interpretation of causation is that some external factor
produces a change in the dependent variable.
• The theory is created to answer why and how questions.
• We are more interested in understanding, explaining, predicting
and controlling relationships between variables than we are in
detecting causes.
• Explanatory studies go beyond description and attempts to explain
the reasons for the phenomenon that the descriptive study only
observed.
• In an explanatory study, the researcher uses theories or hypotheses
to represent the forces that caused a certain phenomenon to occur.
• Correlational Research
• Correlational research is a type of non
experimental research method, in which a researcher
measures two variables, understands and assess the
statistical relationship between them with no influence
from any extraneous variable.
• This is precisely what correlational research is, establishing
a relationship between two variables, “height” and “distance
of covered” in this particular example.
• Correlational research is looking for variables that seem to
interact with each other so that when you see one variable
changing, you have a fair idea how the other variable will
change.
 3) Mode of Enquiry
• Quantitative vs qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• is a formal, objective and systematic process in which
numerical data is used to obtain information.
• It involves testing a hypothesis or trying to discover
relationships.
• It is generally deductive research (this means that a
scientist would start from a hypothesis and then begin
observations to prove the hypothesis).
• It is designed to establish differences, relationships or
causality (does one thing cause another?).
 Qualitative Research
• is generally subjective and involves words rather than
numbers.
• It looks at feelings, opinions and emotions and is
concerned with trying to explain why rather than what or
how many.
• It tends to be inductive, which means a hypothesis can be
developed through the research. It tries to explain
differences, relationships or causality.
• Qualitative data can also produce quantitative data, for
example, you may record how many people said that they
like playing sport because they can spend time with their
friends.
 Other Types of research
CROSS SECTIONAL
•In this research one group have to studied for long time and it studies
RESEARCH/ LONGITUDINAL different stages in an individual’s life and all
RESEARCH

FIELD SETTING RESEARCH/

•This research is depending upon the environment take into consider
LABORATORY RESEARCH/ for research
SIMULATION RESEARCH

•There type of research follows case-study method and have an in

CLINICAL RESEARCH depth approach in order to study causal relationships

•In this research researcher utilizes historical sources like documents,

HISTORICAL RESEARCH events and all in order to understand past, point of time and all

CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH •This research is completely based on some abstract ideas or theory

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH •It is completely based on experiences or observations

 The Selection of a Research Approach
• Research approaches are plans and the procedures for
research that span the steps from broad assumptions to
detailed methods of data collection, analysis, and
interpretation.
• This plan involves several decisions and the overall
decision involves which approach should be used to
study a topic.
• Informing this decision should be the philosophical
assumptions the researcher brings to the study;
procedures of inquiry (called research designs); and
specific research methods of data collection, analysis,
and interpretation.
• The selection of a research approach is also based on
the nature of the research problem or issue being
addressed, the researchers’ personal experiences, and
the audiences for the study.
 The Three Approaches to Research
• There are three research approaches:
1. Quantitative,
2. Qualitative, and
3. Mixed methods.
• Unquestionably, the three approaches are not as discrete as
they first appear.
• Qualitative and quantitative approaches should not be viewed
as rigid, distinct categories, polar opposites, or dichotomies.
• Instead, they represent different ends on a continuum.
• A study tends to be more qualitative than quantitative or vice
versa. Not Solely
• Mixed methods research resides in the middle of this
continuum because it incorporates elements of both
qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Quantitative research
• Quantitative research is the collection and analysis of
numerical data to describe, explain, predict, or
control phenomena of interest.
• It entails more than just the use of numerical data.
• The philosophical belief or assumption that we inhabit a
relatively stable, uniform, and coherent world that we
can measure, understand, and make broad
generalization about it.
• Many quantitative researchers have little personal
interaction with the participants they study because
they frequently collect data using paper-and-pencil,
non-interactive instruments.
• Quantitative research approaches are applied to
describe current conditions, investigate relations, and
study cause–effect phenomena.
Characteristics of quantitative Research Approach
• Rooted in the philosophy of rationalism;
• Follows a rigid, structured and predetermined set of
procedures to explore;
• Aims to quantify the extent of variation in a
phenomenon;
• Emphasizes the measurement of variables and the
objectivity of the process;
• Believes in verification/ proof on the basis of a large
sample size;
• Gives importance to the validity and reliability of
findings;
• Communicates findings in an analytical and aggregate
manner,
• Drawing conclusions and inferences that can be
generalized.
 Qualitative Research
• Qualitative research is the collection, analysis, and
interpretation of comprehensive narrative and visual
(i.e., non-numerical) data to gain insights into a
particular phenomenon of interest.
• Qualitative research methods are based on different
beliefs and designed for different purposes than
quantitative research methods.
• For example, qualitative researchers do not necessarily
accept the view of a stable, coherent, uniform world.
• They argue that all meaning is situated in a particular
perspective or context, and because different people
and groups often have different perspectives and
contexts, the world has many different meanings, none
of which is necessarily more valid or true than another.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research Approach
• Is embedded in the philosophy of empiricism;
• Follows an open, flexible and unstructured
approach to enquiry;
• Aims to explore diversity rather than to quantify;
• Emphasizes the description and narration of
feelings, perceptions and experiences rather than
their measurement;
• Communicates findings in a descriptive and
narrative rather than analytical manner, placing
no or less emphasis on generalizations.
 Mixed research approach
• Mixed research approach as a method, it focuses on
collecting, analyzing, and mixing both
quantitative and qualitative data in a single study
or series of studies.
• Its central premise is that the use of quantitative
and qualitative approaches, in combination, provides
a better understanding of research problems than
either approach alone.
• Mixed methods designs are procedures for
collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative
and qualitative data in a single study or in a
multiphase series of studies.
• By mixing both quantitative and qualitative research
and data, the researcher gains in breadth and
depth of understanding and corroboration, while
offsetting the weaknesses inherent to using each
approach by itself.

• Triangulation allows one to identify aspects of a

phenomenon more accurately by approaching it
from different vantage points using different
methods and techniques.
 Logical Reasoning
 Logic
 A science that deals with the principles and criteria of
validity of inference and demonstration : the science of
the formal principles of reasoning
 The study of the methods and principles used in
distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning.
Logical Reasoning
• Reasoning is an art as well as a science: it is something
we do as well as understand. The mental recognition of
cause-and-effect relationship is called ‘reasoning’.
• It may be prediction of an event from an observed cause
or the inference of a cause from an observed event.
• It is a process of passing from the known to the
unknown.
• It is the process of deriving a logical inference from a
hypothesis through reasoning.
 TYPES OF REASONING
 Deductive reasoning happens when a
researcher works from the more general
information to the more specific.
 A process of gaining knowledge
 is called the “top down” approach
 the researcher starts at the top with a
very broad spectrum of information and
they work their way down to a specific
conclusion.
 More narrow and is generally used to
test or confirm hypotheses.
 Examples deductive reasoning
• A common form of deductive reasoning is the syllogism, in
which two statements — a major premise and a minor
premise — reach a logical conclusion.
• For example, the premise "Every A is B" could be followed
by another premise, "This C is A." Those statements would
lead to the conclusion "This C is B."
• Syllogisms are considered a good way to test deductive
reasoning to make sure the argument is valid.
• "All men are mortal. Socratis is a man. Therefore, Socratis is
mortal.“
• Smokers are liable to die young, since Zewde is a smoker, he is
therefore liable to die young.
• All dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all
dogs have four legs
 Inductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning makes broad
generalizations from specific observations.
This is sometimes called a “bottom up”
approach.
The researcher begins with specific
observations and measures, begins to then
detect patterns and regularities, formulate
some tentative hypotheses to explore, and
finally ends up developing some general
conclusions or theories.
More open ended and exploratory,
especially during the early stages.
 EXAMPLE OF INDUCTIVE REASONING
• Bekalu is a teacher. All teachers are nice.
Therefore, it can be assumed that Bekalu is nice.
• Sara is a doctor. Doctors are smart. Sara is
assumed to be smart.
• All observed football players are under 50 years
old. Fasil is a football player. Fasil is under 50
years old.
• Several smokers have died young”, therefore smokers
are liable to die young
• Even if all of the premises are true in a statement,
inductive reasoning allows for the conclusion to be
false.
• Here’s an example: “Baza is a grandfather. Baza is bald.
• Therefore, all grandfathers are bald." The conclusion
does not follow logically from the statements.
6 chapters to go