Research Methodologies for Sports Scholarship

When investigating the diverse, complex and changing contemporary field of sport, we recognize there is no methodology that meets the needs of all sport. Sport researchers should take advantage of innovative approaches from other fields to explore emerging phenomena or innovatively advance scholarly sport research approaches. For example, technology, globalization and commercialization may be the principal trends, but they are not the only trends, Sport researchers have the opportunity to study other trends, including the modernization of sport organizations, changing governance practices, regulatory changes, innovation, merchandising, media and broadcasting technologies, socio demographic influences (i.e. aging populations, change in employment patterns, increasing diversity), sport for development, physical activity and sport participation changes. As such, this book introduces innovative research methods and approaches can be applied to the sport discipline.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

James Skinner is a Professor of Sport Business, Director of the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University, London, UK. His research interests are in leadership, culture, change and innovation in sport, doping in sport, sport and social capital and research design and methods for sport business.

Terry Engelberg is an Associate Professor: Department of Psychology/Sport and Exercise Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. Terry has previously conducted seven major studies on anti-doping in Australia and a project on detecting doping, funded by the inaugural International Olympic Committee.