27941 Advanced Research Methods for Leisure, Sport and Tourism

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject assumes a basic knowledge of the range of qualitative and quantitative research methods used in leisure, sport and tourism research and the ability to use statistical analysis packages such as SPSS. This subject covers two areas: 1) conceptual and theoretical approached to research, and 2) qualitative and quantitative research methods. The first of these addresses the nature of research and its relationship to policy and the development of knowledge and conceptualisation and design of research projects. The quantitative area involved the application of statistical methods and exploration of the more advanced capabilities of the SPSS package.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Identify a topic for research for a thesis;
2. Conceptualise the research problem(s), conduct a preliminary review of related literature and define the research questions or hypotheses;
3. Devise an outline strategy to address the research problem(s);and
4. 4. Conduct basic statistical analysis appropriate to arts, leisure, sport, tourism and human movement studies research problems.

The subject assumes a basic knowledge of research techniques and their application to research in the fields of arts, leisure, sport, tourism and human movement studies. This involves a familiarity with the range of qualitative and quantitative research methods used and familiarity with statistical analysis package such as SPSS.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject is designed to prepare Honours, Masters and PhD students to complete the research ethics / proposal stage of their respective awards. The focus of this subject is on the development of research and analytical skills relevant to research projects. Students will develop an understanding of the nature research and its relationship to policy and the development of knowledge. This subject will also focus on the conceptualisation and design of research projects, and provide skills for critical analysis and review of literature. Advanced data analysis and statistical interpretation skills will also be addressed. The subject assumes prior knowledge of the range of qualitative and quantitative research methods used in leisure, sport and tourism research.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject involves a variety of teaching and learning activities, which may include: lectures, workshops, problem-solving exercises, workshops and laboratory-based exercises. Content for this subject will be supported by UTSonline.

Content

• The nature of research
• Developing and presenting research problems
• Methodology and theoretical perspectives in research for Leisure, Sport and Tourism
• Review of literature
• Developing projects within an ethical framework
methodsQualitative research methods
• Quantitative research.

Assessment

Recommended text(s)

There is no single text - students will be required to read widely from among the references below, and from journals and monographs.

Indicative references

Denzin, N K & Lincoln, Y S (eds), (2005) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, USA

Phillimore, J., & Goodson, L. (2004), Qualitative Research in Tourism: Ontologies, Epistemologies and Methodologies. New York: Routledge

Lewis–Beck, M., Bryman, A.E. & Futing Liao, T. (2004), The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Pallant, J. (2007), SPSS Survival Manual: Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using SPSS, 3rd Ed., Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, Sydney

Veal, A J, (2009) Research Methods for Leisure & Tourism, 4th edition: A Practical Guide, Pearson Harlow, England

Thomas. J., Nelson. J. and Silverman, S. (2005). Research Methods in Physical Activity. Human Kinetics, Illinois, USA

Vincent, W J, (2005) Statistics in Kinesiology, Human Kinetics, Champaign