Traditional research methods textbooks tend to present an idealized and simplistic picture of the research process. This ground-breaking text however, features leading international sport researchers explaining how they actually carried out their real life research projects, highlighting the practical day-to-day problems, false starts and setbacks that are a normal part of the research process.

This book focuses on ten pieces of research that have made a distinctive and valuable contribution to the study of sport. For each one the author of that research explains how the project was conducted and the issues that they faced. In addition, each piece of research has a commentary from a leading sport scholar outlining why it is regarded as being an important contribution to the discipline of sport studies and how that research can inform studies being carried out today.

Contributors to the book describe how in their own real life research projects, they

Initial conceptualization and funding

initially conceptualized and defined their research projects

Securing support

secured funding and/or sponsorship from relevant bodies

Handling changes

handled enforced changes to the research plans

Overcoming obstacles

confronted/overcame obstacles presented by outside bodies

Managing relationships

managed inter-personal/emotional relationships in the research encounter

Ensuring safety

managed possible threats to their personal safety or physical integrity

Dealing with luck and serendipity

managed good luck, bad luck and serendipitous findings

Handling media reactions

dealt with favourable and hostile media reaction to research findings.

Doing Real World Research in Sport Studies enables students and researchers to develop a more realistic understanding of what the research process actually involves. It charts the development of key research projects in sport and should be essential reading for any sport research methods course.