Andrew C. Sparkes

First Published in 1996. The transition from school to work has always been a crucial time in the lives of young people. How and when this transition is made can have a major impact upon the sense of identity they develop, the importance they feel they have in the eyes of others, the kind of person they want to be and their view of the world in general. This book is about the nature of that transition for one small group of young people, making the journey in the new policy environment of post-Thatcherite Britain.

Qualitative forms of inquiry are a dynamic and exciting area within contemporary research in sport, exercise and health. Students and researchers at all levels are now expected to understand qualitative approaches and be able to employ them in their work. In this comprehensive and in-depth introductory text, Andrew C. Sparkes and Brett Smith take the reader on a journey through the entire qualitative research process that begins with the conceptualization of ideas and the planning of a study, moves through the phases of data collection and analysis, and then explains how findings might be represented in various ways to different audiences. Ethical issues are also explored in detail, as well as the ways that the goodness of qualitative research might be judged by its consumers. The book is based on the view that researchers need to make principled, informed and strategic decisions about what, why, when, and how to use qualitative forms of inquiry. The nature of qualitative research is explained in terms of both its core assumptions and what practitioners actually do in the field when they collect data and subject it to analysis. Each chapter is vividly illustrated with cases and examples from published research, to demonstrate different qualitative approaches in action and their relative strengths and weaknesses. The book also extends the boundaries of qualitative research by exploring innovative contemporary methodologies and novel ways to report research findings. Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health is essential reading for any student, researcher or professional who wishes to understand this form of inquiry and to engage in a research project within a sport, exercise or health context.

Qualitative forms of inquiry are a dynamic and exciting area within contemporary research in sport, exercise and health. Students and researchers at all levels are now expected to understand qualitative approaches and be able to employ them in their work. In this comprehensive and in-depth introductory text, Andrew C. Sparkes and Brett Smith take the reader on a journey through the entire qualitative research process that begins with the conceptualization of ideas and the planning of a study, moves through the phases of data collection and analysis, and then explains how findings might be represented in various ways to different audiences. Ethical issues are also explored in detail, as well as the ways that the goodness of qualitative research might be judged by its consumers. The book is based on the view that researchers need to make principled, informed and strategic decisions about what, why, when, and how to use qualitative forms of inquiry. The nature of qualitative research is explained in terms of both its core assumptions and what practitioners actually do in the field when they collect data and subject it to analysis. Each chapter is vividly illustrated with cases and examples from published research, to demonstrate different qualitative approaches in action and their relative strengths and weaknesses. The book also extends the boundaries of qualitative research by exploring innovative contemporary methodologies and novel ways to report research findings. Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health is essential reading for any student, researcher or professional who wishes to understand this form of inquiry and to engage in a research project within a sport, exercise or health context.

First Published in 1996. The transition from school to work has always been a crucial time in the lives of young people. How and when this transition is made can have a major impact upon the sense of identity they develop, the importance they feel they have in the eyes of others, the kind of person they want to be and their view of the world in general. This book is about the nature of that transition for one small group of young people, making the journey in the new policy environment of post-Thatcherite Britain.