Presenting the Research

Problem
KNES 510
Research Methods in Kinesiology

Components of Chapter 1
Title
Introduction
Problem

Statement
Hypothesis
Definitions
Assumptions and limitations
Significance
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Considerations
When Choosing the Title

Written last, not first

Must have a title for proposal (may be

provisional)
Purpose of the title

Conveys focus of the study

Problems with titles

Too long or too short

Useless words
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Example of a Poor Title

An Investigation of a Survey and Analysis
of the Influence of PL 94-142 on the
Attitudes, Teaching Methodology, and
Evaluative Techniques of Randomly
Selected Male and Female Physical
Education Teachers in Public High
Schools in Cornfield County, State of
Confusion
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Better Title
PL 94-142s Influence on Physical

Education Teachers Attitudes,

Methodology, and Evaluations
Effect of X on Y

Questions to ask When

Contemplating a Title
Does the title precisely identify the area
of the problem?
2. Is the title clear, concise, free from
jargon, and adequately descriptive to
permit indexing the study in its proper
category?
3. Does the title identify the key variables
and provide some information about the
scope of the study?
1.

Baumgartner and Hensley, 2006

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Questions to ask When

Contemplating a Title, contd
4.

5.
6.
7.

Are unnecessary words, such as a

study of, an investigation of, and an
analysis of avoided?
Do nouns, as opposed to adjectives,
serve as the key words in the title?
Have words been selected that will aid
computerized retrieval systems?
Are the most important words at the
beginning of the title?
Baumgartner and Hensley, 2006
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Writing the Introduction

How to write a good introduction

Demonstrate the point of the study

Omit technical jargon and products
Know who you are writing for
Write introduction after the problem and
hypotheses

Lead the reader on a journey (3 paragraphs)

1.
2.
3.

Broad intro
Prior research
What is missing and your purpose
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Example of a Good Introduction

General Introduction (paragraph 1)

Cardiorespiratory fitness is generally recognized as a
major component of physical fitness. Indeed,
cardiorespiratory fitness is the most significant component
of physical fitness in the relationship to health. Direct
measurement of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) is the
single best measure of cardiorespiratory fitness or aerobic
capacity (strand & Rodahl, 1986; Mitchell, Sproule, &
Chapman, 1958; Taylor, Buskirk & Henschel, 1955).
However, direct measurement is time-consuming, requires
extensive laboratory equipment, and does not lend itself to
testing large number of subjects in field settings. Because
of the limitations of direct measures, numerous field tests
have been developed to estimate VO2 max
Dolgener et al. (1994)
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Example of a Good Introduction,

contd

Background Information (paragraph 2)

Prediction of VO2 max from field tests requires performing at
either a maximal or submaximal effort, commonly running,
stepping, or bicycling. Recently, Kline, Porcari, Hintermeister
et al. (1987) developed a submaximal field test for predicting
VO2 max using a 1-mile walk protocol. This test, which has
become known as the Rockport Fitness Walking Test (RFWT),
was developed on a broad age range (30-69 years) of males
and females who were heterogeneous in terms of aerobic
capacity. These data indicate that the regression equations
developed by Kline, Porcari, Hintermeister et al. are valid for
adults between the ages of 30 and 69 years. The RFWT has
been cross-validated in samples of subjects 65 to 79 years old
(Fenstermaker, Plowman, & Looney, 1992; OHanley et al.,
1987) and 30 to 39 years old (Zwiren, Freedson, Ward, Wilke,
& Rippe, 1991).
Dolgener et al. (1994)
10

Example of a Good Introduction,

contd
Lead-In to purpose (paragraph 3)
However, the Kline, Porcari, Hintermeister et
al. (1987) equations have not been validated
for use with groups younger than those in the
original sample. Therefore, the purpose of
this study is to

Dolgener et al. (1994)

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Writing the Statement

of the Problem

Problem

statement a specific, definitive

statement that specifies the question or
issue to be investigated in a research
study (Baumgartner & Hensley, 2006)
The problem statement should be a single
sentence that describes the problem
What is the problem statement for the
previous slides?

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Examples of Problem (purpose)

Statements

The purpose of this study is to investigate the

psychological factors related to indicators of eating
disorders among college female cheerleaders in Iowa.
The purpose of this study is to identify the general
patterns of leisure participation of selected urban
Chinese youth.
The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect
of color (green, blue, red, and white) on the performance
of a controlled target accuracy task.
The primary purpose of this study is to test the
effectiveness of the Fire PALS program on fire and life
safety knowledge and behavioral intent of elementary
school teachers.
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Identifying Variables
Define independent, categorical

(moderator), dependent, control, and

extraneous variables

14

Developing the Research

Hypotheses

Research hypotheses

Expected results based on theory or

experience
Stated as outcomes

Null hypotheses (assumed)

No significant differences or relationships

What for previous intro?

15

Making Your Problem

and Hypotheses Clear
Operational definitions

Key terms with specific meaning

Examples of terms needing operational

definitions:

Strength
Experienced
Fatigue
Learning
Obesity
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Making Your Problem

and Hypotheses Clear, contd
Assumptions

Participants will adhere to instructions (refrain

from exercise; follow prescribed diet, etc.)

Limitations

Possible shortcomings
Weaknesses of the study
Aspects the investigator cannot control

17

Making Your Problem

and Hypotheses Clear, contd
Delimitations

Characteristics imposed by the researcher

Scope of the study

Type of research participant

Number of participants
Measures to be collected
Instruments utilized for testing
Time and duration of the study
Setting
Type of intervention or treatment
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Making Your Problem

and Hypotheses Clear, contd
Significance of the study?

Basic and applied research

Seeking gaps in the research
What has NOT been done?

19

Thesis vs. Journal Article

Thesis assumes a novice researcher
Purpose, hypotheses, limitations, etc. are

explicitly stated
Publishers must printing contain costs;
only essential information appears in print

No hypothesis
No limitations
No delimitations
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Next Class
Chapter 4

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