Question:
The research proposal must be submitted online through Turnitin by 2 pm. on
Tuesday 2nd May 2017
In this assessment, your task is to write a research proposal for a study you would like to carry out. Your first page should include the title of your proposed project and your word count.
As with any scholarly work, the proposal should include references where appropriate to support your claims.
The word limit is 2000 words. Your reference list is not included in the word limit.
Your proposal should contain the following four sections.
- 1. Purpose of the investigation
This section should provide background to the project, explain why the study is worth doing, and explain what you expect to discover.
Points you should consider:
What is the background of your project?
What is the rationale of your research?
What is the expected value of your research to society/athletes/science?
What are your aims and objectives?
What is your hypothesis? (if it is a quantitative study)
- 2. Outline of the investigation
This section should explain how the research will be carried out.
For quantitative studies, you should consider:
Details of the research design and rationale for the research design
Details of dependent and independent variables
Details of Participants
o How many will be recruited?
o Characteristics (age, health status, etc)
o How will they be recruited?
Details of data collection and analysis
o How will data collection occur
o What techniques and equipment will be used for recording?
o How will the data be analyzed?
o What statistical tests will be used?
For qualitative studies, you should consider:
Details of the research design and rationale for the research design
Details of Participants
o How many will be recruited.
o Characteristics (age, health status, etc)
o How will they be recruited?
Details of data collection and analysis
o How will you structure interviews and what will your main questions be?
o How are you going to ensure the quality of your data collection and analysis?
o How are you going to present your data within the results/discussion?
- 3. Ethical Issues
This section should indicate any ethical issues raised by the project and outline how they will be addressed.
Points to consider include:
How will participants provide consent?
How will confidentiality and anonymity be ensured?
Will any special/vulnerable populations be involved in the research?
Will participants have the right to withdraw from the study?
Will the study involve deception?
Are there any health and safety issues to consider, including any risks to participants and/or researcher?
Answer:
Purpose of the investigation
Sports play an important role in an individuals life. Sports attain different connotations; for some, it is a passion, whereas for others is a subject of worship. Yet for some others, sports is a favourite hobby. At other places, sports is a fun activity (Harriss and Atkinson 2013). One of the other connotation for sports is to lose weight through the means of exercise. Herein, lays the correlation between the two variables of the research proposal.
In the present age of machines, people hardly get leisure times. Even if they get, they indulge into the intake of fast and readymade foods, which take a toll on their health conditions. The frequency of consuming fast foods results in the detection of serious diseases in the young and tender ages. The only way to avert the emergence of the serious illness is to perform exercise or indulge into sports at a regular basis (Bassini and Cameron 2014). An understanding regarding the dynamics of exercise and its effect on the body relates to the diversified benefits science has bestowed on the public domain. Effective and judicious utilization of these benefits improves the quality of lifestyle of the individuals. On the contrary, exposure of negligence in this direction, makes the life of the individuals difficult.
As per the revelations of Daily Mail, obesity is grounded as one of the most major concerns for UK in terms of collapsing economy. As a matter of specification, the noticeable increase in the death rates gave rise to the risks of deadly cancers (Dailymail.co.uk 2017). The intensity of this issue have compelled the scientists to put on their thinking caps in terms of recommending sports, exercise and a healthy diet for the public domain. Spontaneous action in needed in this direction for reducing the intensity of the risk factors, which might lead to cancer among men and women across the world, especially the threshold of United Kingdom.
The survey published by Health Survey of England 2011-2013 states that 24.7% of men amidst the total population of UK suffer from obesity. Herein, the value of sports, exercise is nullified. The story is more alarming for the women. 24.9% of women are victimized by the sharp blow of obesity (Dailymail.co.uk 2017). The major drive behind this is the lack of exercise and sports activity due to the drab, monotonous schedule of everyday life. Along with this, frequent intake of fast foods is also one of the grounds for coming under the grip of obesity.
Obesity, in the present age, has deprived the obese people from their wish fulfilment. This is specifically applicable in terms of wearing dresses, performing the tasks that the normal people easily perform among others. Inability to perform the basic tasks adversely influence the psyche of the obese people. Under such situation, these people tend to undertake harmful ways for survival (Bassini and Cameron 2014). In this phase, the doctoral advice for exercise possesses disinterest, as inactivity grips the individuals.
Pondering upon the parameter of science, indulgence into sports and exercise increases the metabolism of the individuals, which enhances the productivity. Along with this, sports and exercise improves the blood circulation, which enables the individuals to concentrate on their work. Apart from this, sports and exercise improves the digestion process, which prepares the body of the individuals for averting the serious diseases. This is the enhancement of the immunity power. For attaining stability in the bodily functions, sports and exercise is needed (Harriss and Atkinson 2013).
The aim of this proposal is to peculate the scientific facts related to sports and exercise. Based on this aim, the following objectives can be developed:
- To enhance the preconceived knowledge on the basic concepts related to sports and exercise
- To examine the importance of sports and exercise in the lives of the individuals
- To identify the gaps and loopholes of sports and exercise science
- To suggest relevant recommendations for improving the quality of lifestyle of public domain through sports and exercise
Based on these objectives, the following hypothesis would prove true for the proposal:
H0: Sports and exercise does not effect the dynamism of science
H1: Sports and exercise adversely affect the scientific dynamism
Outline of the investigation
A research is conducted with a specific design, which are mainly of three types: descriptive, exploratory and explanatory. In this research proposal, the researcher would select descriptive research design (Jensen 2013). The major drive behind this selection would be to describe the scientific facts related to sports and exercise in great detail. Choosing explanatory and exploratory research design would mean delving deep into the research subject, which is not possible due to the availiability of limited time and financial constraints (Palinkas et al. 2015). Along with this, choosing descriptive research design would help the researcher to provide detailed insight into sports and exercise, which uplifts the quality of lifestyle of the individuals.
In order to describe the facts related to the variables, the researcher needs to undergo the process of data collection. As a matter of specification, a sample will be selected among the population for gaining an insight into the subject matter of the research. 35 people belonging to the age group of 8 years to 35 years would be the sample size of the research proposal. Within this group, people belonging to different profession would be included. BMI tests would be conducted for 50 people, who would be selected for first round of selection. From this, 35 would be selected, who have a high BMI (Epstein et al. 2016).
The researcher would collect relevant data from these 35 people through the means of survey. Questions would be asked, which the selected samples need to answer. Tape recorders, voice recorders would be used by the researcher to record the responses given by the samples. The recorded answers would be kept confidential and for the sole purpose of the research.
The collected data would be analyzed by tables, charts and graphs. Projection of the answers in these means would help the researcher to enliven the importance of sports and exercise on science. The percentile projection of the responses would assist the researcher to suggest relevant recommendations, which would upgrade the standard of living for the public domain as a whole (Sullivan et al. 2012).
If time permits, the researcher would also carry out qualitative data collection and analysis. In this case, 5 health care professionals would be selected by the researcher. Herein, there would be an assemblage of doctors, healthcare professionals, dietician among others. For selecting these personnel, the ground would be their expertise and performance in the hospitals or healthcare homes, where they are employed. At the initial stage, 10 would be selected. For the selected 10, practical tests, like BMI would remain the same as for the samples of the qualitative data. Achievement of positive result in this case would act as an inspiration for the selected samples in terms of beautifying their living standards through sports and exercise (Wright et al. 2016).
Along with this, bearing in mind the age of the professionals would help the researcher to frame relevant questions. Selection of very old doctors and other professionals would need hiring of caretakers for looking after the needs of the old age doctors.
The researcher would conduct an interview with these personnel to provide an insight into the scientific effects of sports and exercise on the lives of the people. The responses of these personnel would contradict the limitation of UK in comparison to the generalized issue of obesity. Similar to the quantitative data collection, voice recorders would be used in case of the qualitative data collection (Wildemuth 2016). However, the difference would be in the data analysis. In place of charts, tables and graphs, themes relevant to the subject matter of the research would be developed. These themes would directly relate to the identified objectives, which is assistance in terms of assessing its feasibility and appropriateness.
The ability of the researcher to suggest relevant recommendations, based on the projected responses, would reflect the quality of the collected data and its analysis. Development of relevant themes enhances the quality of the data collection process. Relevancy with the subject matter of the research, would reduce the chances of referring to the sources, which do not have any relation with the research topic (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015).
Ethical issues
In order to conduct a research, the researcher needs to abide by certain ethics. This maintenance qualifies the researcher as prepared for the projecting the intensity of the subject matter. Typical components of the ethical issues are safeguarding the sentiments of the sample selected for the data collection. Exposure of conscious attitude in this direction would align with the preservation of the individual rights possessed by the individuals. In case of this research, the researcher would restrain from pressurizing the samples to answer the proposed questions (Field 2015). Along with this, the samples would be at liberty to quit the survey or interview process the moment they feel uncomfortable.
As a matter of fact, the researcher would adhere and comply with the standards and norms of Data Protection Act (1998). This would enable the researcher to maintain the safety, security and dignity of the samples as individuals.
Assuring the samples about the recordings only for the research purpose, and not for any commercial purpose would help the researcher to emerge successful in this direction. Involvement of the special and vulnerable population would broaden the scope and arena of the research. Along with this, special care would be taken of these people so that their sentiments are not hurt. However, effective measures would be kept in handy by the researcher in cases of racial discriminations, harassments among others (Creswell 2013). Prior prepation in this regards would help the researcher to avert these kind of situation in the actual time of the research.
One of the mentionable facts about the data collection process would be the presence of risk assessment sensors. These would automatically detect the presence of risk, which might harm the samples. Within this, fire extinguishers would be there for safeguarding the samples from the burning, in case the site of interview or survey catches fire.
In case a participant does not wish to involve in the data collection process, the reason behind this would be excavated. If it is a genuine cause, then the participant would be excused from participating in the process (Ritchie et al. 2013).
Exposure of conscious and rational attitude in this direction would help the researcher to achieve positive outcomes in the data collection process. This consciousness would add to the role of the researcher. Specifically, it would outshine the corporate social responsibility of the researcher on the humanitarian grounds.
Apart from this, effective consideration of the financial and time constraints would help the researher to carry out the research in an effective manner. Herein, lays the importance of the rationalistic approach (Smith 2015).
In order to possess risk assessing sensors, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, financial flexibility is crucial. Inadequate finance would act as a compromise with the dignity of the samples as individuals. In order to avert this situation, prior approach towards the execution of the research related tasks is needed by the researcher. Apart from this, consideration of the time constraints would help the researcher to carry out all the tasks within the stipulated time frame. As a matter of specification, availiability of sufficient time would enable the researcher to conduct both qualitative as well as quantitative research (Berger 2015). This would broaden the scope, arena and dynamics of sports and exercise upon science. Moreover, this enhancement would result in the improvement of the quality of lifestyle for the public domain as a whole.
Viewing it from other perspective, enhancement in this regards, act as a secondary source for the reseachers intending to conduct further research regarding the effect of sports and exercise on science. Furthermore, advanced research on this topic would mitigate the death rates due to obesity within the threshold of United Kingdom (Lampard and Pole 2015).
References
Bassini, A. and Cameron, L.C., 2014. Sportomics: Building a new concept in metabolic studies and exercise science. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 445(4), pp.708-716.
Berger, A.A., 2015. Media and communication research methods: An introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage Publications.
Creswell, J.W., 2013. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Dailymail.co.uk (2017). The alarming map links obesity cancer. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2843751/The-alarming-map-links-obesity-cancer-Death-rates-rise-fastest-Britain-s-fattest-region.html [Accessed on 30th April 2017]
Epstein, L., Stone, N.D., LaPlace, L., Harper, J., Lynfield, R., Warnke, L., Whitten, T., Maloney, M., Melchreit, R., Rodriguez, R. and Quinlan, G., 2016. Comparison of Data Collection for Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance in Nursing Homes. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 37(12), pp.1440-1445.
Field, T., 2015. The benefits and limitations of quantitative data collection to the literature review data collection.
Harriss, D.J. and Atkinson, G., 2013. Ethical standards in sport and exercise science research: 2014 update·. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 34(12), pp.1025-1028.
Jensen, K.B. ed., 2013. A handbook of media and communication research: Qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Routledge.
Lampard, R. and Pole, C., 2015. Practical social investigation: Qualitative and quantitative methods in social research. Routledge.
Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. and Hoagwood, K., 2015. Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), pp.533-544.
Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C.M. and Ormston, R. eds., 2013. Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage.
Smith, J.A. ed., 2015. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.
Sullivan-Bolyai, S., Bova, C. and Singh, M.D., 2012. Data-collection methods. Nursing Research in Canada: Methods, Critical Appraisal, and Utilization, p.287.
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Wildemuth, B.M. ed., 2016. Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science. ABC-CLIO.
Wright, A.L., Wahoush, O., Ballantyne, M., Gabel, C. and Jack, S.M., 2016. Qualitative Health Research Involving Indigenous Peoples: Culturally Appropriate Data Collection Methods. The Qualitative Report, 21(12), pp.2230-2245.
