1. Independent Study Supervision Workshop
School of Health, Physical Education, & Recreation
Independent Study Supervision Workshop
Mary Ann Coughlin
Tracey Fogarty

2. Independent Study Supervision Workshop
Agenda:
Review of Research Design Issues:
Research Question
Research Design
Data Analysis
Interpreting and Communicating the Results
Procedures & Resources:
Proposal Development
Data Collection
Poster Presentation

3. Research Question Everything must start with the Research Question!
What does the student want to learn from the research project?
Two major issues with research questions for independent study projects:
What is a legitimate research question?
What questions are too large to be answered through an independent study?

4. What is a Legitimate Research Question?
The research question that the student is asking should:
Have some grounding in their discipline.
Contribute something to the professional preparation of the student.
Should add to the knowledge of their area of interest either from a practical or theoretical basis.
Should contain at least some unique element or aspect of the study beyond that which has already been covered in the literature.
Independent studies may be replication studies, but should be done with slightly different sample or measure.

5. What is too Much?
The research question must also be able to be answered. So the research question should also:
Be able to be expressed in measurable and doable terms.
Should be able to be completed by the student and within the resources of the department and the college.
Should be a topic that the student is knowledgeable about based upon their program and course of study.
Should be able to be completed by the student with the completion timeline for your department and program.

6. Research Designs
Research designs are used by the research to define the methodology for his or her research study.
Therefore, research designs are applied by the researcher as appropriate to answer his or her research question.
Thus, the research design follows the research study.
For example,
A student wants to know the opinions and practices of coaches with regard to strength and conditioning programs.
As a result, the researcher utilizes a survey research design and develops a questionnaire to measure the opinions and practices of coaches.
But the researcher does not chose to do survey research.

7. What Research Designs Work for IS?
Under the current guidelines for Independent Studies and Poster Presentations, we have three basic areas of research designs that are appropriate for Independent study projects.
Empirical Independent Studies
Quantitative
Qualitative
Business Plan / Program Development
Within the context of this workshop, we will focus on empirical research studies and briefly explore some quantitative and qualitative designs that may be appropriate for IS projects.

8. Quantitative Research Designs
Descriptive:
Survey Research Designs
Very appropriate for Independent study to describe opinions of various samples.
Need to spend time with the student developing and validating the survey (panel of expert, pilot study)
Keep the surveys fairly short and concise.
Be sure to include relevant demographic variables.

9. Quantitative Research Designs
Descriptive:
Correlational
Very appropriate for Independent study to describe relationships between several variables.
Need to be sure that the student is measuring appropriate variables.
Are these standardized instruments?
Does the student understand the instruments and the constructs?
Try to insure that the student looks at the relationships among more than just two variables. Seldom can any human behavior be explained by only one other variable.
Be sure to include relevant demographic variables.
May want to explore difference in these variables across different sub-groups. Do males and females differ?

10. Quantitative Research Designs
Ex Post Facto Designs
Comparing differences between pre-existing groups.
In these designs the researcher can not manipulate the independent variable and thus is coming in after the fact to explore differences in various groups.
Very appropriate for Independent study to describe differences between:
Athletes and non-athletes
Males versus females
These designs are not generally considered to be experimental as the researcher can not randomly assign subjects to groups and can not randomly assign treatments to groups.

11. Quantitative Research Designs
Experimental Designs
These designs are not always possible as students would need to be able to randomize the design
Either randomly assigning subjects to groups (True experimental) or
Randomly assigning treatments to pre-existing groups (Quasi-experimental).
When feasible, these research designs are preferable over ex-post facto designs.

12. Qualitative Research Designs
Locke (1989) defined qualitative research as a systematic and empirical strategy for answering questions about people in a social context.
Qualitative research is characterized by:
Intensive, long term observation and / or participation in a real-world setting.
Precise and detailed recording of what happens in that real-world setting, through the use of many different documentary techniques.
Interpretation and analysis of the observational data is required. However, interpretation and analysis usually involves description and interpretation of evidence and documents as opposed to statistics.

13. Qualitative Research Designs
Qualitative research designs are appropriate for IS projects.
However, due to the nature of qualitative research designs with prolonged engagement with the participant in that real world setting, it is sometimes difficult for a student to complete a qualitative study in the IS project format.
Some ideas for qualitative designs:
Focus group research study
Individual case study on a specific topic.
Observational study in a specific setting.

14. Data Analysis
Just as the research design follows the research question, the data analysis follows the research design.
Whether a qualitative or quantitative empirical design is used the IS project should contain some form of data analysis.
And the data analysis that is done must be appropriate to the research design and be appropriate to answer the research question.
Assistance is available to you and your student through the research faculty and graduate research associates to assist with the data analysis.

15. Quantitative Data Analysis
In research methods, students learn:
Descriptive statistics and the basics of inferential statistics.
Specifically three inferential techniques are covered:
Correlation,
T-tests (independent samples), and
Chi-square.
The quantitative analysis that the student needs to run should be reduced to the background of the students, while still allowing the student to answer the research question.

16. Qualitative Data Analysis
Data analysis in qualitative research often requires:
Verbatim transcription of interviews, and analysis of other relevant documents.
The researcher is attempting to establish themes, patterns, and/or trends that emerge from the data.
The researcher should attempt to establish the trustworthiness of the findings by providing the voices of the participants in the results and by using various sources to support his or her findings.
Qualitative data analysis software is available through the College.

17. Interpreting and Communicating the Research Findings
After the data have been analyzed and the findings established the last step in the research process is to interpret and communicate the research findings.
In the IS project, this communication is done both through the discussion section of the journal article and the poster presentation.

18. What to Communicate?
Help your students by challenging them with the following questions:
What did you find?
What are the conclusions of the research study?
Make sure these conclusions come or are supported by the data analysis.
How does this relate to the literature and past research?
Are these findings similar to or different from past research?
Why might they be similar and/or different?
What is similar or different about the studies being compared?

19. What to Communicate? More Questions:
What do the results mean for the practitioner?
How can a coach, athlete, teacher, etc., use the findings from this study?
What implications does this study have for the discipline or field of study?
This is a very important question --- So What?
What can future researchers learn?
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
What else should future researchers examine?
This is a very important question --- Now What?

20. Research Designs Now we have reviewed research design issues.
Research Question
Research Design
Data Analysis
Interpreting and Communicating the Results
Questions?
Now, we will move on to procedures and resources.

21. Procedures and Resources
Throughout this segment of the workshop we will cover procedures for the independent study process and resources that are available to you and your students.
These include:
Proposal Development
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Poster Presentation

22. Proposal Development
After taking the Research Methods course, student who are completing an independent study must take the proposal design course.
In the course, students develop their proposals.
As the student is taking the proposal design class, you can and should be actively working with the student.
Help them to:
Research relevant literature
Organize the review of literature
Find appropriate measures

23. The Proposal Journal Article: Appendix A – Research Design
Introduction
Methods
Should have description of all measurements and
A plan for data analysis.
References
Appendix A – Research Design
Statement of the Problem,
Definition of Terms,
Delimitations,
Limitations, and
Hypotheses or Research Questions.

24. The Proposal -- Continued
Appendix B – Review of Literature
Should be a comprehensive review of literature,
Organized into relevant sections, and
Should cover all concepts and measures within the scope of the research project.
Other Appendices as appropriate
Informed Consent,
Copies of questionnaires,
Instructions, etc.
Complete Bibliography
Including all sources in the references section.

25. The Proposal
Remember, as the student is developing his or her proposal in the proposal design class you should be actively working with the student to develop the research project.

26. Data Collection
Once the student has completed the proposal and is ready to move onto data collection, you must first be sure that:
The proposal has been submitted to your department as described by your departmental procedures and that you have been assigned as their advisor.
The student must apply through the graduate office for permission to test human subjects and must get IRB approval.
A copy of this form is available for you here.
This is a mandatory step and students may not complete data collection until IRB approval has been granted.

27. Data Collection
You and the student will receive a letter from Dr. Mann stating that they have permission to begin testing.
At this point in time the student can proceed to collect their data.

28. Data Analysis
During this stage of the research process, the student should be encouraged to get assistance from their research methods instructor (or our graduate associates).
You want to be sure that the student is performing the appropriate analyses.
As discussed earlier, the analyses will vary depending on the type of research design being applied.
Again it is important to emphasis that the student is ultimately responsible for understanding and interpreting their analyses – either qualitative or quantitative.

29. Assistance
Advise your student to be considerate of the time and assistance that is provided by the research faculty and graduate associates.
Remember, lack of planning on the part of the student does not constitute an emergency on our part!

30. Quantitative Data Analysis
Remember, in research methods students learn:
Descriptive statistics and the basics of inferential statistics.
Specifically three inferential techniques are covered:
Correlation,
T-tests (independent samples), and
Chi-square.
The quantitative analysis that the student needs to run should be reduced to the background of the students, while still allowing the student to answer the research question.

31. Qualitative Data Analysis
Remember, data analysis in qualitative research often requires:
Verbatim transcription of interviews, and analysis of other relevant documents.
The researcher is attempting to establish themes, patterns, and/or trends that emerge from the data.
The researcher should attempt to establish the trustworthiness of the findings by providing the voices of the participants in the results and by using various sources to support his or her findings.
Qualitative data analysis software is available through the College.

32. Results & Discussion
The completion of the data analysis results in the student writing the results and discussion section of their journal article to their independent study.
As part of the proposal design class student write a practice results and discussion section.
Start by reviewing this paper with your student and contact the Proposal Design instructor or a Research Methods instructor If you have questions.
Again, plan ahead!
Start this process early so that the student can get assistance.

33. Poster Presentation
The final capstone experience of the independent study is the poster presentation.
The poster presentation requirement should only be completed after the student has completed and submitted the final copy of his or her independent study to you and your department.
Follow your appropriate departmental guidelines and timelines regarding the submission of independent study projects.

34. Poster Presentation Guidelines
Guidelines are available to students who are completing their posters.
The guidelines are given to the students in their proposal design course.
A copy of the guidelines are provided for you here.
The guidelines do vary for empirical studies versus the business plan / program plan projects
In addition, the grading rubric is also available to students and a copy of the rubric is available here today.
Again the rubric varies for empirical studies versus the business plan / program plan projects.

35. Sections of a Poster
Continuing our focus on empirical independent study projects, let us briefly review the sections of a poster:
A poster should have:
Title,
Abstract,
Introduction,
Method,
Results,
Discussion.
In general, these sections follow or are extracted from the sections of the journal article from the independent study project.

36. Poster Content -- Title
Title -- The title of the poster should include:
the title of the student’s research project,
his or her name, and
the name of the department and program with which the student is affiliated.

37. Poster Content -- Abstract
Abstract -- The abstract is a short informative and descriptive summary of your research project. The abstract should be:
written after the research project is completed, although it is intended to be read first;
descriptive and as such should identify the statement of purpose and scope of the research project; and
informative and summarize the entire research project, giving the reader an overview of the methods, findings, and conclusions of your study.
The abstract must, however, be short in length and should not exceed 1 to 2 paragraphs.

38. Poster Content -- Introduction
Introduction -- The introduction should include:
clear statements about the research question or problem that was studied;
provide the reader with a synopsis of the key research studies that were used as the foundation for your study or those studies that provide the theoretical or practical grounding for your study; and
Should then lead to the purpose of your research study.

39. Poster Content -- Method
Method -- This section should explain procedures and the methods that you completed within your study.
Be sure to describe
participants,
measurements, and
any treatments, training sessions, or protocols that were followed with the scope of your research.
Your method section should end with a description of any data analysis that was carried out.

40. Poster Content -- Results
Results -- The results section is where the main findings from your research study are described.
Encourage your students to use tables, charts, and figures to illustrate the results.
Be sure that they include the findings from all of the data analysis.
Be sure that their results section and tables actually follow from their analyses.

41. Poster Content -- Discussion
Discussion --The discussion section is where the findings from the study are placed in perspective.
In this section, the student should:
present the findings of the study in layperson’s terms,
relate the findings to other studies that were reviewed within the context of the independent study project,
discuss how your finding could be applied to practitioners within your field, and
describe with some suggestions for future research.
These suggestions should contain recommendations and thoughts about how the study could be expanded; other tests that could be applied, what other samples could be studied, etc.

42. Evaluation of Poster
The students poster is evaluated by two raters using the grading rubric.
The grading rubric is designed to mirror the content that we just reviewed.
Some minor modification are still being made to the rubric and your input is welcomed and appreciated.
Ultimately the evaluation of the poster consists of an evaluation of both the actual poster and the student’s performance at the poster session (answering questions, etc.).

43. Evaluation of Poster
It is important to note that there are two distinct aspects to the evaluation of the student’s performance at the poster session.
First is the poster itself.
The poster must stand alone and cover all of the elements that we discussed earlier.
The second is the ability of the student to answer questions about his or her project.
The student must pass both aspects of the poster session.
One without the other is not acceptable!

44. Thank You Questions?? Comments?? Concerns??
Please feel free to contact either one of us!