Qualitative research methodology: an overview of approaches and applications

Athletes in Training and Competition

According to the studies examined by Monroe-Chandler, et al. (2004), research has shown that athletes can enhance their performance and technique by setting goals. Of course, other studies indicate that research into goal setting has not examined this thoroughly enough and, therefore, has not accurately established whether the setting of goals varies between training and competition. The study analyzed here used a qualitative approach in order to investigate the kinds of goals that are set by athletes, in both training and competition situations (Monroe-Chandler, et al., 2004). Based on previous research, a framework was generated that allowed for the examination of 249 athletes who represented 18 individual sports. They were asked about the goals that they set in competition and their goals in training. The results of the study indicated that the goals were very similar whether they were set for training or for competition (Monroe-Chandler, et al., 2004). The findings provided information about the kinds of goals athletes set that was not seen in previous studies.

With studies such as this one, qualitative methods are generally the best choice. These methods are not like quantitative methods, in that qualitative studies are designed to ask people about their feelings and opinions as opposed to focusing on things like statistical analyses (Creswell, 2001; Creswell, 1994). Bearing that in mind, it is easy to see that qualitative methods - while simple in some ways - are also highly complex in other ways. Analyzing qualitative methods requires work, as it is not possible to simply run some data through a computer program and get the answers (Creswell, 2001). Instead, qualitative methods require thought about what each person in the study's sample has conveyed to the researcher who was conducting the study. Feelings and emotions are much more difficult to analyze, and it is generally necessary for individuals who conduct qualitative studies to look at the patterns that might be seen in the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of the people who become part of the sample taken for the study (Creswell, 1994).

When discussing the current study, Monroe-Chandler, et al. (2004) took a careful look at the athletes and what they did to set goals and prepare for their competitions and their training sessions. While one study will not end the debate over whether athletes set goals differently in training than they do in competition or whether the goals are similar across the board, this study does go a long way toward showing that many athletes do focus on setting goals that will be similar across training and competition (Monroe-Chandler, et al., 2004). Whether this is because it is easier to set goals this way or whether there is some other reason behind it is not accurately known. What is known, is that Monroe-Chandler, et al. (2004) used data from people in 18 different sports. That is a relatively large sample size, and indicative of the fact that people across virtually all sports treat the setting of their goals in similar ways (Monroe-Chandler, et al., 2004).