A coach is interested in determining whether type of stretching (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation or Passive Stretching) and sex (male or female) influence response to a flexibility training programme in young adults. The coach was particularly interested in hamstring flexibility and the young adults’ perceptions of the programme. The coach approached a sport scientist at Bangor University to help design an empirical study to answer this question.
Imagine you are the sport scientist. Please write:
• A research design section including (approximately one page):
o A title
o A quantitative aim and a qualitative aim
o A quantitative hypothesis and a qualitative hypothesis
o Study design (including a description of the overall study design as given by Page, 2012, table 1).
o Sampling method (note a power calculation is not required)
o Randomisation and blinding
• A proposed quantitative statistical analysis plan including identification of (approximately one page):
o Independent and dependent variables
o The specific analysis (i.e., which analysis you would select in SPSS)
o Any relevant assumptions and tests of such assumptions
o The tests of any relevant hypotheses (including how you will make decisions to accept or to reject such hypotheses)
o Any relevant follow-up tests
• A proposed qualitative analysis plan including (approximately one page):
o The choice of methodology (e.g., ethnography, phenomenology, or grounded theory)
o Data collection method
o Analytical approach
o Any potential ethical issues and the steps that will be adopted to ensure transparency and improve trustworthiness