Introducing doing qualitative research methods for sport

This chapter of the book introduces the various research methods (and their links to methodologies and methods of analysis) that will be looked at within the book across six broad categories. In reality, these are not as neatly divided across the six boundaries of the following chapters in this book. The chapter goes on to give an overview of each individual category, aiming to weave into the overview how they interrelate and also where a more novel version of the traditional methodologies is emerging. The chapter looks at offering a starting point for qualitative methods and the act of doing methods as opposed to reading, understanding and theorising rationale for methods in isolation. In undertaking this, we are essentially also calling on students, staff, researchers and individual industry collaborators in this space to create spaces for thinking about methodology, method and the philosophy of undertaking such research in its multitude of forms. The chapter introduces the notion of ‘stepping into’ methods and ends with a brief overview of some of the challenges faced by the representation of equality and inclusivity in the sport studies qualitative research community.