Research methodology involves a systematic process that provides descriptive information about methods applied in research as well as a theoretical analysis of the justification of the method. Research methodology can be categorized into two broad categories that are; qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative involves the use numbers to resolve problems while qualitative, on the other hand, includes reflective analysis of feelings, emotions, words sounds and thoughts of participants. This paper, therefore, provides a summary of qualitative data which was generated from the research which explored possible actions that may be taken to mitigate stress and anxiety among the athletes .
Research method
The method of research that was used in this research was qualitative since it involves the interpretation and descriptions of different ideas and experiences of different athletes. The data generated included conceptual definitions of different feelings and thoughts which was encountered in the field during interactive sessions with varying participants during the process.
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Support of Method
This research method was chosen because according to Denzin and Lincoln, (2005), this type of data focuses on the relationship between the psychological systems within individuals. It also needs a lot of time, space and recordings of the data to get maximum desired results. Qualitative research design needs the ideological views of every participant; therefore, it allows room for biases and preferences. On top of this, this study design has ethical consideration; thus, informed consent decisions are incorporated to ensure the integrity of the participant's information and to ensure research protocol was followed appropriately.
In this research context, a holistic approach was so influential such that it explored all parts of the problems in the system. This research method was also chosen because it involved personal interaction relationship with different athletes, and as a result, getting a psychology data was concluded to be much easier by using this method. The study was guided by research questions that were;
What is the relationship between performance in sports and stress and anxiety?
What strategies can prevent or mitigate stress and anxiety among the athletes and coaches and boost the performance in sports?
And the answers that were obtained from the research question played a role in coming with the conclusion to psychology (Kross & Giust 2019).
Strengths and Weaknesses
The core strengths of this research design were that it gave more detailed information about the participants in the research. It also gave appropriate examinations of motivations and feelings. However, this type of analysis cannot always extrapolate the whole population, and the researchers' personal biases might have influenced the results.
Data-Collection Tools
Different tools are usually used in the collection of data. Examples of these tools include personal documents, observation of the participant, and conducting interviews. Interviews used in the study enable the researcher to interact with the participants. By preferring to use interviews for collection of data, the researcher hoped to have a deeper understanding of the participants. The researcher placed himself in the shoes of the participants and was able to share the experiences during the interview process; hence, was able to build trust and confidence to the participants; this made them share their experiences without fearing to be judged of the same.
Population and Sampling Procedures
Two non-probability sampling procedures were used in this study. These procedures involved the combination of judgment and snowball techniques where the researcher chose the participants who would be willing to express their experiences. The snowball techniques of sampling of the individuals who are participants were used. The sample was enlarged by some participants who were already selected. The participants who were subsequently interviewed were those who fulfilled the inclusion criterion.
Data Collection
During the data collection phase, the people who participate were allowed to decide on which venue will be convenient for them to participate in the interview. Some interviews were conducted at their practice centers and others in the actual fields as they deemed suitable to the participants of the research. The interviews were conducted in English and the language that they could understand better according to their different background setting. This was to obtain qualitative data from diverse contexts. For instance, the participants who used their home language, translation was done with the help of translators to ensure full data collection. Before the data was collected, ethical consideration and background of the research were well explained to the participants (Bali, 2015). Also, some interview questions were prepared to help this process.
Data-Analysis Process
The recorded data obtained from the interviews was written in text. Also, the identity of the individuals who participated in was hidden. Consequently, this research data was analyzed by using the data that was obtained from the interviews basing on various background factors which were causes of stress and anxiety among the athletes (Vanderhoof, 2017) . This analysis was done through, content, narrative, discourse and framework analysis. Here data was also analyzed according to factors contributing to anxiety and stress to the performance of the athletes. It also involved a lot of reasoning to accurately capture the correct perception of what the participant meant. The data generated was believed to have a relationship with cognitive and somatic anxiety; therefore, affected the performance of the athletes. The answers that were obtained from different participating athletes were, consequently compared with other results to find the overall cognitive stability of the research.
Justification of Qualitative Analysi s
According to Denzin & Lincoln, 2005, qualitative data has a wide range of information varying from one background factor to another. Therefore this data covers a wide range of possible causes of anxiety and stress. This is because there is no circumstance that the causes of anxieties and stress among the athletes will be the same among all the different participants. This is for the reason that different athletes have different background setting with various factors. Unlike in the quantitative analysis where the accuracy of data is emphasized, making it generalized, in qualitative analysis the information is considered to reliable since it measures the validity and reliability by reflection and what is observable.
Limitations and Assumptions
Although we chose to use this research method, it has a series of constraints and assumptions that need to be considered and helped us to come up with the conclusion. This research method had various assumptions. For instance, it was assumed that the participants answered the interview questions during the session openly and honestly. Also, it was assumed that the participants had a sincere interest in the participation of the research since they had signed in the consent note. Therefore, they were willingly participating in the study. Finally, the inclusion criterion of the sampling of the participants was appropriate, and it assured that all the participants were experiencing the same phenomenon.
Some of the limitations of these research methods include the availability of unknown factors at the practice areas or where the participants reside, which would bias the response of the participants. Likelihood of making errors during the collection of data since the participants were the content holders and this research is open-ended.
Dissemination of Findings
The final data which was analyzed was subjected to graphical analysis and then given to the board in charge of athletes so that they can determine its validity and evaluate it further. This information could, therefore, be used by different stakeholders, coaches, and individual athletics in the wellness and fitness of the athletes. The data generated showed the primary cause of anxiety and stress. Therefore mitigation can be sought in response to the problem.
Conclusion
In conclusion this paper gives certainty of how qualitative method of research was used in determining the psychology of athletes. Right from how the participants were selected, how data was collected, analyzed and interpreted. All this illustrates understanding of the reality of the various concepts of different athletes and understanding their psychological thinking. All the factors and the causes of stress and anxiety were determined through this study. Though the researchers faced various challenges in terms of time and interaction of people with different cultural experiences. The overall success results of the study have proven to be essential in contributing to the available literature in this field. Therefore this research could be used in identification of various problems and help to find ways of countering the problem. With the help of this research the performance of the athletics can be improved and ensure that issues of anxiety and stress do not affect their productivity in the athletic activities.
References
Bali, A. (2015). Psychological factors affecting sports performance. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health , 1 (6), 92-95.
Denzin, N. K. (2005). In NK Denzin & YS Lincoln. Introduction: The discipline and practice of qualitative research, NK Denzin, YS Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.), Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks (2005) , 1-32.
Kross, J., & Giust, A. (2019). Elements of Research Questions in Relation to Qualitative Inquiry. The Qualitative Report, 24 (1), 24-30. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol24/iss1/2
Vanderhoof, J. (2017). An Analysis of Factors Contributing to Anxiety in Athletic Performance: Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education Synthesis Projects, 31 : 1-32.
