Research Methods and Design in Sport Management

Learn how to collect, analyze, and share sport management research.

The third edition of Research Methods and Design in Sport Management reflects the ever-evolving area of sport management research. With a strong emphasis on both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the book examines the entire research process and equips readers to produce high-quality, ethically sound, and impactful research tailored to the unique challenges of sport management.

The following are new to the third edition:

• Four chapters on the latest theories in sport management as well as the most recent methodologies—conjoint analysis, machine learning, and systematic review and meta-analysis—in response to the growing interest in data-driven decision making and consumer behavior modeling
• Updates to the visuals, including a full-color design and added photos
• Discussion of the ethics surrounding the responsible use of artificial intelligence in conducting research
• Significant updates throughout the text to modernize its approach, including enhanced coverage of data analysis methods and tools as well as updated examples from current sport industry contexts such as esports, sport ecology, and social media analytics

This third edition exposes readers to the latest developments in sport research and emphasizes the importance of theoretical grounding and advanced statistical techniques, making the book more relevant to both academic and applied audiences.

To ensure readers can effectively apply the research concepts presented, practical examples of past research by leading sport management scholars are incorporated throughout the text. At the conclusion of each chapter, a Research Methods and Design in Action feature links students to relevant articles excerpted from the Journal of Sport Management and Sport Management Education Journal to serve as supplemental learning scenarios.

Research Methods and Design in Sport Management, Third Edition, is a valuable tool for anyone looking to engage in the broad spectrum of research opportunities in sport management. With the help of this book, readers will ensure that they properly collect, analyze, and share research to inform strategic business decisions.

Damon Andrew, PhD, serves as dean, superintendent, and professor in the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at Florida State University. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of South Alabama, two additional master's degrees in biomechanics and sport management from the University of Florida, and a PhD in sport management from Florida State University. In addition, he completed postgraduate certificates in higher education administration from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, Pennsylvania State University's College of Education, and Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development. Andrew has served as dean at Troy University, Louisiana State University, and Florida State University, where he founded and expanded numerous academic programs and led major academic initiatives.

Andrew's research has been supported by over $3 million in funding via 33 grants and contracts, and it includes over 215 peer-reviewed articles, proceedings, and book chapters as well as 150 presentations at national and international conferences. He has served as president and member at large for the North American Society for Sport Management, as financial officer for the Sport and Recreation Law Association, and as vice chair, chair-elect, and board chair of the American Association of University Administrators.

Andrew is currently the associate editor of the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, and he previously served as editor of the Sport Management Education Journal, Journal of Applied Sport Management, and the Journal of Higher Education Management.

His scholarship has been recognized with the 2025 Earle F. Zeigler Lecture Award from the North American Society for Sport Management, the Scholar Lifetime Achievement Award from the Applied Sport Management Association, the Scholar Award from the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education, the Southern District Scholar Award from the Society of Health and Physical Educators, and the Mabel Lee Award from the Society of Health and Physical Educators. He is the only sport management scholar to ever be elected as a fellow of both the National Academy of Kinesiology and the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education.

Paul M. Pedersen, PhD, is a professor of sport management within the department of kinesiology in the School of Public Health at Indiana University–Bloomington (IU). He has worked as a sportswriter, sport management consultant, and sport business columnist. Pedersen's primary areas of scholarly interest and research are the symbiotic relationship between sport and communication and the activities and practices of various sport organization personnel.

A research fellow and the 2025 recipient of the Distinguished Research Award from the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), Pedersen has published more than 12 books (including Contemporary Sport Management, Strategic Sport Communication, Encyclopedia of Sport Management, Handbook of Sport Communication, and Communication in Sport Management) and over 130 articles in peer-reviewed outlets such as the Journal of Sport Management, European Sport Management Quarterly, Sport Marketing Quarterly, International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Sociology of Sport Journal, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, and Journal of Sports Economics. He has also been a part of more than 140 refereed presentations at professional conferences and more than 50 invited presentations, including invited addresses in China, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, and South Korea. He has been interviewed and quoted in publications as diverse as The New York Times and China Daily.

Founder and editor in chief of the International Journal of Sport Communication, he serves on the editorial board of five other journals. He was a 2024 inductee into the Hall of Fame of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) as a Master Professor, was a recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from Florida State University's College of Education, and was a 2011 inductee into the Golden Eagle Hall of Fame (East High School in Pueblo, Colorado). Pedersen lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with his wife, Jennifer, and their youngest child, Carlie (and Logan), who is in college. Their oldest children, their spouses, and grandkids (Hallie and Liam; Brock and Brooke; Zack, Megan, Nolan, and Cooper) live in Idaho, Indiana, and West Virginia.