Research Skills in Kinesiology

Catalog description

KINES 260 prepares students to read, understand and critique scientific research. The epistemological belief that knowledge is static and science discovers truth will be challenged. Rather than research being a product achievable only by professors, research will be presented as a process that students can understand and contribute to. Therefore, this course will develop skills and knowledge in understanding and conducting scientific research through practical experience. Specifically, students will learn to search for articles and be able to evaluate different sources of knowledge. Reading strategies will be employed to develop the ability to read and produce research papers according to standard structure and formatting. Students will gain experience using a range of different measurements of human movement and behavior, and understand general measurement issues. Practical experience with different types of research in kinesiology will occur throughout the semester, aiding students to critique and design research. Students will learn when to employ different statistical tests, be able to analyze data using statistical software, and interpret the results. Experience in other computer software will occur throughout the semester to develop student's word processing, spreadsheet and graphical skills. This knowledge and skills will be integrated throughout the semester and culminate in a research project performed by teams of students.