The document outlines the steps to plan a research project on the impact of nutrition on health and performance. It discusses establishing research aims and objectives, determining appropriate data types, choosing research tools, identifying participants, and creating a timeline. The research aims to assess links between nutrition and performance for dancers by exploring their diets, health, awareness of nutrition, and whether nutrition impacts their ability to perform. Both qualitative and quantitative data could be collected through surveys, observations, interviews, and focus groups. The document evaluates different tools and considerations for ensuring reliable, representative, and objective research.

1. Research Overview

2. Introduction The following slides take you through a likely process in order that you plan properly for the the project. Assuming a topic in the area of the impact of nutrition on health and well being and utimately performance you need to establish the aims of the research project and then decide which kind of data is the most appropriate and which tool will best serve the research question. Who the research participants will be and how you will access them will also need to be considered. You should also identify the main tasks and the best timeline.

3. Causal relationship inspires hypothesis Hypothesis is constructed as a statement: e.g. Poor nutrition leads to ill health and poor performance

4. Is there any link between nutrition and performance To assess if there is a relational impact among practising dancers between nutrition and performance To ascertain the criteria for good nutrition To uncover the dietary habits of performers To discover their general health and well being To find out if they have ever been in a position of not being able to perform due to ill health To discover what the cause of any reported ill health is To find out their awareness of the importance of nutrition To find out how this awareness came about Research Question.... Aim ... Objectives ....

5. Qualitative Data Quantitative Data Surveys Observations Interviews Focus Groups        Which kind of data?

6. Research Tools Observations – can be extremely useful as the researcher can observe what is actually happening as opposed to being told what is happening. Focus Groups Interviews – can be structured or semistructred. Generally produce qualititiative data and are useful for giving a deeper understanding of the topic. Surveys – also known as questionnaires – useful for generating a large amount of data relatively quickly. Downside can be that the data gathered can be rather superficial Overview Focus Groups – can provide a great deal of qualitative data relatively quickly. Allows the researcher to explore themes / attitudes in relation to the research topic Validity

7. Can the design tool and its implementation address the essential aspects of the research question? What are the advantages / disadvantages of each research tool? Why are you choosing one particular tool over another?

8. Reliability Information Persuasion Coercion Role Location Age Advocate, Manager, Public, Advertising Enticement Random Purposive Stratified Access How representative? Specify Research Participants

9. How will I ensure objectivity? involvement detachment

10. What tasks will I need to do to complete the project and when? – Project Timeline The column on the left records the various tasks you will need to do while the rest of the columns indicate the weeks. You will have your own distinct tasks appropriate to your research topic with your own timeline. However you will certainly have to submit in Week 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Literature Review x Interviews Field Research Code Data Analyse Data Write up Submit x

11. Work Based Learning Professional Practice Project Planning & Development Research Overview Rosemary McGuinness March 2010