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How to write a sports dissertation

The key to producing any good piece of work is appreciating what it is that you are trying to achieve and how it needs to be structured. A sports dissertation is a document that illustrates the writer’s research, findings, understanding and conclusions about a given theme or subject within sport. The aim of this document is to give a guide on how to tackle the writing of a sports dissertation effectively through following a series of basic steps.

There are a number of pieces of information which must be in the writer’s possession prior to starting the dissertation: the date of submission, section deadlines (if any), the word limit, how it is to be presented, formatting guidelines and information about the support that is available from tutors. This information will enable the writer to make plans for the completion of the work and to set targets within that for specific elements within the dissertation. It is crucial that the writer is disciplined in their approach to tackling the work –stick to the plan, writing sections up as the data collection for them is complete in order that the work is done in smaller blocks and is a less ‘frightening’ obstacle. This discipline also extends to where the writing takes place; there is little point in trying to write things up in the middle of a crowded bar area or where there is the likelihood of frequent interruption.

Choosing the topic for a sports dissertation can often be one of the biggest problems as there are so many areas of interest and huge amounts of data to sift through. The writer needs to decide whether the research is going to be qualitative (observation, description, qualities) or quantitative (measurement and numbers). Once this has been established, the author needs to select something that is of interest to them and that they can enthuse about to the reader for the whole of the dissertation; this can be done by researching topics of sporting interest against current issues and news through the use of books, journals and magazines. It is important that the sports topic is neither too narrow nor too wide as one will prove difficult due to a lack of information, while the other will provide too much data for the writer to produce a quality piece within the word count. Three or four potential topics, along with how each would be tackled would be ideal for the writer to take to their tutor for discussion. Having agreed on the area of study, a decision needs to be made as to the approach for the work: a case study, where one area in a sport is studied in depth within a limited timeframe; the performance of a survey, where information is gathered so that patterns can be established and analysis can be done within an area of one sport; an experimental approach, where an aspect or skill within a sport is studied via the exposure of two or more groups to different ideas concerning that skill and commenting on the results.

The next stage is for the writer to formulate their proposal. It is important here that the purpose of the study is clearly laid out; there must be an introduction to the study, a precise explanation of the aims/objectives of the work, a listing of the methodology and why it is being used, an explanation of the scope and the limitations of the study that is being undertaken, a listing of the resources that will be used, a timetable for the completion of each stage of the dissertation, potential chapter headings and a list of references.

Having collected and analysed the data, the dissertation needs to be written up and generally follows a standard format:

• Title page; the layout of this will be specified by the individual institution.
• Abstract; a summary or review of the content of the dissertation.
• Table of Contents; a list, in order, of all the chapters, sections, subsections, references, bibliography, abbreviations and appendices.
• Introduction; this should be a statement of 100-200 words that tells the reader why this study has been undertaken, its aims and what is going to be written about.
• Background; this section is written with those who have no prior knowledge of the subject matter in mind – it gives a full account of the essential facts the reader needs to know in order to be able to grasp the issue/topic that is being studied. It should explain how this project links to existing material and why it is important.
• Methodology; this states what the writer is going to do and how/why they are approaching the study in that way, as opposed to any other.
• Literature Review; this should be a review of material relevant to the sporting topic which is being studied, particularly the most recent theory that has been published. This enables the writer to demonstrate an understanding of the information that is already available about the topic, the current thinking on it and how it relates to the research question that has been undertaken.
• Evidence; this section covers what has been discovered by the writer and the conclusions that have been drawn as a result. There needs to be a demonstration here of an understanding of the topic based on a comparison of the data generated by the study and existing material; this can be used in order to illustrate the importance of the writer’s argument with regard to the sporting topic.
• Conclusion; here the writer needs to review the work as a whole and provide deductions that have been made as a result of the study.
• Recommendations; this section is drawn from the information in the conclusion – it should provide suggestions as to what should be done by whom and by when or could even advise that further research needs to be carried out within this area of sport.
• Referencing; all sources need to be referenced properly – the guidelines provided by individual institutions need to be followed.
• Appendices; this section contains any graphs, tables or diagrams that have been used in the study.

As we can see, the writing of a dissertation is a defined process and requires the writer to be organised and disciplined throughout in order to produce a quality end result.