Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Intro to Sport Sci Rsch & Stat (Online)

KIN 6080-70I

Course: KIN 6080-70I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PEHP
CRN: 31391

Course Description

A graduate course covering research methodologies and statistical techniques in the sport sciences. This course will assist coaches in reading and critiquing research and designing their own. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Corequisite(s): KIN 6933 Registration Restriction(s): Sports Conditioning and Performance majors only

Required Texts

  1. Thomas, J.R., Nelson, J.K., & Silverman, S.J. (2011). Research Methods in Physical Activity (6th). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.  There is a newer version of this book available as well. If you have yet to buy this book, please buy the 8th edition!
  2. Purdue Online Writing Lab
    Links to an external site.
Readings, instructions, and other important documents will be available through Canvas. The faculty involved in the online SUU Master of Science in Sport Conditioning and Performance have agreed to use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) as the official style manual. Papers that you write for this course, as well as others, will need to follow APA style. I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to APA referencing, so please make sure to do properly. Many of the software programs that automatically generate citations may be incorrect. You do need to check them.
If you have not already, you are welcome to purchase the APA publication manual for this course. However, you can also use the free Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) for your citations. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of research.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to construct a hypothesis, conduct a literature review, and to apply correct methodologies to solve a research question.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues regarding human and animal research.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to utilize basic statistical procedures such as Pearson correlations, T-tests, and ANOVA’s.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of experimental and quasi-experimental research designs.

Course Requirements

Class Participation

Participation refers to the ways you are engaged in the learning process and includes almost everything you do for a class. It could be said that all learning requires the active engagement or involvement of the student, as "optimum class management and effectiveness depends on students being actively engaged, supportive of each other, and civil in their exchanges." It is expected, therefore, you have truly completed the assigned readings, shared what you learned from them, and demonstrated understanding and application of the concepts in discussions, online application journals, and learning experiences.

Late Policy

Due to the dynamic nature of this course and the inter-dependence of the assignments, late work will NOT be accepted. If an emergency or similar unforeseen event occurs, please contact me as soon as it’s feasible (e.g., same day or within 24 hours) and we’ll discuss potential possibilities to submit any assignments.

Incomplete Grades

Only in exceptional circumstances will I assign a grade of "I" - incomplete. According to the Policy 6.13, "An incomplete grade is placed on a student's record by the instructor when due to extenuating circumstances the student is unable to complete the assigned course work by the end of the semester/term. The term extenuating circumstances includes (1) incapacitating illness which prevents a student from attending classes, (2) a death in the immediate family, (3) financial responsibilities requiring a student to alter course schedules to secure employment, (4) change in work schedule required by an employer, or (5) other emergencies deemed appropriate by the instructor."

Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be fully prosecuted. There is the time it is appropriate and encouraged to work with others. However, you may not quote someone without giving them credit; you may not copy other people’s work (THIS INCLUDES CUTTING AND PASTING FROM THE INTERNET!). If you cheat, you will fail (I may or may not give you a warning... that is up to me. You will, at least, fail the assignment, however, if it is a serious infraction, you will fail the class. I will not tolerate cheating or academic dishonesty.) This is your project, and your opportunity showcase your interest, there is no reason to cheat/plagiarize. 

APA Citation and Referencing

During the semester you will be required to provide references from your individual research, as well as cite and reference your canvas page. It is expected that you will use APA guidelines for citation and reference.  The following webpages are great resources for how to cite and reference using APA guidelines: https://apastyle.apa.org/ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/index.html
Links to an external site.
Please do not lose points on your referencing!

Grammar and Spelling

It is expected that you will edit your assignments, tests, and any communication via email, text, or canvas. Demonstrate pride and professionalism by turning in the quality of work, in which you avoid slang terms (e.g. reps), texting shortcuts (e.g. ‘i’, ‘don't’), and misspelled or misused words (e.g. ‘to’ versus ‘too’, ‘whether’ vs. ‘weather’).

Course Outline

Discussion Forum: There will discussion forums throughout the course. Some maybe reflective of the assigned readings, while others may allow for brainstorming with colleagues on your topic, etc. Your first post will always be due on Thursday at 5:00 PM and at least 2 replies will be due by Sunday at 10:00 pm. Your first post is worth 10 pts. and your replies are worth 10 pts. (5 pts. each).
Topic Proposal: This is your proposed topic for your thesis. What question do you have in an area of interest to you? Create your proposal and then the literature review will support your proposal.
Introduction (Chapter 1): This is Chapter one of your thesis. It may change/morph after you complete your full literature review.
Reference List: This is your complete reference list for your thesis. It should include 16-20 total references, at least 16 scholarly and you may use other non-scholarly references if applicable. Find research studies and review papers on your topic.
Annotated Bibliography (AB): This is summarizing your scholarly articles in a paragraph.  At least 10 need to be including in this assignment.
Literature Review: This is the summation of the background research you have performed. It should demonstrate your understanding of the individual components related to your research topic and identify a gap in which your research will fill. You will “plug-in” your articles from your AB into appropriate sections.
Final Research Proposal (Chapters 1 & 2): This is your final paper that includes an Introduction (Chapter 1) and Literature review of your topic (Chapter 2). More details to follow.
You will be provided a final letter grade based on the following grading criteria below. Please review your graded assignments regularly and if I make a mistake on your grade please let me know as soon as possible.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Due to the dynamic nature of this course and the inter-dependence of the assignments, late work will NOT be accepted. If an emergency or similar unforeseen event occurs, please contact me as soon as it’s feasible (e.g., same day or within 24 hours) and we’ll discuss potential possibilities to submit any assignments.

Attendance Policy

This is online class, no attendance is required. 

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.