Knowledge

Knowledge can be defined as facts, information, and skills that represent the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject or object. Knowledge can be obtained through education or experience. Epistemology is the theory of knowledge, and there are many epistemological approaches employed by sport management scholars to understand and acquire knowledge of sport phenomena. Some common epistemological approaches used in sport management research include constructivism, critical theory, interpretivism, positivism, and pragmatism. Constructivism, critical theory, and interpretivism are epistemological approaches that are best utilized with qualitative research methods, while positivism is a paradigm tested with quantitative methods. Pragmatism is problem-centric, and thus lends itself to both qualitative and quantitative methods, depending on the research questions sought to be answered. Researchers who conduct mixed methods research are typically pragmatists. Researchers can draw from several epistemological approaches to form a more comprehensive understanding of sport phenomena.