The fifth summer school of the doctoral program "Problem-oriented Sport Science" 2022 hosted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
The fifth edition of the summer school of the doctoral program “Problem-oriented Sports Science” took place in Karlsruhe from June, 27th to 29th together with the University of Tübigen, the Karlsruher Institute of Technology and the Technical University of Munich.
The doctoral program "Problem-oriented Sports Science" demonstrates the ongoing commitment to enable PhD students to conduct sports science research with both scientific value, as well as societal impact. On the one hand, the prerequisite for high scientific impact is a high-quality theoretical and methodological foundation. On the other hand, the societal impact is thought to be achieved by orienting research towards concrete phenomena and problems derived from the system of sports. These philosophies were recurring themes during the discussions throughout the whole summer school. A conclusive panel discussion concerning the revised doctoral program paper allowed a common understanding of the scientific practice within sports science among institutions.
In total, about 100 participants (of which about 80 PhD students) were able to attend a wide variety of topics from all disciplines of sports science. During the three days, participants were split up into four recurring workgroups, enabling a more intimate way of networking, while sharing presentations on research findings, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks. Domain experts (professors and post docs) were invited to moderate each session and provide a space for in-depth discussions after each presentation.
Furthermore, special interest groups offered a concrete opportunity to focus on specific themes (e.g., stastic program R, grounded theory) relevant for doctoral students’ research plans and dissertations. Other networking events (e.g., tennis, spikeball, calisthenics) enabled researchers to connect with each other. These evening events provided a time for socialization outside of the professional setting and created a way to recharge.
During the three days, international experts held thematically and disciplinary relevant Keynotes. On the first day, Prof. Dr. Margrit Schreier (Jacobs University Bremen) presented the method of qualitative content analysis for analyzing large amounts of data in a systematic manner. On the second day, the Keynote by Prof. Dr. Susanne Vogl (University of Stuttgart) was about the use of mixed methods designs in sport science. On the third day, Prof. Dr. Werner Wittmann (University of Mannheim) presented the Brunswik-Symmetry concept, useful to disentangle complexity in quantitative research strategies.
Overall, the fifth summer school gave the opportunity to young academics to present their ideas in a problem-oriented and interdisciplinary perspective, connect with other doctoral students and international experts, and plan future collaborations.
We look forward to the next summer school edition.
Cäcilia Zehnder & Emma Peters
