Qualitative research in six sport and exercise psychology journals between 2010 and 2017: An updated and expanded review of trends and interpretations

Descriptive reviews of qualitative research across two decades – 1990–1999 (Culver, D., Gilbert, W., & Trudel, P. (2003). A decade of qualitative research published in sport psychology journals: 1990–1999. The Sport Psychologist, 17, 1–15) and 2000–2009 (Culver, D., Gilbert, W., & Sparkes, A. C. (2012). Qualitative research in sport psychology journals: The next decade 2000–2009 and beyond. The Sport Psychologist, 26, 261–281) – outlined qualitative research trends in three North American sport psychology journals (The Sport Psychologist, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology and Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology). The present study updates a descriptive review of qualitative research in these three previously reviewed journals plus three additional sport and exercise psychology journals (Psychology of Sport and Exercise, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology), to explore key trends between 2010 and 2017. Of the 1,914 studies, 351 (18%) were qualitative. Findings comprised four sections: distribution of articles, qualitative methods, rigour/trustworthiness and epistemology. Trends included an increased percentage of qualitative articles in 2015–2017 compared to 2010–2012, reliance on methods of individual interviews (85%), inter-rater reliability (45%) and member checking (41%) as primary rigour indicators, and 61% of studies not declaring an epistemology. Key trends are discussed in relation to contemporary qualitative research dialogues within, and outside of, sport psychology. We conclude that consideration of additional qualitative research methods, contemporary forms of rigour, and epistemological awareness and coherence, are useful goals. Recommendations align with calls for “connoisseurship”, whereby a diversity of qualitative approaches is appreciated, with the ability to make informed fine-grained discrimination among qualities concerning qualitative inquiry. These suggestions hold potential for expanding ways of knowing, conducting and judging qualitative sport psychology research within these six journals.