1.15: Future Education and Careers in Kinesiology
- Page ID
- 98763
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Be prepared to continue your kinesiology education.
- Understand how to read and digest a research article publication.
- Find a published study in an area of interest and read it
Hopefully, after reading this textbook you have a great appreciation for how large and varied the field of kinesiology is and have a better idea of what you are personally interested in and want to further pursue in your education and career.
Any field in kinesiology can lead to a rewarding lifelong career but can take years of education and experience along with multiple certifications. These high standards are important because as a kinesiologist you will be working with and informing human beings. Each person you meet is a unique combination of their previous history, injuries, fears, and goals.
There will undoubtedly be much change and advancement in all fields of kinesiology with advancing technology. From more accurate and cheaper personal wearable devices to complete augmented reality simulations for athletic training or rehabilitation environments. Growth and opportunity will continue to expand with a career and education in kinesiology. You could help shape the future of kinesiology!
Kinesiology has become a common and respected major in many American universities. There can be different focuses in each school, so before enrolling in a program it may help to explore their department website and review what research their professors are conducting. If possible, schedule an official visit and visit the campus and labs in person. This is especially true for pursuing a master’s or Ph.D.
Remember even once you become a college graduate kinesiologist, maybe even with a few extra certifications, you cannot diagnose people with disease, prescribe treatments, or a regulated diet. Good luck with your future education and career, and welcome to the field of kinesiology!
One more vital skill you will need while pursuing your degree in kinesiology is how to read and evaluate a published research article. Citations for your papers, projects, and presentations will be required to be peer-reviewed research articles on the topics you are discussing. Being able to read and understand these articles is critical. Most if not all kinesiology degrees will include a statistical analysis and research methods class that will go into much greater detail on all of these topics, but here is a great basic start.
Finding quality research articles: your college library will have a database that you can electronically access but https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ is a great website to find information on a wide variety of topics. Many of the cited articles for this textbook were found on PubMed.
Pro tip: check “free full text” for your search so you can find complete articles at no cost. There is some variety of formats for journal publishing, but in general, you can expect to find these major subdivisions in all scientific journals in this order.
Abstract: This is a summary of the entire article; you should be able to read this and understand if that specific article will have the information you are searching for. When searching for information and sources, many times just reading the abstract will give you enough information to understand if the article contains what you are searching for, or if you need to continue looking.
Introduction: The authors should explain the history and current state of the topic or idea they are researching. The authors should also present a case for why this research and possible results are important. After reading the introduction of a paper, a person should feel like they have a general grasp on the presented topic and the outcome of some previous research leading to this paper.
Methods: This section of the paper should explain exactly how the research took place. The who, what, and how of the research was conducted so another scientist could replicate the process exactly. There should be details about the research design, whether was it a cross-over study, a randomized trial, or a survey. In a future research methods course, you will learn much more about these topics. Details on the participants should be presented and explained. The authors should explain clearly how data was gathered and what was measured along with the statistical math used to evaluate the results.
Results: The data should be presented in a clear and organized way, but without discussion or explanation of what the results might indicate. The authors should detail all significant and non-significant findings. Many times, graphs, charts, or tables can be useful to visually display the data in an easy-to-understand format.
Discussion: This is the section in which the authors will try to explain or interpret their findings. The discussion should be reinforced with other research and findings to build on the body of knowledge in that field. Kinesiology-based research will likely include a discussion of the mechanics or physiology of the body for a suspected or known procedure for the results.
Conclusion: Usually relatively short, in this section the authors will address any unforeseen obstacles that may have hindered the quality of their study. They will also discuss ideas for future research in the same area and what the next questions that need to be answered are.
References: A list of all referenced material cited in the entire paper. This can be very useful for a student to continue “down the rabbit hole.”
Extras: Depending on the publishing journal there will be a few more short sections, acknowledgments, funding sources, grant disclosures, ethics, and conflicting interests. While much shorter in length these can still be very important subsections to read. Is research showing the health benefits of drinking soda valid if it is funded by a soda company?
Below is an entire published research article on lifting atlas stones. Review each section at a time and compare your thoughts and notes with a classmate. Did the author clearly explain the entire study in this paper?