Please refer to the rubric below for the final project
HSTM4435 – Final Sport Sociology Project (Paper)
Final Paper Directions (15 Points)
• A student will make a decision on a Sport Sociology Research Theme – This
will help focus on the depth and range of your study.
– For instance, a research topic selected might be: (for example) Youth sports
participation, portrayal of men and women in the media, the differences
between men and women, the participation in sports across different
races, or the political use of sports by different countries…
– There’s no need to select the same research topic as the one mentioned
above. If the topic is unique, it will be easier to earn a good grade. Please
choose a research topic that you find interesting and that will contribute to
the efficiency of your project work.
• Under the research topic, you will write a sport sociology research paper
based on primary and secondary sources.
– A 3 – 4 page-paper (excluding cover page and reference list); 12point font;
Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri; Double spaced; 1-inch margins; APA
Style.
– Please choose an issue within your project theme. Based on the issue, you
need to develop a research question. After that, you need to conduct
research to answer the question and write the information in your own
words.
▪ Do not plagiarize from other students’ papers or from any paper you
have already submitted for another course
▪ Do not copy and paste AI-generated content
▪ You must find and note where the information come from using
references.
– Please follow the deadline and submit your paper on time. Late
submissions will receive a three-point deduction.
▪ The sport sociology research paper must be uploaded to Canvas,
which checks for plagiarism. Do not email your paper, as the
instructor will not accept submissions via email.
Final Paper rubric (8 points)
(1) Select your research theme, identify an issue within the theme, and formulate a
research question for the issue.
(2) Topic Identification (3 point – Half page)
a. Provide a brief introduction to your chosen research theme
b. Explain the rationale for choosing an issue and developing a corresponding
research question.
(e.g., Why are men and women depicted differently in the media?)
(3) Literature Review to Address the Research Questions (7 points – 3 pages)
a. Diverse Information Sources: Gather information from at least three of the
following sources to address your research questions:
▪ Academic journal articles
▪ Relevant books / News articles (newspapers or magazines)
▪ Personal experience
▪ Interview (consider opinions of others, such as experts, family,
friends)
▪ Outreach to relevant organization (via calls or emails)
b. Visual Information Utilization: Incorporate at least two types of visual
information to supplement your research:
▪ Tables
▪ Graphs
▪ Photographs
▪ YouTube content (for the paper, include written content; for
presentations, a maximum of 1-minute YouTube video is allowed)
▪ Visual information should be included in half a page.
c. Explanation of the sources: You need to describe the information you
found to understand, analyze, and explain the issues.
*Describe the information you found in your words with citations
(4) Analysis and Interpretation of Findings (5 points – 1 page)
a. Analysis of Findings: Examine the collected information to identify:
▪ Common viewpoints
▪ Contrasting opinions
▪ New insights or knowledge gained from the research
b. Answers to the research question
c. Interpretation and Synthesis: Draw meaningful conclusions from your
research, synthesizing what you have learned into a coherent
understanding of the topic.
(5) The format in APA style / Use of at least four references needed (if not, -2 point)
* If you write some information that you bring from the book, the Internet, or an
article, you need to cite and specify where it comes from on your reference list
(At least five references)
* Try to use academic articles as your references for your assignment, which can
be searched on Google Scholar ( or library resources
* A violation of APA style / minimum words / references will result in a 2-point
deduction (Do not count the words of your cover page and reference list).
Don’t use a final paper that you have submitted in other classes. However, if you really
want to pick the topic you have done before in other classes, you should thoroughly edit
and add more information based on the rubric. If not, the final grade will be zero.
(Plagiarism, copying your last paper or other papers, will also result in zero / CANVAS
has a plagiarism detector).
