PT Journal
AU Lee, J
   Haegele, AJ
TI A cross-disciplinary comparison of published articles: Adapted physical activity and special education
SO European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity
PY 2015
BP 7
EP 20
VL 8
IS 1
DI 10.5507/euj.2015.001
DE adapted physical education; disabilities; theoretical framework; research methodology; disability studies
AB Documentary analyses of adapted physical activity (APA) literature have been conducted whichdiscuss publication trends in the APA field (e.g., Karkeletsi, Skordilis, Evaggelinou, Grammatopoulou,& Spanaki, 2012; Porretta & Sherrill, 2005). However, few documentary analyses have compared those results with trends in other related fields, such as special education (SE). This study compares publication trends between APA and SE over a 10-year span. Primary journals from APA and SE, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly (APAQ) and Exceptional Children (EC), respectively, wereselected for a comparative documentary analysis. A total of 455 articles (APAQ, n=205; EC, n=250)from 2004 to 2013 were identified and coded based on the following categories: (a) country of the firstauthor affiliation; (b) theoretical framework of empirical studies; (c) intervention research;(d) publication/research methods; (e) population of interest; and (f) topical areas. Results demonstrate similarities and differences between APA and SE publication trends. The results indicate that little intervention-based research was published across journals (14% for APAQ; 38% for EC). Both journals largely published group design research, and more single subject studies were observed in EC(n=17) than in APAQ (n=4). Additional similarities and differences in publication trends over the pastten years between two journals are discussed.
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