Beyond Declaration of Helsinki: methodological and ethical reflections and indications to support the scientific research in physical education and sport pedagogy

Abstract

Studies in physical activity and sport pedagogy have growth in the last decades, but the non-physicians’ researchers who works in these fields have to face several challenges related to methodological and ethics issues. By keeping in mind these statements, we provide an analysis of the most relevant criticism related to the lack of specific guidelines for the aforementioned researchers when they address issues related to these topics. Accordingly, we have initially faced out a critical analysis of two position statements often used in sport sciences studies (i.e., Declaration of Helsinki and the editorials about sport ethics provided by the Journal of Sport Medicine), by underling several methodological and ethics criticisms of those documents for the studies did not strictly aim to sports medicine. Then, a template for an informed consent which accounts for and overcome the aforementioned limits has been proposed and critically discussed.