IADMS Miami 2000   [back to the Category]

Forum: A Closer Look at the Science in Dance Medicine and Science   [read the french version]

Author :   Tom Welsh, Ph.D., et al.

Authors: Tom Welsh, Ph.D., Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA; Virginia Wilmerding, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Steven Chatfield, Ph.D., University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA; Roger Hobden, M.D., University of Montreal, Canada

The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) is a diverse organization whose members come from a variety of backgrounds with a common interest in promoting health and optimum performance among dancers. Our diversity is an asset in terms of providing a variety of perspectives from which to approach our common purpose, but it also means we may arrive with different assumptions about what constitutes convincing evidence and good science.

The purpose of this forum is to nurture a consensus about what we consider competent research in dance medicine and science. Three concise presentations will explore the (1) Purpose of Science, (2) Types of Research, and (3) Rules of Evidence as they relate to dance medicine and science. A discussant will critique each presentation and ask clarifying questions. The forum moderator will then facilitate a discussion among the presenters and involve the audience in the discussion.

The presenters have been selected for their experience in teaching research methodology in fields closely allied with dance medicine and science. All presenters have agreed to focus their commentary on trying to achieve a consensus among IADMS members on the elemental topics listed above.

If this forum is successful, forums on related topics (reliable and valid measurement of dancer performance, research designs appropriate for dance medicine and science, drawing valid conclusions from research results, and generalizing findings to relevant dance populations) will be proposed for future IADMS meetings.

This is the abstract of a paper presented at the Tenth Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, held 27-29 October 2000 in Miami, Florida, USA. All rights are reserved by the individual author(s).