A qualitative study investigating research priorities and investigative capacity in sports-focused chiropractic research, part 1 - identifying research priorities to inform a Delphi study

To identify sports-focused research priorities to inform the development of a research agenda for sports chiropractors. A qualitative description study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 20 sports chiropractic researchers from 8 different countries and focus group interviews with 12 sports chiropractic leaders from Canada. 150 research priorities were identified, and three main themes emerged: area of research, research actions, and research methodology. Six areas of research were identified: basic science and mechanism research, clinical research, health services research, population health, specific conditions and topics in sport, and chiropractic research in sport. Collaboration in research and contributing to the broader sports research effort were two subthemes identified as research actions, and the remaining codes were related to research methodology. The research priorities identified can be utilized to plan future research prioritization studies to inform a research agenda for the sports chiropractic field.