I am interested in looking at how we can improve engagement and attendance for live sporting events for non-binary individuals. This is an  unresearched area where little knowledge currently exists.

This project began from my own personal interest in improving diversity in sports. However, this seemed too broad, so I had to find a niche. This led to me scouring through datasets which led to me finding out that data surrounding non-binary people does not exist. Current datasets cover the rates of engagement in live sporting events amongst a range of demographics but do not include non-binary people. To establish the data for non-binary people, I created a survey and spread it through targeted online forums. I then ran a permutation test on the dataset to establish the extent of the relevance of the difference in demographics on attending these events. This is then followed by interviews to establish more detail on the topic. Looking through academic papers, I found that psychology was particularly important in understanding the behaviour of non-binary people and I am looking to establish this element further in my interviews. This will synthesise into the creation of a report presenting this research.

The outcome is the establishment of a new research area and the creation of an accessible report presenting my findings. This will include highlights from interviews, presentation of data, and analysis using data science about the significance of my findings.

The key takeaway for me is the importance of finding your niche in order to drive your research. Before settling on my project, I had been apathetic towards the module. However, after finding my niche, I became excited and motivated to do something new and different.