Ethical Decision Making in Physical Activity Research

John N. Drowatzky, JD, EdD, is professor emeritus of exercise science in the Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance at the University of Toledo, where he has served on the faculty since 1965.As both a lawyer and physical educator, Dr. Drowatzky has long been aware of the problems associated with professional ethics and the potential for abuse in the research process. This awareness, combined with a desire to increase public confidence in research and the people who undertake it, prompted Dr. Drowatzky to study the relationship between general ethical issues and specific research practices. His articles on the subject have appeared in such prestigious journals as Clinical Kinesiology and Quest. In addition, Dr. Drowatzky has chaired both the Ethics Committee of the American Academy of Physical Education and Kinesiology and the Ethics Committee for the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).Dr. Drowatzky received his bachelor of science in physical education and social science from the University of Kansas. He went on to complete a master of science in physical education administration and a doctorate in scientific foundations of physical education at the University of Oregon. In 1979 Dr. Drowatzky earned a juris doctorate from the University of Toledo and passed the Ohio Bar exam.Dr. Drowatzky is the author of nine books and more than 50 scholarly articles on a variety of physical education and legal topics. He is a fellow in the Research Consortium of AAHPERD and was a member of the International Society of Sports Psychology, the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, and the American, Ohio, and Toledo Bar Associations. Dr. Drowatzky resides in suburban Toledo, Ohio, with his wife, Linnea. His favorite leisure activities include playing tennis and golf, reading, and traveling.