Contemporary qualitative research methods in sport management

•The special issue showcases examples of contemporary qualitative research methods in sport management.•Three conceptual papers that comment on the roles of researchers using participatory action research, talanoa, and community-based research methods.•Three conceptual papers that advocate for the use of autoethnography and narrative in sport management research.•Six empirical papers using narrative, digital ethnography, phenomenology, and variations of autoethnography.Over the past 10 years, qualitative research methods have become more commonplace in sport management scholarship. In the main, they are largely defined by a formulaic approach in which case studies, semi-structured interviews, and coding are often used. Alternative qualitative approaches, which may open up research to new audiences and research participants, and challenge assumptions about ‘good research,’ appear to be largely absent. This special issue on contemporary qualitative research methods in sport management includes conceptual advances in community-based research approaches, Indigenous methodologies, participatory action research, autoethnographies, and narratives. In addition, we present empirical papers that illustrate the use of autoethnography, narrative, digital ethnography, and phenomenology in the field. These articles provide examples for use in classes on qualitative research methods, and can serve to inspire others to use contemporary methods. We encourage sport management researchers to learn about and use contemporary qualitative data collection and analysis, and alternative means of disseminating their work to further enhance the field and challenge ways of knowing and doing research.