Key Concepts in Urban Environmental Fieldwork and Data Analysis

Bipolar Survey

A perception-based technique rating environmental features along a negative-positive scale, such as cleanliness or safety, often presented visually using radar graphs for comparison.

Box and Whisker Plot

A statistical graph showing the median, range, and interquartile range, helping compare environmental quality scores and identify variation between different fieldwork locations.

Closed Questions

Questions with limited responses, e.g. yes/no or multiple choice, producing quantitative data that can be tallied and compared easily across different locations or participants.

Conclusion

A final summary answering the enquiry question using data evidence, explaining the extent to which findings support the hypothesis or research question e.g. about sustainable redevelopment in Lewisham Gateway.

Data Analysis

Interpreting and processing results using statistical methods such as mean, range, and percentage to identify trends, patterns, and relationships between variables e.g. in urban environments.

Data Presentation

The visual communication of results using graphs, tables, and annotated images e.g. bar charts for land use, box plots for EQS, radar graphs for bipolar surveys.

Environmental Quality Survey (EQS)

A quantitative fieldwork method rating environmental factors like litter, greenery, and noise on a scale e.g. from 1-5 or from -3 to +3 (a biopolar scale), helping assess environmental quality e.g. across different Lewisham sites.

Evaluation

A reflective assessment of fieldwork reliability, considering the strengths and limitations of factors such as sample size, site selection, timing, bias, weather, operator error while also suggesting improvements for future investigations.

Field Sketch

A labelled drawing made on-site showing physical and human features of a location, annotated to highlight evidence of e.g. redevelopment, transport accessibility, and environmental quality.

Hypothesis

A testable statement predicting the outcome of an investigation, e.g. 'Environmental quality will improve closer to the Lewisham Gateway redevelopment zone,' used to direct data collection and evaluation.

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

A secondary data measure combining indicators like income, employment, education, health, and environment to show why areas such as Lewisham required urban redevelopment.

Interquartile Range (IQR)

A measure of data spread showing the range between upper and lower quartiles, highlighting the middle 50% of results and reducing the influence of anomalies.

Land Use Survey

A systematic recording of how land and buildings are used e.g. residential, commercial, or transport shown as tallies, bar charts, or pie charts for comparison.

Mean

A numerical average calculated by adding all data values and dividing by the total number, summarising central trends in environmental quality or questionnaire results.

Median

The middle value in a dataset when arranged in order, showing a typical result and reducing the effect of extreme outliers or anomalies in fieldwork data.

Mode

The most frequently occurring value or category in a dataset, useful for identifying the most common land use, perception, or environmental feature across study sites.

Open Questions

Questions allowing detailed, personal answers, helping gather qualitative data about residents' opinions and perceptions e.g. of the Lewisham Gateway redevelopment and environmental quality.

Photographs

Images captured during fieldwork providing visual evidence of land use and redevelopment, later annotated to support qualitative analysis and enhance visual presentation of findings.

Primary Data

Original information collected firsthand during fieldwork such as EQS scores, questionnaires, photographs, and land use surveys providing up-to-date, location-specific evidence for analysis.

Radar Graph

A multi-axis chart displaying multiple variables at once, commonly used to show bipolar or questionnaire data comparing perceptions e.g. of sustainability across Lewisham sites.

Random Sampling

A sampling technique where each location or person has an equal chance of selection e.g. randomly asking passers-by for questionnaire responses to avoid bias.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest values in a dataset, showing how varied the data e.g. environmental quality or land use data is across study sites.

Research and Enquiry Question

The main focus of an investigation, shaping all stages of fieldwork e.g. 'To what extent has Lewisham Gateway achieved sustainable urban redevelopment?' guiding data collection and analysis.

Risk Assessment

Identifying potential hazards in fieldwork (e.g. traffic, weather, or getting lost) and planning strategies to reduce these risks, ensuring safety throughout the investigation.

Sampling

The process of selecting specific locations or participants to represent a larger area, ensuring collected data is reliable, manageable, and reflective of different features within an urban environment.

Stratified Sampling

Dividing an area into subgroups and selecting sites from each to ensure the data is representative of the whole study area e.g. collecting data from four different Lewisham locations to represent varied land uses and redevelopment stages.

Sustainable Development

Development meeting current needs without limiting future generations, balancing environmental, economic, and social goals for example, improving transport links and green spaces while maintaining environmental quality.

Systematic Sampling

Collecting data at regular intervals, e.g. surveying every fifth person or recording environmental scores every 100 metres e.g. to identify spatial patterns in Lewisham.

Tally

A quick and efficient method of recording frequencies, such as the number of shops or transport facilities observed e.g. during a land use survey in Lewisham Gateway.

Urban Redevelopment

The regeneration of urban areas through projects such as Lewisham Gateway, aiming to create more sustainable, accessible, and attractive spaces improving environmental quality, land use, and community wellbeing.