geo paper 4

3 accuracy improvements

1. better, more precise equipment

2. pilot survey to practice using the equipment beforehand

3. standardise method between different students for any subjective data collection method

3 reliability improvements

1. repeat at different times (of the week or the year)

2. repeat at different sites (mention how many, where)

3. repeat 3 times and take an average

describing correlation on a scatter graph

• strong/weak

• positive/negative

• 2 pairs of data

4 things data recording sheets should have

1. location

2. date

3. time

4. tally system

pilot survey

a survey carried out in the area before the actual investigation

4 purposes of pilot surveys

1. to test the methodology

2. to identify problems with the methodology

3. to look for improvements that can be made

4. to check the sample size

types of data

• primary/secondary

• qualitative/quantitative

primary data

collected by the people running the investigation/by the group of students

first hand data

secondary data

data collected by someone else (e.g. past investigations, internet, newspapers, books, census)

qualitative data

data with words (e.g. asking open questions using questionnaires, photos)

quantitative data

data with numbers (e.g. measurements using instruments

4 advantages of primary data

1. up to date

2. you know how it’s been collected (the techniques used, reliability, accuracy)

3. only includes data relevant to your investigation

4. only covers your study area

5 disadvantages of primary data

1. data may include personal bias

2. data collection can be time consuming

3. can be expensive to travel to places to collect data

4. the equipment to collect the data may be expensive

5. can only cover a small area

5 advantages of secondary data

1. can study changes over time

2. quicker to obtain using the internet

3. can study a larger area

4. may include data that you can’t obtain personally

5. may be collected by experts who have more accurate equipment to collect data and are more experienced

4 disadvantages of secondary data

1. may be out of date

2. there can be more information than you need

3. the information may include a larger are than your study area

4. you may not know the data collection method and who collected it, so you don’t know the reliability or accuracy of the data

sample

a section of the entire study area/study population

why take a sample

to save time, energy, money, labour

systematic sampling

collect data in a regular pattern

(e.g. ask a question to every 10th person that passes you)

random sampling

every area/person in your study area has an equal chance of being selected/asked

use random number generator/random number table

numbers used to find a random grid reference point on a map/a person/how far to walk between sites

stratified sampling

ask appropriate age group/gender

avoids bias, representiative sample

measuring gradient on river flow

1. put ranging pole at starting point and a second one where the gradient changes

2. make sure the poles are vertical

3. use a clinometer to look from one point on the first pole to the same point on the second pole

4. read the angle and record results

measuring width of river

place ranging poles either side of river bank and measure the distance between them using a tape measure

make sure the tape measure is perpendicular to the river bank

measuring depth of river

use a meter ruler to measure the depth at 5 intervals across the river

make sure the ruler is vertical

calculate the mean of the river depth in meters

cross section of river

width x mean depth

velocity of river

1. measure 10m along a river usinga tape measure

2. use a stop watch to time how long a float (e.g. a cork) takes to travel 10m

3. do distance/time

4. repeat 3 times at different sites across the river and calculate the mean velocity

or use a flowmeter (expensive)

pebble size

1. select 10 pebbles at regular intervals across the river bed

2. measure the longest side using callipers and record the result

pebble shape

visually estimate roundness by comparing the pebble with the powers roundess chart

uses a scale 1-6 (1 is very angular and 6 is well rounded)

measuring rate of infiltration (mm/minutes)

1. lay out a transect using a tape measure

2. at equal distances, insert the infiltrometer tube into the ground, so that half of the tube is in the soil

3. pour 100mm of water into the tube, use the measurement on the infiltrometer

4. measure the height of the water every minute and record the data

5. use a stop watch to time the speed of infiltration

measuring soil moisture content

1. take a soil sample for each site along the transect

2. put the sample in a small bag

3. put the ample in a small dish and weigh it

4. put it into an over and heat at 250ºC for 30 minutes

5. weigh it again

6. difference between weights/original weight x 100

or digital soil moisture reader (expensive)

measuring beach profile

1. lay a tape measure on the beach to create a transect line starting at the sea

2. make sure it’s perpendicular to the coast

3. put ranging poles equal distances apart

4. make sure they are verticle

5. use a clinometer to look from one point on the first pole to the same point on the second pole

6. read and record the angle

7. move the pole to the next sire along the transect, repeat the measurements

measuring change in vegetation type

1. lay a tape measure on the beach, starting at the sea

2. make sure it’s perpendicular to the coast

3. put a quadrat next to the tape measure

4. estimate the % of the square that’s covered with each vegetation type

5. use a plant identification card to help you identify the different types of plants

6. repeat measurements and calculate the average + record results

4 ways of measuring longshore drift

1. measuring sediment size changes along a beach

2. tracking movement of pebbles

3. measuring build of sand next to groynes

4. use a float in water tied to a rope

measuring sediment size changes along a beach

smaller, rounder pebbles are usually found further inland bc they have experienced more attrition and there is sequential deposition

1. at equal distances along the beech, select 10 pebbles at random

2. measure the length of the longest side using callipers

3. compare the pebble with the powers roundness chart

4. record results

5. go to the next site, repeat measurements

tracking the movement of pebbles

1. paint 50 pebbles, note where you leave them

2. wait a period of time (e.g. a week)

3. locate the pebbles and measure how far they have moved and the direction in which they have moved

measuring build up of sand next to groynes

1. measure the height from beach to the top of the groyne on both sides of the groyne

2. calculate the difference in height between the 2 sides to show the build up of sediment trapped

3. repeat the measurement 3 times at different locations along the groyne

4. repeat the measurement on every groyne

use a float in water (tied to a rope)

1. throw the float into the sea

2. measure the distance it moves along the coast and how long it takes (stopwatch)

make sure… when using a hand held anemometer

make sure to hold it at shoulder height, away from the body, and facing the wind

other ways to measure wind direction

• wind sock

• ribbon attached to a pole

advantages/disadvantages of digital instruments

• saves time

• more accurate

• reduce possibility of human error

• more precise (more d.p.s)

• can send data to computers remotely

• more expensive

• batteries could run out in the field

• remote areas may have no signal available, so technology requiring a signal (e.g. GPS, iPad) can fail

techniques to collect data in human geography

1. land use survey

2. pedestrian + traffic counts

3. bipolar environmental quality surveys (EQs)

4. noise survey

5. questionnaires

land use survey

• records the size of buildings and what each building is used for

• used to find location of CBD, settlement functions, position in settlement hierarchy, types of shops/services

1. walk along a transect across the settlement (e.g. follow a main road)

2. mark the land use of the ground floor of the building on a blank map

3. classify at different land uses into categories (e.g. retail, residential, industry, or high order/low order)

4. repeat this on a different road to compare land use in different parts of the settlement

for the CBD, count the number of floors in the buildings

pedestrian + traffic count

• small groups of 2-3 students stand at different locations around town

• don’t block the pavement

• decide beforehand the exact start + finsih time

• all groups complete the survey at the same time

• synchronise watches to make sure all groups start + finish the count at the same time

• use a stopwatch or timer on the phone to time 10 minutes accurately

• accurately count the number of pedestrians that pass in both directions or the different types of traffic that pass in both directions

• design a data recording sheet and record the count using the tally method

3 ways to improve reliability of pedestrian/traffic count data

1. having more sample sites

2. taking the count at different times of the day

3. taking the count on different days of the week, cinluding weekdays and weekends

bipolar environmental quality survey (EQs)

• for students to grade how attractive the environment is, in terms of levels of pollution, building quality, amount of vegetation, etc

• scored from 1-5, 1 = negative chracteristic, 5 = positive characteristic

problem with bipolar environmental quality survey

subjective bc the researcher selects the value, so the results aren’t always accurate

it’s best to have a few students complete the survey then take an average of the scores, or standardise the survey in a pilot survey

noise survey

use an app on phone to measure the noise for one minute, making sure that the students don’t make any noise during this time

make a note of the highest level of noise in decibels

questionnaire

ask a sample number of people their opinions, using a prepared set of questions

most questions should be closed bc the data will be easier to analyse by constructing graphs

age ranges shouldn’t overlap

ethical data collection for questionnaires

• introduce yourself politely

• explain the reason for the questionnaire

• accept that some people don’t want to take part in the survey

• only 2 students (one to ask, one to record answers), don’t crowd the person

• people can stop answering questions at any point

• there are no names on the survey → answers are confidential

• don’t ask personal questions

• thank them at the end for their time

problems with questionnaires

• questions need to be closed, or it’s difficult to analyse data

• people may misunderstand questions → inaccurate data

• questions musn’t be too personal

• need to ask a lot of people to get a reliable sample

• sample could be biased, elderly people are often more willing to answer, so they are over represented in the sample

• may get different results at different times of the day/week

health + safety considerations, how to manage field work risks

• check weather forecast and prepare for the weather (e.g. wet + cold need warm jumper, hats, gloves, waterproof jacket, hot weather needs sun hats, sun glasses, sunblock, bottle of water)

• have appropriate footwear (e.g. boots w/ ankle support)

• carry insect repellent

• carry all medicines (e.g. inhaler) if needed, notify teacher of medical conditions

• carry a first aid kit

• stay in groups and don’t collect data alone

• have a map to avoid getting lost

• only do questionnaires in groups and at safe locations in public view

• have teacher contact numbers and carry mobile phones

• for coasts: be aware of high tide timing by checking the tide timetables

• for rivers: be aware if there’s a chance of flooding

• countryside: don’t approach wild animals (e.g. ponies, cattle)

what to say when asked if a hypothesis has been proven

• support/doesn’t support

• 2 sets of paired data

• anomalies