Paper 3: Unfamiliar Fieldwork

Unfamiliar fieldwork = 16 marks (questions between 1 and 4 marks)

Familiar fieldwork = 23 marks (including one 6 marker and one 9+3 SPaG marker)

Unfamiliar fieldwork

The stages of fieldwork enquires

  1. Developing an enquiry question or hypothesis
  2. Data collection
  3. Data presentation
  4. Data analysis
  5. Conclusion and evaluation

Developing an enquiry question or hypothesis

  • Choose either a key question to answer or a hypothesis to prove or disprove
  • Must be closely matched to the topic
  • Example exam question: Justify the choice of your human or physical question/hypothesis (4 marks)

Types of data

Quantitative data:

  • Statistical data that is numerical and can be presented in table and graphs
  • It’s measurable and easy to put in categories or in rank order
  • E.g. river channel measurements, pebble size analysis, traffic counts, land use surveys

Qualitative data:

  • Data in words and is detailed
  • Helps to provide context
  • Time consuming to collect
  • E.g. environmental quality index, photographs, images and sketches, quality of life surveys, likert survey

Primary data:

  • Collected by you
  • Time consuming but you collect the data you need
  • Reliable

Secondary data:

  • Information that has been collected by someone else for another purpose
  • Often used to back up our own collected data
  • Already exists and is available
  • E.g. censuses, old diaries, books, newspapers
  • Issues: could be out of date, bias, overwhelming as there’s so much of it

Sampling methods

  • A sample is a survey of a small number of sites or people to gain an understanding of the characteristics of a larger area
  • The sites need to be representative of the area as a whole so you can make generalisation after collecting the data
  • Example question 1: Suggest why systematic sampling would be useful here (then an image of a map) (2 marks)
    • Example answer 1: Systematic sampling could offer a good coverage of the area and it could be organised in the classrooms beforehand
  • Example question 2: Suggest a limitation to using this method (2 marks)
    • Example answer 2: physical features, such as a river, may get in the way which would effect how representative the data was of the area

Random sampling

  • The sites where data is going to be collected are selected at random (e.g. closing eyes and pointing to places on a map)
  • Advantages: can be used for large samples/sample areas, avoids any bias, easy to carry out the same fieldwork again
  • Disadvantages: data will not be evenly distributed, there could be gaps in the data or areas missed, some selected sites may be difficult to access

Systematic sampling

  • The sample is agreed upon using a specific rule when out in the field (e.g. every 2 metres, surveying every 10th shop)
  • Advantages:
    • data is evenly distributed across an area
    • its more straightforward than other sampling types
    • it ensures a good coverage of the study area
  • Disadvantages:
    • bias results because different areas do not have an equal chance of being selected
    • may be difficult to carry out when actually collecting the data (e.g. access issues at one location)
    • may not be representative of the area as a whole

Stratified sampling

  • A sampling frame made up of subsets is used to choose sites. It needs to be representative and proportional to the total area (e.g. choosing 3 sites from each section of the coastline)
  • Advantages:
    • A good coverage of data in the area so the results are more representation
    • it can be used with other sampling techniques
    • its easy to compare subsets
  • Disadvantages:
    • the area must be researched before data collection in order to choose the sampling subsets
    • bias can be introduced

Data collection

  • Selecting, measuring and recording data appropriate to the chosen enquiry
  • You need to collect the primary data needed to answer your enquiry question
  • You must use a range of appropriate methodologies and be able to appreciate the usefulness and limitations of them
  • You need to be able to support your own data with secondary sources
  • Example question 1: Justify one data collection method used for your human or physical fieldwork (4 marks)

Environmental quality index (EQI)

  • They use opposite adjectives/descriptions to asses the quality of the environment
    • The beach is easy to access 1 2 3 4 5 the beach is difficult to access
    • The beach is safe 1 2 3 4 5 the beach is dangerous
  • In an exam you may be asked to give 2 more statements for an EQI or the limitations of an EQI
  • Biggest limitation: so open to opinion and is very subjective so results are less accurate

Likert survey

  • These asses the strength of response to an issue.
  • They can be used to see whether a different groups of people hold similar or different opinions.
  • Useful in fieldworks that investigates opinions
  • Possible answer choices: Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree etc
  • They collect a lot of opinions/data quickly but you don’t now why someone has that opinion due to the closed nature of the survey
  • In an exam: you could be given a physical geography scenarios (e.g. measuring river depths at intervals across a river).
  • Some possible questions could be:
    • what are the risks involved here?
    • What are the factors that could affect accuracy?
  • Ways to improve accuracy: make sure the tape measure is pulled tight

Data presentation

  • You need to choose a range of graphical techniques to display the data you have collected
  • You need to be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these different techniques
  • Data should be as clear as possible
  • Possible questions:
    • describe and explain your choice of data presentation methods
    • about accurate use of presentation methods
    • how did you adapt presentation methods to suit your enquiry
    • Explain how one data interpretation technique, using your human geography enquiry, helped you interpret your data (6 marks)

Bar graphs

  • Bar graphs show the values of different categories of data as rectangular bars with different lengths
  • Bars should be equal width with gaps between to show that the data is discreet (it can be categorised)
  • Advantages:
    • Very quick and easy to draw
    • The different heights of the bars make them easy to understand and to make comparisons from
  • Disadvantages:
    • Can be difficult to read accurately (especially if the scale is large)
    • Data can be over-simplified
    • Can only be used for discreet data (can’t be used for data that shows a change over time)

Line graphs

  • Used to show continuous data and are useful for showing trends over time (e.g. population growth, recycling rates over time)
  • Advantages:
    • Quick and easy to plot
    • Simple to read
    • Multiple sets of data can be shown using different coloured lines (easy to compare)
  • Disadvantages:
    • Often used incorrectly when a bar chart would have been more appropriate
    • Can only be used for continuous sets of data

Pie charts

  • Used to display segments of data according to the % share of the total value of data
  • Percentages are converted into degrees to plot them
  • Advantages:
    • They are visually effective as it is easy to compare relative proportions of each segment
  • Disadvantages:
    • Can over emphasise large values and therefore smaller values are not clear
    • Hard to read if theres too many categories
    • Need calculations to plot them in the first place as they are only suitable for percentages

Histograms

  • Look similar to bar charts but they use a continuous scale along the x axis e.g. time
  • There shouldn’t be any gaps between the bars
  • Advantages:
    • You can accurately plot large data sets
    • simple to plot, read and understand
    • Shows change over time
  • Disadvantages:
    • Can only be used for continuous data
    • Are often used instead of bar charts when they shouldn't be

Scatter graphs

  • allows you to see 2 sets of information at the same time (one is plotted on the x-axis, one is plotted on the y-axis)
  • The relationship between the two sets of data is called a correlation (it can be positive or negative)
  • Advantages:
    • You can compare two sets of data to investigate relationships
  • Disadvantages:
    • The line of best fit can be hard to plot, especially if theres anomalies

Compound line graphs (frequently come up)

  • show layers of data and are calculated by reading off the values between the adjacent lines
  • The different layers are coloured to make them easier to compare
  • Advantages:
    • easy to see which value takes up the biggest share or has changed the most over time
  • Disadvantages:
    • Not easy to read accurately
    • Quite difficult to plot as you are not starting at 0 on the x-axis

Radar graphs

  • Can display different sets of data that are using the same focal point (e.g. for an EQI)
  • Sometimes known as star graphs
  • Advantages:
    • lots of data can be shown on one graph
    • easy to compare multiple sets of data and individual variables
  • Disadvantages:
    • Can be difficult to draw the axis and scale
    • Hard to spot anomalies

Pictograms

  • represent data using symbols that are relevant to the data e.g. a drop of water to show access to clean water
  • They are one of the simplest ways to show data
  • Advantages:
    • Visually effective way of representing data
    • easy to read and compare
  • Disadvantages:
    • The images can be confusing if not carefully selected
    • It can be hard to get the scale right

Data analysis

  • Your interpretation of the data
  • You need to describe what you see and explain what you have learnt in relation to your enquiry question or hypothesis
  • Talk about trends, examples, anomalies, links between data sets
  • Example exam question: assess the importance of establishing links between data sets interpreting your physical geography fieldwork data (3 marks)

Conclusion

  • Where you answer your overall enquiry question or agree/disagree with your hypothesis
  • You need topresent evidence to back up your decision and make sure you don’t contradict your findings

Evaluation

  • What went well/what could be developed further if you repeated the enquiry
  • Consider the validity reliability of the data
  • In the exam you’ll be expected to draw evidence and conclusions in relation to the original aims of the enquiry, limitations of data collected, identify problems with your data collection methods, suggest other data which might be used and say to what extent are your conclusions reliable
  • Example exam question: for one of your geographical enquiries, to what extent did your results enable you to draw reliable conclusions in relation to the aims of you enquiry. (9 marks + 3 SPaG)

Top tips to remember

  • Know the names of your two investigations and be able to write enough to give your examiner a clear idea of what your investigations were about
  • If an answer requires one example, only write about one. Think about a range of possibilities and then choose the one that best suits the question/the one you can write well about.
  • Make sure you know the difference between data collection and data presentation.
  • If you’re asked to justify something, you must give reasons for choosing it, not just describing what you did.
  • The 9 mark question is likely to ask you about the reliability of your conclusions. Think carefully about what you did during the enquiry.
  • How could you improve your methods? What impact would this have on your results? How would this make your conclusion more reliable?