Clarification details
Updated December 2016. This document has been updated to include guidance with the explanation of the research findings.
The research process and degree of guidance that should be given
The emphasis of this standard is on the research process, with a focus on primary data collected from the field. The main components of the process are outlined in Explanatory Note (EN) 2.
EN3 and the Conditions of Assessment clearly indicate that guidance should be provided with topic selection, the identification of aim(s), and appropriate fieldwork procedures. This will ensure that students use a topic that has a spatial component and it allows for sufficient primary data to be collected from the field using a combination of methods.
Components of the research process
Students need to provide evidence for each component of a geographic research with their final report. Evidence of planning and the collected data could be attached to the final research report as an appendix.
The step-up with data presentation is determined by both the accuracy and effectiveness of the presentation. For the presentation to be considered effective, data may be grouped or integrated, e.g. statistical maps combining both spatial and statistical data.
When explaining the research findings, students should demonstrate understanding of their evidence through accounting for it (how and/or why), and making its significance to the overall research clear. The findings need to incorporate relevant geographic concepts and supporting evidence from the collected and presented data.
The evaluation needs to focus on the research process, showing explicit links between strengths and weaknesses and the validity of the findings and/or conclusions. To reach Excellence, the evaluation is extended to include methods of improving the research process. This could be approached through an explanation of different data collection methods that would improve the overall validity of the research results.