Clarification details
Updated June 2025. This document has been updated to reflect the changes in Version 4 of the standard. Presented data now includes the need for terminology and extends the range of guidance or support that can be given.
The research process and degree of guidance and support that can be provided
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 2.
Explanatory Note 3 clearly indicates that guidance should be provided on topic selection, the identification of aim(s), appropriate fieldwork procedures, presentation of findings and evaluation of the research process. The aim of the guidance is to ensure that students use a topic that has a spatial component and allows for sufficient primary data to be collected from the field.
Components of the research process
Students need to provide evidence for each component of a geographic research process with their final report. Evidence of planning and the collected data could be attached to the final research report as an appendix.
Correct geographic conventions and terminology are required with the presentation of data. 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 geographic concepts directly related to the research, 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 should be 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.