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CIE IGCSE Geography Your notes

5.1 Fieldwork
Contents
5.1.1 Aims & Hypothesis
5.1.2 Data Collection
5.1.3 Data Presentation
5.1.4 Analysis & Conclusions

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5.1.1 Aims & Hypothesis

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Aims & Hypothesis
Aims/Hypothesis
Fieldwork is based around an enquiry into a 'real life' issue
This is linked to the content in the specification and then related to a place-specific context
All fieldwork begins with the aims and hypothesis
The aim explains what the enquiry is attempting to achieve
An investigation into changes in beach profiles along Mappleton Beach
An investigation into the impact of building a wind farm in rural Lincolnshire
The hypothesis needs to be clear, directional and measurable, it is a statement which can be tested
River discharge increases with distance from the source of the River Dove
Environmental quality increases with distance from the new housing estate in Swanland, East
Yorkshire
Aims and hypothesis may be based on what is already known about the topic. For example, Bradshaw's
model in rivers

Exam Tip
When answering Hypotheses questions that ask whether you agree or not, always give your opinion at
the start of your answer before any supporting evidence. This will usually be Yes, No or Partially True
/True to some extent.
Do not just copy out the Hypothesis if you agree with it. It is important to make a decision and state it
as well as provide the evidence for your choice. Be clear in your decision –expressions such as ‘might
be true’, ‘could be false’, ‘true and false’ are too vague.

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5.1.2 Data Collection

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Data Collection
Health and safety in the field
Carry out a risk assessment on the area you have chosen
Identify any hazards and ways they can be dealt with
Dress appropriately to keep warm and dry. If sun is forecast, bring and wear sun screen and a hat
Contact details - always have a contact/meeting point, an emergency contact number and your
school's telephone number
Check weather forecast for the area
Make sure all mobile phones are fully charged with emergency numbers already uploaded and on
speed dial if possible
Have designated rendezvous points and emergency contacts
River work
Do not push people or otherwise mess about in water
Take extreme care near river banks, especially where the ground is steep or wet
Wear suitable footwear at all times
Do not swim in the water
Coastal fieldwork
Check high and low tide times
Use dedicated footpaths to access the beach
Don’t climb on groynes or sea defence structures
Do not handle beach litter, wear gloves when picking up pebbles
Stay at least one metre away from the tide line and keep an eye on the waves
Do not enter the sea under any circumstances
Stay in pairs/threes and in visual contact with a member of staff at all times
Town centre
Ensure that you have the contact numbers for staff and that they have your mobile phone number
too
Ensure your mobile phone is charged and in credit
Use the map in your pack to familiarise yourself with the area
Stay with your group at all times – no one should be on their own at any time
Keep valuables concealed – digital cameras are brought at your own risk
Only question people you are comfortable talking to and who are happy to help you
Avoid asking the same person as another group working in the same area
Use the pedestrian crossing where possible
Equipment
Check all equipment is working and that you have enough for each student/group and some
spares

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Make sure you know how to use specific equipment and/or any recording sheets provided
Ensure you practice using the equipment in a safe environment before taking it out in the field
Where laptops and smartphones are to be used and internet access is needed, check out that this Your notes
is possible
If apps are to be used, make sure these are downloaded onto each piece of equipment
Data collection
Data collected by the student within their fieldwork is primary data.
Examples of primary data can include:
Questionnaire data
River data - width, depth etc...
Video/audio recordings
Photographs
Interview information
Data collected by someone else but used by the student in their enquiry is secondary data
Examples of secondary data can include:
Census results
Weather data
Old photographs
Maps
Newspaper articles
Websites

Strengths Limitations
Know that the data is reliable and
valid
Time-consuming
The data is specific to the enquiry
May need specialist
As much data as needed can be
Primary Data equipment/resources
collected
The sample size needs to be large to be
The method of the collection is
accurate
known
It is up to date
Easy to access
It is not specific to the enquiry
Low cost or free
No control over the data quality
Secondary Data Can be accessed quickly
Data may be biased
A large amount of data sources are
Data may be out of date
available

Data which records quantities is quantitative data

Examples of quantitative data are:
Numerical data collected in questionnaires

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Traffic counts
Environmental quality surveys
River data - velocity, discharge Your notes
Weather data
Data which records descriptive information is qualitative data
Examples of qualitative data:
Field sketches and photographs
Non-numeric questionnaire data
Interview answers
Questionnaires and interviews
When collecting data via questionnaires or interviews a number of questioning types can be used:
Closed questions where answers are limited to single words, numbers or a list of options
Statements which use a scale to gauge people's views. For example, strongly agree/agree
Open questions where the respondent can give any answer
Questionnaires can be used to gather a large sample of data
Interviews are more in-depth and tend to be used to gather a smaller data sample
Environmental quality surveys
These are used to collect data about the environmental quality of different sites
They use the judgement of the person conducting the survey to assess environmental quality against a
range of indicators
Using a sliding scale (1 -5) or bipolar scale (-3 to 3)
Usually, the lower the score the more negative the assessment of the environmental quality
They are subjective because they are based on the opinion of the person completing them
This can be reduced by:
Completing in small groups to reach a consensus regarding the score
Using the mode of EQS completed by a number of students
They produce quantitative data

Strengths Limitations

Possible to have a larger sample size

Information can often be collected The meaning behind the results is not
quickly clear
Quantitative Data
Data collection can be duplicated Human error or equipment error can lead
More objective than qualitative data to mistakes in measurement
More reliable than qualitative data
Qualitative Data More in-depth than quantitative Often a small sample size
data Enquiries are not easy to duplicate
More valid than quantitative data Difficult to make comparisons

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Low reliability
Time-consuming
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5.1.3 Data Presentation

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Data Presentation
Data presentation
There are different types of data
Quantitative and qualitative
Continuous and discrete
There are many ways in which data can be presented
Graphs
Annotated photographs
Field sketches
Maps
Diagrams
The types of data presentation used will depend on the data collected
Graphical skills
Much of the data collected will be presented in the form of graphs of some form
Each type of graph is suitable for particular data sets
The graphs also may have advantages and disadvantages
Bar graphs
One of the simplest methods to display discrete data
Bar graphs are useful for:
Comparing classes or groups of data
Changes over time
Strengths Limitations

Summarises a large set of data Requires additional information

Easy to interpret and construct Does not show causes, effects or patterns

Shows trends clearly Can only be used with discrete data

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Your notes

Compound or divided bar chart

The bars are subdivided to show the information with all bars totalling 100%
The main use of a divided bar chart is to compare numeric values between levels of a variable such as
time

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Your notes

Population pyramid
A type of histogram
Used to show the age-sex of a population
Can be used to show the structure of an area/country
Patterns are easy to identify

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Your notes

Line graphs
One of the simplest ways to display continuous data
Both axes are numerical and continuous
Used to show changes over time or space
Strengths Limitations

Shows trends and patterns clearly Does not show causes or effects

Can be misleading if the scales on the axis are

Quicker and easier to construct than a bar graph
altered
If there are multiple lines on a graph it can be
Easy to interpret
confusing

Requires little written explanation

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A river cross-section is a particular form of line graph because it is not continuous data but the plots
can be joined to show the shape of the river channel
Your notes

Pie chart
Used to show proportions, the area of the circle segment represents the proportion
A pie chart can also be drawn as a proportional circle
Pie charts can be located on maps to show variations at different sample sites
Strengths Limitations

Clearly shows the proportion of the whole Do not show changes over time

Easy to compare different components Difficult to understand without clear labelling

Easy to label Hard to compare two sets of data

Information can be highlighted by separating Can only use for a small number of categories
segments otherwise lots of segments become confusing

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Your notes

Pie Chart Showing Energy Sources in an Area

Rose diagrams
Use multidirectional axes to plot data with bars
Compass points are used for the axis direction
Can be used for data such as wind direction, noise or light levels

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Your notes

Wind Direction Shown on a Rose Diagram

Triangular graphs
Have axes on three sides all of which go from 0-100
Used to display data which can be divided into three
The data must be in percentages
Can be used to plot data such as soil content, employment in economic activities

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Your notes

Scatter graph
Points should not be connected
The best fit line can be added to show the relations
Used to show the relationship between two variables
In a river study, they are used to show the relationship between different river characteristics such
as the relationship between the width and depth of the river channel

Strengths Limitations

Clearly shows data correlation Data points cannot be labeled

Shows the spread of data Too many data points can make it difficult to read

Can only show the relationship between two sets

Makes it easy to identify anomalies and outliers
of data

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Your notes

Exam Tip
In the exam, you will not be asked to draw an entire graph. However, it is common to be asked to
complete an unfinished graph using the data provided. You may also be asked to identify anomalous
results or to draw the best fit line on a scattergraph.
Take your time to ensure that you have marked the data on the graph accurately
Use the same style as the data which has already been put on the graph
Bars on a bar graph should be the same width
If the dots on a graph are connected by a line you should do the same

Choropleth map
Maps which are shaded according to a pre-arranged key
Each shade represents a range of values
It is common for one colour in different shades to be used
Can be used for a range of data such as annual precipitation, population density, income levels, etc...
Strengths Limitations

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The clear visual impression of the changes over Makes it seem as if there is an abrupt change in the
space boundary
Your notes

Shows a large amount of data Distinguishing between shades can be difficult

Groupings are flexible Variations within the value set are not visible

Proportional symbols map

The symbols on the map are drawn in proportion to the variable represented
Usually, a circle or square is used but it could be an image

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Can be used to show a range of data, for example, population, wind farms and electricity they
generate, traffic or pedestrian flows
Your notes
Strengths Limitations

Illustrates the differences between many places Not easy to calculate the actual value

Easy to read Time-consuming to construct

Positioning on a map may be difficult, particularly

Data is specific to particular locations
with larger symbols

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Your notes

Proportional Circles Map Showing GDP (Billion US$) across Europe

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Exam Tip
Your notes
In the exam, you may be asked why a particular graphical technique is appropriate. You should ensure
that you know the advantages and disadvantages of the different data presentation methods.

Photographs
Photographs can be taken to show different aspects of sample sites
These can be annotated as part of the fieldwork analysis
Strengths Limitations

An accurate record at the time Not all photographs are relevant

Can represent things more clearly than numerical Can be subjective and biased as student selects
data what is photographed
Photographs sometimes contain too much
Can be used to show data collection techniques
information
Can be used next to historical photographs to They are two dimensional so judging depth is
show changes over time difficult

Helps recall key features

Field sketches
Should include location/site number, title and compass direction
Includes the key features at a site
Strengths Limitations

Things can be left out of the sketch if they are not

The scale in the sketch may be inaccurate
relevant to the enquiry

Smaller important areas can be more detailed Important details may be missed

The sketch may contain inaccuracies which affect

Gives a broad overview of the features the analysis for example more litter than there
actually was at the site

Helps recall of key features

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Maps
An essential part of any fieldwork enquiry is to show the location of features and sample sites Your notes
Maps can also be used to show relevant features such as amenities around the sample sites
Strengths Limitations
Size and scale of features/site can be accurately
The map may be out of date
measured

Key to show features around the sample sites Maps cannot show changes over time

Allows distribution of features to be shown Bias may be introduced by highlighting certain

accurately features

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5.1.4 Analysis & Conclusions

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Analysis & Conclusion
Analysis
Once data has been collected and presented it needs to be analysed
Analysis is the process which makes sense of the data collected
It identifies patterns, trends, significance, connections and/or meaning in the data
Analysis involves a number of stages
Describe the data shown in the graphs/photographs/maps
Identification of the highest and lowest results
Identification of any patterns and trends
Identification of any relationships between data
Methods of analysis depend upon the data collected
Quantitative data is analysed using numerical and statistical methods
Numerical and statistical skills
Statistical methods can be used to help explore and explain the results gathered during data collection
Mean, median and mode
These are measures of central tendency
The mean (average) is calculated by adding up all of the values in the data set and then dividing by the
total number of values in the data set
The median is the middle value of a set of data. The numbers are arranged in rank order and then the
middle value selected
The mode is the value which occurs most frequently in a set of data
Range
A measure of dispersion - the spread of data around the average
Range is the distance between the highest and lowest value
Interquartile range is the part of the range that covers the middle 50% of the data
Anomalies
These are results which do not fit the pattern or trend
They need to be described and explained
Analysing photographs and field sketches
Annotation of photographs and field sketches is part of analysis
The use of photographs and field sketches is a qualitative analysis
Analysis in annotation gives meaning to the features shown in the photograph/field sketch

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Your notes

Conclusion
The fieldwork conclusion should:
Return to the hypothesis and aim
Identify any evidence that supports the hypothesis
Outline any evidence that contradicts the hypothesis
Describe and explain any links to geographical theories
Acknowledge any unusual results
State whether the hypothesis is supported or not
A key focus in the fieldwork questions in the exam is the evaluation of data collection

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Enquiry evaluation should:

Identify any problems with, and limitations of, data collection methods
Suggest other data which would have been useful in the study or improvements which could be Your notes
made
Evaluate how reliable the conclusions were
Suggesting how the scope of the study could be extended
Data collection - problems and limitations
There are always issues and limitations associated with data collection they may include:
Accessibility of sample sites - could all sample sites be accessed?
Size of sample - was the sample size large enough?
Duration of the data collection - was the enquiry time long enough to collect the data needed?
Methods - were the questions on questionnaires appropriate to meet the aim and test the
hypothesis?
Equipment - were there any issues with the equipment?
Human error - were there any mistakes in recording data or reading the equipment?
Time of the data collection - did the weather or time impact the results collected?
Unforeseen issues - were there any problems on the day such as road works, and river flow which
affected the results?
Other data and improvements
There are always improvements which could be made to data collection these may include:
Increasing the sample size
Taking more measurements
Looking at a wider range of secondary sources
Could other equipment have been used - a flow meter would be more accurate for measuring river
velocity than a float
Evaluating the conclusions
To evaluate the conclusion students should examine whether:
The conclusions reflect the aims and hypothesis set out at the start of the enquiry
The aim and hypothesis were appropriate - could the hypothesis be easily assessed
The location was appropriate
The accuracy of results could be improved if the data collection were to be repeated

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