Conducting geographic research (internal)
Internal 5 credits Research question Aims Data collection Presentation Evaluation & validityAS 91244, 5 credits — the largest internal at this level. SEVEN named components, including one easy to under-evidence: an EVALUATION of the research process's strengths/weaknesses and how they affect the VALIDITY of the findings — distinct from simply naming limitations. Excellence uniquely asks HOW the process could be IMPROVED.
1 Reading the notation
Seven components — the evaluation-and-validity one, and the Excellence-only improvement discussion, are the two most under-evidenced.📖 Terms the schedule grades you on
5 terms- Conduct research (Achieved)
- Aim, plan, collect, present (correct conventions), explain findings with concepts, conclude, EVALUATE strengths/weaknesses and validity impact.
- In-depth (Merit)
- Accurate presentation; detailed findings/conclusion; detailed evaluation of validity impact on findings AND conclusions.
- Comprehensive (Excellence)
- Accurate+effective presentation with terminology; full explanations; DISCUSS ways to IMPROVE the process.
- With guidance
- Supported to identify aims and methods — student still executes the research.
- Data collection (note 4)
- A COMBINATION of: observing, measuring, précis sketching, photographing, surveying, questionnaires, interviewing, secondary sources.
2 A geographic question, and aims
A spatial dimension, and aims mapped one-to-one onto methods.What each stage must show
- A question with a genuine spatial dimension.
- Three or four aims, each mapped to a method.
- A justified method, including the sampling approach.
3 Collecting a combination of data
The standard names a specific, combined set of primary methods — not any one method alone. ✕Relying on one method only
A questionnaire alone, however well designed, does not fully evidence note 4's "combination" requirement. Pair it with at least one other named method — observing, measuring, or a secondary source — so the data collection component is genuinely combined.4 Presentation, findings, and the conclusion
Procedural marks are the ones most often lost under time pressure.What every figure needs
- Title, key, labelled axes with units.
- North arrow for maps, and the data source.
- A combination of spatial, statistical AND/OR visual presentation.
5 Evaluation, validity, and improvement
Naming a weakness is not the same as evaluating its effect on validity — and Excellence adds a forward-looking improvement.| Grade | Evaluation requirement |
|---|---|
| Achieved | Describe strengths/weaknesses AND how they affect validity |
| Merit | DETAILED explanation, extended to impact on CONCLUSIONS too |
| Excellence | FULL explanation, PLUS discuss specific ways to improve the process |
Practice
Recall it first, then use it — testing yourself builds the memory, where rereading the notes above only feels easier.
Recall and application shuffled together — you have to work out what each item wants before you can answer it, which is the part the exam actually tests. Both kinds feed the same spacing schedule, so anything you miss comes back sooner.
Say the answer out loud before flipping — that attempt is where the learning happens, even when you get it wrong.
Exam-style only. Instant feedback, shuffled each attempt, best score saved on this device.