Reflect on Your Fieldwork
The enquiry does not end at the conclusion. Learn to look back critically at your data and methods, judge how much to trust your results, and say how you would improve them.
Use it, the way the marks are given
Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
The enquiry is not over yet
Reaching a conclusion is not the end of a geographical enquiry. The last stage is to reflect: to look back critically at how good your data and methods were, and how much you can trust your results. This module is about evaluating an enquiry and suggesting how to improve it.
Reliability words
Four ideas run through this topic:
What is reflection?
What does the reflection stage of an enquiry involve?
- Critically evaluating the data, methods and conclusion
- Collecting more raw data
- Writing the first enquiry question
- Nothing, once you have a conclusion
Reliability and accuracy
These two words are often muddled, but they mean different things.
Fix the weakness
- Only a small sample was taken
- Data was collected on one day only
- Readings may contain human error
- Only easy-to-reach spots were used
- Measure at more sites to be more reliable
- Repeat on several days and average
- Repeat each reading and take a mean
- Sample a full range of locations
Strong or weak?
A strong reflection is specific: it names a real limitation, suggests a targeted improvement, and says how it affects your confidence in the conclusion. A weak reflection is vague, such as saying the fieldwork went well or that you would simply do more next time. The skill is to evaluate, not just to describe.
Boost the reliability
Which THREE would improve the reliability of fieldwork data?
- Repeat each reading and take a mean
- Sample at more sites
- Collect data on more than one day
- Round the numbers up to look neat
- Measure each thing only once
Build the evaluation
Put the parts of a good evaluation in a sensible order.
- Restate what the conclusion was
- Judge how well the data supports it
- Identify the main limitations
- Suggest specific improvements
- State how confident you are overall
True or not?
Tap the TWO statements that show genuine reflection.
- The small sample size makes the conclusion less reliable.
- Repeating each reading and taking a mean would reduce human error.
- The fieldwork was fun and the weather was nice.
- I collected some data and then I went home.
- My results are perfect and cannot be improved.
Complete the idea
In reflection, _____ is whether repeating the enquiry gives the same result, while _____ is how close a reading is to the true value. A small _____ size is a common limitation. Reliability improves if you take _____ readings and find a mean. A good reflection is _____, not vague.
What is reliability?
What does it mean if fieldwork data is reliable?
- You would get the same result if you repeated the measurement
- It is impossible for it to ever be wrong
- It was collected as quickly as possible
- It was written up in neat handwriting
Reflection terms
- Reliability
- Accuracy
- An anomaly
- An improvement
- You would get the same result if you repeated it
- How close a reading is to the true value
- A result that does not fit the pattern
- A specific change that would make the data better
Improve the evaluation
A student has written a weak evaluation. Choose the best way to improve each part.
- They wrote that the fieldwork went well. How could this be stronger?
- They took one measurement at one site. What should they say about reliability?
- How should they improve the method next time?
Write it up
Reflect on a geographical fieldwork enquiry of your choice, evaluating your data, methods and conclusion.
- State the conclusion and how well the data supports it
- Identify two limitations of your data or methods
- Suggest a specific improvement for each limitation
- Judge how confident you are in your conclusion