Geography Paper 4 Essential Info

Question 1

Primary data

Answer 1

Observations/measurements that you have collected yourself

Question 1

Examples of primary data

Answer 1

-Tallies
-Questionnaires
-Measurements
-Photographs

Question 2

Advantages of primary data

Answer 2

-Specific to your investigation
-Up to date

Question 3

Disadvantages of primary data

Answer 3

-Time to set up and trial
-Need training - interview
-Confidentiality
-Success rate(questionnaire)

Question 4

Secondary data

Answer 4

Information from sources that have already been collected

Question 5

Examples of secondary data

Answer 5

-Historical data
-Environmental agency

Question 6

Advantages of secondary data

Answer 6

-Cheap
-Not time consuming

Question 7

Disadvantages

Answer 7

-Outdated(perhaps)
-Irrelevant
-Getting access to data
-Trustworthy?

Question 8

Factors you should consider when choosing fieldwork sites

Answer 8

-Accessibility
-Distance between sites(should be equal and sites should be spread out)
-Safety
-Hazards
-Weather conditions
-Away from human impacts(sometimes)

Question 9

General risks for case studies

Answer 9

-Getting lost
-Accessibility problems
-Illness
-Weather changes
-Temperature
-Traffic
-Crime
-Tide
-Time of day

Question 10

Pilot study

Answer 10

a fieldwork study done before the main study(a practice(small-scale version)

Question 11

Benefits of pilot studies

Answer 11

-Helps see if full case study is safe and accessible
-Helps find additional costs and resources required
-Helps familiarise you with the methods
-Helps avoid mistakes in real fieldwork
-Helps students to be more confident in real study
-Helps test fieldwork equipment

Question 12

Systematic sampling

Answer 12

observations taken at regular intervals

Question 13

Random sampling

Answer 13

observations taken randomly(everyone has equal chance of being selected)

Question 14

Stratified sampling

Answer 14

dividing sampling into groups

Question 15

Transect

Answer 15

straight line that cuts through a natural landscape so observations and measurements can be made

Question 16

Pros of systematic sampling

Answer 16

-Easy to set up
-Easier to cover whole study area/sample
-Quick method
-Avoids bias

Question 17

Cons of systematic sampling

Answer 17

-May be difficult to get to a particular site
-More biased(?)

Question 18

Pros of stratified sampling

Answer 18

-Generates results which are more representative of the whole population
-Very flexible in its applicability
-Correlations and comparisons(between groups) can be made more easily
-Can be used with random or systematic sampling

Question 19

Cons of stratified sampling

Answer 19

-Must define groups first
-Success depends on if you collect enough data for each group
-Bias within each group

Question 20

Pros of random sampling

Answer 20

-Can be used with large sample populations
-Avoids bias
-Quick method

Question 21

Cons of random sampling

Answer 21

-Depends on who you can stop or where places are located
-Hard to represent the whole area

Question 22

Quantitative data

Answer 22

Data counting amount of fixed responses or taking specific measurements

Question 23

Examples of quantitative data

Answer 23

-Age
-Velocity of water in a river

Question 24

Pros of quantitative data

Answer 24

-Large samples can be generalised
-Quick collection of data

Question 25

Cons of quantitative data

Answer 25

-Generalising data hides interesting anomalies
-Hard to represent the whole area

Question 26

Examples of qualitative data

Answer 26

-Interviews
-Field sketches
-Photographs

Question 27

Pros of qualitative data

Answer 27

-Opinions collected and valued
-Allows respondents to answer questions like “why?” and “how?”

Question 28

Cons of qualitative data

Answer 28

Very time consuming to analyse and group data(especially with interviews)

Question 29

General safety precautions(during fieldwork)

Answer 29

-Staying in designated area
-Arranging meeting points
-Telling a teacher or adult where you are going
-Working in groups or pairs
-Avoiding slippery surfaces
-Wearing sensible shoes/gear(in general)