Topic 6 fieldwork Flashcards
Human fieldwork location
Bournemouth:Boscombe East(Shelley Park) and Boscombe West(Churchill Gardens)
Primary data
Data collected yourself e,g, counting the number of cars per one point
Secondary data
Data someone else collected and you used e.g. maps
Quantitative data
Involves numerical data e.g. a bar chart
Qualitative data
E.g. a photograph, film, information that can’t be measured
Enquiry question(for human fieldwork)
How and why are there variations in quality of life for different areas within Bournemouth?
Secondary data we chose in this investigation?
Census data(2011 for Boscombe East and Boscombe West)
Why are Boscombe West and Boscombe East suitable for the enquiry question(human fieldwork)?
We chose this enquiry question as part of our human fieldwork investigation, because Boscombe West and Boscombe East are suitable sites for our study, as they’re geographically close(only a mile apart), but have very different levels of deprivation. This we onow through the census data
e.g. from 2011, Boscombe West is 336th most deprived, but Boscombe East is 22,482th most deprived
Furthermore, from the 2022 Office National Statistics,Boscombe East has health better than 84% of areas in England, while in Boscombe West the health is better than only 1% of areas in England.
Methods used to collect primary data(data collected yourself)
We used a quantitative test to measure EQS environmental quality
We used a qualitative test for a perception of how quality of life was different in Boscombe West and Boscombe East, with an annotated photo
Quantitative test measuring environmental quality
Systematic sampling - we measured on a main road in both areas and one N/S street and one E/W street in both Boscombe East and Boscombe West
We did 3 enquiries in Boscombe East and Boscombe West
We measured 7 different factors: noise, greenery and open space, conditions and housing, services
, safety if alone, litter, graffiti/vandalism, traffic
We measured using a bi-polar scale between -2(very bad) and +2(very good) and had a description of what a -2 and +2 would be
We added up all the scores for the factors and found an average EQS for both areas
Qualitative test -Perception of how quality of life was different in Boscombe East and Boscombe West
Systematic sampling - Before we went to each area we placed a dot
in the middle of the map of Boscombe East and Boscombe West
We then found the closest building/street to this dot and took a photo.
We annotated the diagram with factors like: house type, house density, house quality, green space, traffic, proximity to services, air quality as we thought these would show us how we perceived
Presentation techniques
Radar graph used to show EQS environmental Quality, with an average EQS
Annotated photo of Quality of Life in Boscombe West and Boscombe East
Conclusions(how and why are there variations in quality of life for different areas within Bournemouth)?
The primary data collected backs up the secondary data showing there’s a big gap in the quality of life between Boscombe East and
Boscombe West in Bournemouth. Our average EQS in Boscombe East was +1.5, compared to -0.15 in Boscombe West(between a possible min/max score of -2 to +2) showing the environment’s better in Boscombe East for 5 out of 7 factors measured.
Boscombe West scored worse for building quality, litter and vandalism and safety due to high density terraced housing and the areas High Multiple Occupancy Buildings that have historically been built there.Our qualitative photos showed the problems in building quality in Boscombe West with damage to brickwork and windows, no front gardens and no spaces to park cars,and this links in with poor health for people due to air/noise pollution, meaning low wealth. In contrast, Boscombe East have low density detached houses with excellent parks in the area and trees alongside the roadside meaning clean air. This meant, for noise, building condition, litter, greenery and safety Boscombe East scored the top score of +2.
Issues with EQS Environmental quality(quantitative method)
A -2 to +2 scale not accurate enough to measure how good/bad an area was
Subjective scores - based on own interpretation area, people have different views
Having zero as a middle score isn’t the best option
Alternatives to EQS environmental quality(quantitative method)
-5 to +5 for a scoring system
Could have used traffic count to get actual data instead of using traffic noise
Don’t have zero as a middle point
Could have used noise meter - more accurate than judging how noisy the area is
Issues with using annotated photos(qualitative method)
Only one photo taken - may not be representative of the area
Our backround affects how we judge and view the area
Alternatives to using annotated photos
Use people from different backrounds to undertake the same task
Complete questionnaires to find out about resident views, run-down areas may have an excellent community spirit
Could have done this on different days - as sometimes poor weather could damage buildings
Systematic sampling
Collecting data in an ordered or regular way, useful for where you measure changes frequently
Stratified sampling
Where you choose samplings from different groups to get a good overall representation e,g, useful for collecting people’s perceptions, include people of different age groups in your sample
Random sampling
Choosing samples at random e.g. the 10th person in a phone directory
Population density in Boscombe West(as of 2011)
99
Population density of Boscombe East(as of 2011)
50
Explain a positive feature of quantitative and qualitative methods
By measuring noise, safety, building maintenance and green space in both locations we ensured we measured social, economic and environmental factors in Boscombe East and Boscombe West, to accurately compare the two areas’ quality of life.
Examples of secondary data sources
Geology maps - for coastal changes and conflicts
Census data - For dynamic urban areas and changing rural areas
Disadvantages of chloropleth maps
Doesn’t show variation in deprivation
One colour for whole map- ignores changes
Can suggest abrupt changes between areas where actually changes are much more gradual
Alternatives to chloropleth maps
Isopleth/isoline/heat map
Could use GIS to incorporate additional information on population density
Evaluating the relative importance of primary and secondary data
Census data reveals significant information about economic and social variations within the inner city.
Consider the reliability(accuracy) of data.
Primary data collection at specific sites - much of the secondary data is areal
Positive features of qualitative method
Can provide a good reminder of what the place is like
More valid(answers original question, more relianle) than quantitative data
Positive features of quantitative method
More reliable(can be reproduced) than qualitative data
Information can often be collected quickly
Two sources of error in qualitative method
Systematic error(where we take data from)
Sampling error(not accurate proportion of area)
Two sources of error in quantitative method
Systematic error(where we take data from)
Sampling error(not an accurate proportion of area)
What do Atlas maps show?
Climate zones and global variations in precipitation and rainfall
Country boundaries(political maps)
Height and shape of the land(relief)
Population distribution
Different types of photographs
Ground photographs
Aerial photographs
Satellite images
Aerial photographs
Usually taken from an aeroplane. They cover a wider area than ground photographs so they’re useful in showing spatial patterns.
Satellite images
These are high-resolution photographs taken from satellites in space. They show a very wide area, but in less detail than close-up images.
Satellite images can also measure differences in energy radiated bydifferent surfaces, with true colour images showing us what the satellite sees
Types of maps
Satellite images and maps
Political maps
Relief maps
Population distribution maps
Maps showing the distribution of vehetation type
Climate zone maps
GIS maps
GIS maps are digital maps with information layers added to them, such as:
Area shading(to show patterns)
Overlain graphs(bar charts, pie charts and proportional symbols)
Photographs
Flow lines(movement between places)
Geology maps
Each different rock type is shown using a colour/number
Geological maps show major faults, cracks in the rock(as a solid black line) and thrusts(alternative dashes and dots)
What do relief maps show?
The height and shape of the land
Uses of large scale maps
They show a smaller area in more detail
Uses of small-scale maps
They show a larger area in less detail
Aerial photographs
Oblique aerial photograph
Vertical aerial photograph
Oblique aerial photographs
Show more of the area than a ground-level photo, and features are easier to identify than a vertical photo. But it’s hard to judge the scale for background features.
Vertical aerial photographs
These have a plan view, like maps, but details can be hard to identify
Sketch maps
Show where basic features are located
Have simple labels/annotations
Are often drawn from an aerial viewpoint
OS Map features
You’ll find information on:
Land use(settlements and farmland)
Vegetation(woods and parklands)
Communications(roads and railways)
Pictograms
Represent data using appropriate symbols that are drawn to scale. They present data in a very clear way, but detailed information can get lost
Chloripleth map advantages
Good for showing how something varies over a geographical area
Flow-line maps
Drawn so arrows show the direction of flows, and the thickness of the arrow is proportional to the size of the flow.
Flow-line maps are easy to understand and give a clear indication of movement, but maps can look complicated if lots of flows are going in the same direction
