Stage Three Flashcards
(39 cards)
What is stage 3?
Collect and record data appropriate to the geographical question or hypothesis
What needs to be considered when using a questionnaire?
- Question type
- Appropriate/ inappropriate questions
- Order and layout
- How to conduct a questionnaire
- Sample size and type
- Limitations of questionnaires
What is primary data?
New data which has not been previously collected or analysed, e.g. The students fieldwork data
How can primary data be collected through fieldwork?
- Observation - field sketches, photographs, classification (e.g. Recording land uses), quantifying observations (eg judging pebble roundness)
- Measurements - using standard instruments, e.g. Ranging poles, quadrats, metre rules, clinometers, flow metres, thermometers, tape measures, compasses, callipers
Advantages of primary data?
- Exact location is known
- Sample strategy and number is known, making reliability easier to assess
- Exact conditions during data collection known so able to assess impact on accuracy
- Equipment and level of expertise known so accuracy is easier to assess
Disadvantages of primary data?
- Data is often collected on one day meaning data is affected by conditions on that day.
- Possible inaccuracy and unreliability due to lack of expertise.
What should a good plan include?
- Equipment list to show how p data was collected
- Justification of data collection
- Include well designed recording sheets
What is secondary data?
Comes from published sources which have been processed or analysed, e.g. Textbooks, articles, published maps, charts and diagrams
Advantages of secondary data?
- Official data would have been collected using sophisticated instruments and by experienced researchers so should be accurate
- Data may have been collected for longer so more reliable and used to analyse changes over time
- Data may have been collected over a wider area so more reliable/ generalisable
Disadvantages of secondary data?
- Accuracy is not known
- Exact site of collection may not be known
- Site where data was collected may be different from where primary data was collected and therefore should not be used for direct comparison
- Reliability of data collection methods is not known if details of sampling technique is not included in the publication
What are historical photos useful for?
Useful for comparing with up to data photographs in order to analyse change over time
What is census data useful for?
Taken every 10 years and collects data on population, occupation, education level, religion. Data is available at different scales. Boundaries remain the same so changes can be shown
What is geodemographic data?
Developed by ACORN and based on postcodes. Every one of 175m postcodes has been categorised to show socioeconomic info, she health care, crime levels, employment
What are qualitative methods?
- Participant observation
- Interviewing
- Focus groups
What are participant observations?
Most widely used qualitative research method. Involves spending time with communities and observing them. Researcher doesn’t achieve data as such rather a set of field notes, diary entries, photos and some simple tallies of observations.
What is interviewing?
Qualitative interviews often take the form of conversations, fairly casual and as a result the interviewee may reveal more info that they would in a formal survey.
Not structures. Researcher must go into the interview with a set of questions they want answers and try to steer the conversation in a way to cover them.
What are focus groups?
Generates in depth discussion between a small group of subjects. The role of the researcher can range from full interaction in the discussion to simply observing and promoting when necessary.
Often used for researching issues where there are conflicting issues
Advantages of observations?
- Researcher gains trust of those studied so hidden info is revealed.
- By participating researchers discover everyday info that may be seen initially but turn out to be vital
What are disadvantages of participant observations?
- Time consuming
- Ethical considerations
- May be difficult to gain initial access to a private community
Advantages of interviewing?
- People orientated and sensitive approach
2. Flexible approach that can be adapted easily according to subject and interviewee
Disadvantages of interviews?
- Easy for researchers to get led away from the aim of their study
- Difficult as it requires confidence and social skills
Advantages of focus groups?
- Useful follow up method, to further issues raised in interviews and observations
Disadvantages of focus groups?
- Can be difficult to agree
2. Down people in the group may be more forceful and confident with their view so it becomes more prominent
Advantages of 1:50,000 maps
- Can be used to identify landmarks
- Can be used to describe rural settlement patterns
- Can be used for travel directions
