Analysis & Conclusions (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

Analysis & Conclusion

Analysis

• Once data has been collected and presented, it needs to be analysed

• Analysis is the process that makes sense of the data collected

  • It identifies patterns, trends, significance, connections, and/or meaning in the data 

• The analysis of data involves several stages

  • Describe the data shown in the graphs/photographs/maps

  • Identification of the highest and lowest results

  • Identification of any patterns and trends

  • Identification of any relationships between data

• Methods of analysis depend upon the data collected

• Quantitative data is analysed using numerical and statistical methods

Numerical and statistical skills

• Statistical methods can be used to help explore and explain the results gathered during data collection

Mean, median and mode

• These are measures of central tendency

• The mean (average) is calculated by adding up all of the values in the data set and then dividing by the total number of values in the data set

• The median is the middle value of a set of data. The numbers are arranged in rank order and then the middle value is selected

• The mode is the value that occurs most frequently in a set of data

Range 

• A measure of dispersion—the spread of data around the average

• The range is the distance between the highest and lowest value

• The interquartile range is the part of the range that covers the middle 50% of the data

Anomalies

• These are results that do not fit the pattern or trend

• They need to be described and explained

Analysing photographs and field sketches

• Annotation of photographs and field sketches is part of the analysis 

• The use of photographs and field sketches is a qualitative analysis

• Analysis in annotation gives meaning to the features shown in the photograph/field sketch

Conclusion

• The fieldwork conclusion should:

  • return to the hypothesis and aim

  • identify any evidence that supports the hypothesis 

  • outline any evidence that contradicts the hypothesis

  • describe and explain any links to geographical theories

  • acknowledge any unusual results

  • state whether the hypothesis is supported or not

• A key focus in the fieldwork questions in the exam is the evaluation of data collection

• Enquiry evaluation should:

  • identify any problems with, or limitations of, data collection methods

  • suggest other data that would have been useful in the study or improvements that could be made

  • evaluate how reliable the conclusions were

  • suggesting how the scope of the study could be extended

Data collection - problems and limitations

• There are always issues and limitations associated with data collection; they may include:

  • Accessibility of sample sites—could all sample sites be accessed?

  • Sample size: Was the sample size large enough?

  • Duration of the data collection—was the enquiry time long enough to collect the data needed?

  • Methods: Were the questionnaire questions appropriate to meet the aim and test the hypothesis?

  • Were there any issues with the equipment?

  • Was there any human error in the process of recording data or reading the equipment?

  • Time of the data collection—did the weather or time impact the results collected?

  • Unforeseen issues—were there any problems on the day, such as road works and river flow, that affected the results?

Other data and improvements

• There are always improvements that could be made to data collection; these may include:

  • increasing the sample size

  • taking more measurements 

  • looking at a wider range of secondary sources

  • using other equipment—a flow meter would be more accurate for measuring river velocity than a float

Evaluating the conclusions

• To evaluate the conclusion, students should examine whether the

  • conclusions reflect the aims and hypothesis set out at the start of the enquiry

  • aim and hypothesis were appropriate—could the hypothesis be easily assessed?

  • location was appropriate 

  • accuracy of results could be improved if the data collection were to be repeated