Fieldwork Question Design & Methodology — GCSE Geography Revision

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What is Fieldwork Question Design & Methodology?

Geographical fieldwork is an investigation outside the classroom to answer a specific question or hypothesis. The first step is to design a suitable question that is geographically sound and can be investigated at a specific location. The methodology is the plan for how you will collect the data. This involves choosing appropriate data collection techniques (e.g., questionnaires, environmental quality surveys), deciding on a sampling strategy (e.g., random, systematic, or stratified), and considering any potential risks.

Board notes: The entire geographical enquiry process, from question design to conclusion, is a major component of all GCSE Geography courses (AQA, Edexcel, OCR) and is assessed in a dedicated exam paper or section. The methodology section is crucial for showing you have planned a valid investigation.

Worked example

Common mistakes

• 1Designing a hypothesis that is too simple or not geographical. A good hypothesis should propose a relationship between two or more variables, for example, 'The quality of the environment will improve as distance from the city centre increases'.
• 2Choosing an inappropriate sampling strategy. A random sample might not be representative of the whole area, while a systematic sample (e.g., every 50 metres along a transect) might miss important variations. Stratified sampling is often best as it ensures all sub-groups of a population are included.
• 3Forgetting to complete a risk assessment. Before undertaking any fieldwork, you must identify potential hazards (e.g., traffic, weather, getting lost), assess who is at risk, and describe the measures you will take to minimise those risks.

Fieldwork Question Design & Methodology exam questions

Exam-style questions for Fieldwork Question Design & Methodology with mark-scheme style solutions and timing practice. Aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

  Primary data is new data that you collect yourself during your fieldwork, such as questionnaire responses or river measurements. Secondary data is data that already exists and has been collected by someone else, such as census data, old maps, or newspaper articles.

• What are the three types of sampling?

  Random sampling is where every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Systematic sampling is where you select samples at regular intervals (e.g., every 10th person). Stratified sampling is where you divide the population into groups (e.g., by age) and then take a random sample from each group.