Knowledge Organiser: The Fieldwork Process — Planning and Design
The 5-Stage Enquiry Process
- 1. Aim: broad geographical question to explore
- 2. Hypothesis: specific testable prediction from theory
- 3. Design: choose method, sampling strategy, equipment, risk assessment
- 4. Collect and present: fieldwork + appropriate graphs / maps
- 5. Analyse, conclude, evaluate: does data support the hypothesis? what are the limitations?
- Mnemonic: A Hot Dog Could Actually Satisfy Anyone
Sampling Strategies
- Random: random numbers select points; removes bias; may miss patterns
- Systematic: regular intervals; detects gradients; easy to replicate
- Stratified: proportional sub-groups; representative; needs prior knowledge
- Opportunistic: convenient; biased; not acceptable as sole method
- Primary: collected first-hand; specific; limited scale
- Secondary: from other sources; large-scale; may not fit question
Data Presentation
- Line graph: change over continuous time or distance
- Bar chart: comparing discrete categories
- Scatter graph: relationship between two variables
- Pie chart: proportional composition
- Choropleth map: spatial distribution across an area
- Flow line map: volume of movement between places
- Cross-section: channel or land profile
- Spearman's rank (rs): −1 to +1; significance tested at 95%
Evaluation Framework — PREACH
- P: Primary vs secondary data — was the right type chosen?
- R: Reliability — would repetition give same results?
- E: Equipment — was it accurate and appropriate?
- A: Anomalies — identified and explained geographically?
- C: Controls — were variables kept constant?
- H: Hypothesis — supported, partially supported, or rejected?
- Reliability = consistency; Validity = measuring the right thing; Representativeness = sample reflects the whole
Common Mistakes
- Confusing reliability and validity: Reliability means you get the same result if you repeat the measurement; validity means you are actually measuring what you intended — a ruler measuring channel width is reliable AND valid; pedestrian counts at different times are reliable but may not be valid for a typical weekday
- Not justifying your sampling strategy: Don't just name a sampling method — explain WHY it suits your hypothesis (e.g. systematic sampling every 100 m detects a downstream gradient; random pebble selection removes observer bias)
- Choosing the wrong graph type: Line graphs show continuous change over distance/time; bar charts compare discrete categories; scatter graphs show relationships between two variables — match the graph to the data type
- Weak evaluation that only identifies problems: Examiners want you to suggest specific improvements — "the float method overestimates velocity; using a flow meter would give a more accurate mean velocity across the full channel depth"
Memory Aid
- Aim or research question
- Hypothesis developed
- Data collection designed
- Collect and present data
- Analyse, conclude and evaluate