The Fieldwork Enquiry Process

AQA GCSE Geography requires you to complete two fieldwork investigations — one in a physical geography environment and one in a human geography environment. You must understand the entire enquiry process, from designing a question to evaluating your conclusions. This lesson covers the framework for planning, conducting and writing up any geographical fieldwork investigation.

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The Enquiry Framework

Every geographical investigation follows a structured process:

Stage	Key Question
1. Question / Hypothesis	What are you investigating? What do you expect to find?
2. Data collection	What data do you need? How will you collect it?
3. Data presentation	How will you display your results?
4. Data analysis	What do your results show? Are there patterns?
5. Conclusions	What answers can you give to your original question?
6. Evaluation	How reliable was your investigation? What could be improved?

The following diagram summarises the steps in the geographical fieldwork enquiry process:

graph TD
    A[Identify a question or hypothesis] --> B[Plan data collection methods]
    B --> C[Collect primary data in the field]
    C --> D[Process and present data]
    D --> E[Analyse and interpret results]
    E --> F[Draw conclusions]
    F --> G[Evaluate methodology]

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Stage 1: Developing a Question or Hypothesis

Research Questions

A good geographical question is:

• Focused — specific enough to investigate in the time available
• Testable — you can collect data to answer it
• Geographical — related to a real place, pattern or process

Examples:

• "How does river channel width and depth change downstream along the River X?"
• "How does the quality of the urban environment change with distance from the CBD?"

Hypotheses

A hypothesis is a testable statement predicting the outcome of your investigation. It is based on geographical theory.

Examples:

• "River channel width and depth increase with distance downstream" (based on the Bradshaw model)
• "Environmental quality decreases with distance from the CBD" (based on urban models)

A null hypothesis states that there is no relationship or pattern. Statistical tests (like Spearman's rank) test against the null hypothesis.

Exam Tip: Your hypothesis should be linked to geographical theory. The examiner wants to see that you understand why you expected a particular result, not just that you predicted one.

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Stage 2: Data Collection

Types of Data

Type	Definition	Examples
Primary data	Data you collect yourself in the field	River measurements, questionnaires, counts
Secondary data	Data collected by someone else	Census data, OS maps, climate records
Quantitative	Numerical data that can be measured	Width: 3.2 m, temperature: 14°C
Qualitative	Descriptive data based on opinions or observations	"The area looks run-down and neglected"

The following diagram shows the different types of data used in geographical fieldwork:

graph TD
    A[Data Collection] --> B[Primary Data]
    A --> C[Secondary Data]
    B --> B1[Questionnaires]
    B --> B2[Field sketches]
    B --> B3[Measurements]
    C --> C1[Census data]
    C --> C2[Maps and GIS]
    C --> C3[Published statistics]

Sampling Strategies

You cannot measure everything, so you use sampling to select representative data points:

Strategy	How It Works	Advantages	Disadvantages
Random	Locations chosen using random number tables or a generator	No bias; statistically reliable	May miss key areas; need a sampling frame
Systematic	Locations at regular intervals (e.g. every 50 m)	Good coverage; easy to carry out	May miss patterns between intervals
Stratified	Area divided into sub-groups; samples taken from each	Ensures all sub-groups are represented	Requires prior knowledge of the study area
Opportunistic	Data collected wherever convenient	Easy and quick	Highly biased; not representative

Exam Tip: Always justify your sampling strategy. Explain why it was appropriate for your investigation and acknowledge any limitations it introduced.

The following diagram shows how to choose the right sampling technique:

graph TD
    A[Choose a Sampling Method] --> B{Is the area uniform?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Random Sampling]
    B -->|No| D{Do you need even coverage?}
    D -->|Yes| E[Systematic Sampling]
    D -->|No| F[Stratified Sampling]
    C --> G[Use random number generator for locations]
    E --> H[Sample at regular intervals]
    F --> I[Divide area into zones, sample proportionally]

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Risk Assessment

Before conducting fieldwork, you must carry out a risk assessment:

Hazard	Risk	Mitigation
Slippery riverbanks	Falling into water	Wear appropriate footwear; work in pairs
Fast-flowing water	Drowning	Do not enter deep water; adult supervision
Traffic near roads	Vehicle collision	Wear high-visibility clothing; use pavements
Uneven terrain	Trips and falls	Watch footing; carry first aid kit
Adverse weather	Hypothermia, sunburn	Check forecast; bring waterproofs and sun cream
Working with strangers	Personal safety	Work in groups; inform teachers of location

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Stage 3: Data Presentation

Choose graphical techniques that suit your data:

Data Type	Suitable Presentation Methods
Changes along a transect	Line graph, bar chart, located symbols on a map
Comparing categories	Bar chart, pie chart
Proportions	Pie chart, divided bar chart
Relationship between two variables	Scatter graph with best-fit line
Spatial patterns	Choropleth map, isoline map, dot map
Qualitative observations	Annotated photographs, sketch maps
Large datasets	GIS mapping, tables with summary statistics

Presenting Data Effectively

• Every graph or map needs a title, labelled axes with units, and a key (where appropriate)
• Choose a technique that makes the pattern clear — do not just pick the easiest option
• Using multiple techniques for the same data set shows a higher level of skill

Exam Tip: In the exam you may be asked to justify your choice of presentation technique. Explain what the technique shows well and why it is better than alternatives for your specific data.

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Stage 4: Data Analysis

Analysis means describing patterns, trends and anomalies in your results, and using statistics to test your hypothesis.

Describing Patterns

• Identify the general trend (e.g. "River width generally increases downstream")
• Use specific figures (e.g. "Width increased from 1.2 m at site 1 to 5.8 m at site 8")
• Note any anomalies and suggest reasons (e.g. "Site 4 showed a decrease in width, possibly due to a narrowing caused by a bridge")

Using Statistical Tests

• Spearman's rank — to test whether there is a significant correlation between two sets of ranked data
• Mean, median, mode — to summarise the central tendency of the data
• Range, IQR, standard deviation — to show how spread out the data is
• Chi-squared — to test whether observed frequencies differ significantly from expected frequencies

Linking to Theory

Your analysis should refer back to the geographical theory behind your hypothesis:

• "The Bradshaw model predicts that channel width and depth increase downstream due to tributary inputs. My results support this, as both width and depth show a general increase from upstream to downstream."

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Stage 5: Conclusions

A conclusion answers your original question or tests your hypothesis: