Year 12 or 13 re-draft of AS coursework

Please use the points below as a checklist for your AS project. You must make some alterations and improvements. Please think carefully about the quality of each section, not just have you completed it. Use the past AS projects as a guide for the quality of the writing.

The main critisicms of last year's projects were the conclusions were poor and did not directly relate to the theory of psammosere development. Did the variables you measured and analysed relate to the textbook theory? If your results were different how and why were they different? What explanation could you give for any difference in the results with the textbook?

I suggest you deal with one section at a time. Don't try to make all the improvements in one re-draft. Think and make notes, before you re-write each section. Start with the Method, then Table of results, then presentation, then analysis.

Aims

• Have you given a simple, but clear aim? What are you trying to investigate and why?
• Have you stated clear hypotheses which you will investigate? Do these state which variables will alter and how they will alter?
• Have you stated which part of the course specification the project falls into? Have you explained why you are studying this project?
• Have you explained how completing this investigation will help your understanding and knowledge of geographical issues? This may be relevant to fieldwork issues, developing an understanding of other geographical issues, not just psammoseres.
• Have you given a map showing the location of the investigation and the line of transect?

 Method

Have you given a detailed description of how the sites were chosen?

Have you referred to a sampling method?

Have you described why each site was chosen, a justification of its location?

Have you discussed the limitations of this sampling method and how valuable data can be missed?

What were the advantages and drawbacks when compared to other methods of sampling?

Have you included photos of your sites or a selection of sites to support your sampling methods?

Why did you use a transect?

Why was a straight-line chosen? And how was this measured?

Have you discussed how the data was collected in the group?

Why was a group method of data collection used?

What were the roles of the group?

Who did what and why?

Why was the number of sites relevant? At least 17 sites allowed candidates to have sufficient data for valid statistical analysis.

Have you written up how the lab results were taken ?

Table of Results

• Sounds petty, but please re-write your tables of results. Use a different layout, structure or shape. Try to have different tables. The same ‘style' per group may be acceptable. You must state what was the extension or lab work and why you chose to take those measurements.

Presentation of Results

• Have you shown a range of cartographic and diagrammatic techniques?

The range of graphs you must try to use include are:

•  Line / bar / pie / scatter

•  A cross-section of slope angle using your own results and compare this to a textbook diagram of psammosere development.

•  Map of your area with line of transect marked on it

•  A selection of photographs showing the justification of sites chosen and you doing the fieldwork.

•  Photographic evidence of the area (your own or from internet) of sand dunes highlighting the variables, which are relevant.

• Have you stated which type of graph you have chosen and stated why it is most suitable for that piece of information?

Have you justified your choice of method of representing the data?

Do not just draw a range of graphs for the sake of it, say why you did each type. This information may be good on an overlay or in a box on each graph.

• Have you labelled each graph correctly?

Does it have an overall title? Is each axis labelled? Is the graph annotated to explain what it shows?

• Do your photos and maps have a scale line? Do they have titles? Are the maps/photos annotated to explain what they show?
• Are your graphs / maps/ diagrams linked to the textbook? Do you state this is different or similar to the textbook theory? Do you reference the source of your information if it is from a textbook?
• Have you been creative? Do your graphs look similar to those of everyone else? Have you done something different? If so, keep it to yourself!!

Analysis of Results

• Here candidates are to interpret the information and draw conclusions.
• Have you used and applied a range of statistical measures? Have you used at least 4 Spearman rank? Have you used at least one student T –test?
• Have you used a different test – your own idea, see the booklet, and keep this to your self!!
• Have you justified your choice of statistical test? Have you said why those two variables were chosen to be tested? Did you write these variables as sub- hypotheses? Have you explained why this type of test is valid to use with your data?
• Have you explain what the data shows?

Conclusions

• Here you must explain clearly all the results you have collected. What do they show? Which variables are related to each other? How significant are these results? How do they prove or disprove the textbook theory of psammosere development? What has the data taught you? What do you now know that you didn't before?
• You must relate your findings to the wider controlling factors of psammosere development.
• This section will make or break your project.
• You must show evidence of wider background reading and make reference to the sources in your discussion
• Useful phrases include:

•  According to …… , one would expect to find

•  Further research suggests

•  Information shows

•  Studies on this type of ecosystem tell us

•  Numerous pieces of research suggest

• You will need to reference correctly within your prose. Different styles of referencing are stated below:

•  “According to Collins and Davey, (1986), the most significant factor controlling ecosystem development is………” or if more than two authors “According to Collins et al (1986), the most significant factor controlling ecosystem development is ………….”.

•  OR “ The most significant factor controlling ecosystem development is ……. (Collins and Davey, 1986). Or if more than two authors “ The most significant factor controlling ecosystem development is …….. (Collins et al , 1986).

Evaluation

• Use must use the four subheading from the mark scheme criteria
• For each section say what went well and what could be improved and what you could try to improve for next time.
• You must try to write evaluations in other sections of the investigations. Try not to leave all evaluation until this section. For example, could you try and evaluate in first section how your project may or may not relate to broader theories of geographical knowledge? What are the limitation or advantages of ‘learning' from material and evidence collected in the field?

Presentation

• Is the project word-processed?
• Have you used spell checker on each section? Have you proof read and removed all errors with SPG? Have you asked someone else to proof read it for you?
• Have you presented you information in a logical manner? Do you use heading, sub-headings, section dividers that are labelled?
• Have you given each page a number and have you given a contents page?
• Have you written a bibliography?

•  Reference check is as follows

•  Authors (if more than two, write first name and et al) , date of publication (usually written on front inside cover), Title, name of publisher.

•  E.g. Collins et al , 1986, “ The secret to a successful psamosere”, Price, Wales.

• Have you counted and written in the word count for each section? And given a final word count on the front cover?