How can the velocity of a river be measured simply, and why is that method chosen?

A float is timed over a measured distance and the run repeated; it needs almost no equipment, is quick enough to do at many sites, and repeats reduce the effect of eddies.

Why is every reading repeated at a site and a mean taken?

Because a single reading can be thrown off by a one-off such as an eddy or a large stone, and the mean of several readings is closer to the true value.

Why is a pedestrian count taken for the same fixed length of time at every site?

So that the counts can be compared fairly; a longer count at one site would give a higher figure for no geographical reason.

What is an environmental quality survey, and why is it used?

Scoring a place against set criteria such as litter, noise, greenery and building condition, so that something that would otherwise be an opinion becomes a number that can be compared and mapped.

AQA GCSE Geography 8035

Climate Change

Topic overview The evidence, causes and effects of climate change Managing climate change: mitigation and adaptation

Coastal Landscapes in the UKUK landscape option

Topic overview Waves and coastal processes: weathering, mass movement, erosion, transport and deposition Coastal landforms of erosion and deposition Identifying landforms on a stretch of UK coastline Coastal management: hard and soft engineering, and a UK scheme Managing the Holderness coast at Mappleton

Cold EnvironmentsLiving world option

Topic overview Cold environment characteristics, interdependence and adaptations Cold environment biodiversity Opportunities and challenges of developing a cold environment Protecting wilderness: balancing development and conservation

Ecosystems

Topic overview Ecosystems at every scale: interrelationships, balance and global distribution

EnergyResource option

Topic overview Energy surplus and deficit, and why demand is rising The impacts of energy insecurity Strategies to increase energy supply Towards a sustainable energy supply

FoodResource option

Topic overview Food security and insecurity: patterns, causes and impacts Strategies to increase food supply Towards a sustainable food supply

Geographical Applications: Fieldwork Enquiry

Topic overview Choosing an enquiry question, its theory and its sources Risk assessment in fieldwork Primary and secondary data, and sampling methods Justifying your data collection methods Choosing and using presentation methods Describing, analysing and explaining fieldwork results Anomalies in fieldwork data Drawing conclusions from an enquiry Evaluating an enquiry: problems, limitations and missing data How reliable were your conclusions?

Geographical Skills

Topic overview Atlas maps: coordinates, distributions and patterns Reading thematic maps for physical and human associations OS maps: scale, grid references, distance and direction OS maps: gradient, contours and landscape features OS maps: relief, cross sections and drawing inferences OS maps: transects, landscape description and human activity Comparing maps, sketch maps and photographs Describing landscapes from photographs, and annotating them Choosing and constructing the right graph or chart Completing choropleth, isoline, dot, desire-line and flow maps Reading population pyramids, choropleth and flow-line maps Number, scale, proportion and ratio, and designing data sheets Drawing conclusions from numerical data Averages, spread, percentages and correlation Spotting weaknesses in how data is presented Using maps, fieldwork data and GIS as evidence Using imagery, written, visual and graphical sources Using numerical and statistical information as evidence Framing an enquiry and writing about it Building an argument and reaching a conclusion Issue evaluation: stakeholders, options and a justified decision

Glacial Landscapes in the UKUK landscape option

Topic overview The last ice age in the UK, and glacial processes Glacial landforms of erosion, transport and deposition Identifying landforms in a glaciated UK upland Economic activity, conflict and tourism in glaciated uplands Tourism in the Lake District

Hot DesertsLiving world option

Topic overview Hot desert characteristics, interdependence and adaptations Hot desert biodiversity Opportunities and challenges of developing a hot desert Desertification: causes and how the risk is reduced

Natural Hazards

Topic overview What a natural hazard is, and what affects hazard risk

Resource Management

Topic overview Why food, water and energy matter, and how unequally they are shared Resources in the UK, and the changing demand for food The UK's changing demand for water and energy

River Landscapes in the UKUK landscape option

Topic overview The long and cross profiles of a river, and fluvial processes River landforms from source to mouth Identifying landforms in a UK river valley Flood risk, hydrographs and flood management strategies A UK flood management scheme and its effects

Tectonic Hazards

Topic overview Plate tectonics, plate margins and where earthquakes and volcanoes occur The effects of and responses to a tectonic hazard Contrasting earthquakes: Chile 2010 and Nepal 2015 Living with tectonic risk: monitoring, prediction, protection and planning

The Changing Economic World

Topic overview Classifying development, and how it is measured Why measures fall short, the Demographic Transition Model, and causes of uneven development The consequences of uneven development Closing the development gap, and tourism as a strategy A rapidly developing country: change, industry, aid and impacts Nigeria: a newly emerging economy Economic futures in the UK UK economic change: named examples

Tropical Rainforests

Topic overview Rainforest characteristics, interdependence and adaptations Rainforest biodiversity Deforestation: rates, causes and impacts Deforestation in the Amazon The value of rainforests and how they are managed sustainably

UK Physical Landscapes

Topic overview The UK's upland areas, lowland areas and river systems

Urban Issues and Challenges

Topic overview Global urbanisation: patterns, trends and what drives them The rise of megacities A major city in a poorer or emerging country, and planning for the urban poor Rio de Janeiro: growth, opportunities and challenges The UK's urban population and a major UK city Bristol: urban change in a major UK city An urban regeneration project Sustainable urban living and urban transport

WaterResource option

Topic overview Water surplus and deficit, and why demand is rising The impacts of water insecurity Strategies to increase water supply Towards a sustainable water supply

Weather Hazards

Topic overview Global atmospheric circulation: pressure belts and surface winds Where tropical storms form, and why The structure of a tropical storm, and the effect of climate change The effects of and responses to tropical storms Reducing the effects of tropical storms Weather hazards in the UK An extreme weather event in the UK, and evidence of more extreme weather

Geographical Applications: Fieldwork Enquiry

Justifying your data collection methods

3 things to know
Paper 3 section B

Overview

Describing a method against justifying it, measuring river velocity, repeat readings and means, fixed-time pedestrian counts, environmental quality surveys, closed and open questionnaire questions, and why methods stay the same at every site.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What does it mean to justify a data collection method?

Key term

What is the difference between describing a method and justifying it?

Evaluation

What is the main weakness of questionnaire data, and how can it be reduced?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What does it mean to justify a data collection method?
Model answer
Giving the reasons it was the right method for the question — what it measures, why it suits the site, and why it was chosen over the alternatives.
2
What is the difference between describing a method and justifying it?
Model answer
A description sets out what you did, step by step; a justification explains why you did it that way.
3
How can the velocity of a river be measured simply, and why is that method chosen?
Model answer
A float is timed over a measured distance and the run repeated; it needs almost no equipment, is quick enough to do at many sites, and repeats reduce the effect of eddies.
4
Why is every reading repeated at a site and a mean taken?
Model answer
Because a single reading can be thrown off by a one-off such as an eddy or a large stone, and the mean of several readings is closer to the true value.
5
Why is a pedestrian count taken for the same fixed length of time at every site?
Model answer
So that the counts can be compared fairly; a longer count at one site would give a higher figure for no geographical reason.
6
What is an environmental quality survey, and why is it used?
Model answer
Scoring a place against set criteria such as litter, noise, greenery and building condition, so that something that would otherwise be an opinion becomes a number that can be compared and mapped.

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