What is a hypothesis?

a statement that can be tested. The enquiry sets out to see whether it is true.

Which is systematic sampling?

measuring every 10 metres along a line. Regular intervals.

What does a clinometer measure?

the angle of a slope. It is used for beach and valley profiles.

What is a quadrat used for?

sampling a small area of ground. A square frame is placed on the ground and what is inside is recorded.

What is a bi-polar survey?

a survey that scores between two opposite descriptions. For example, from −3 (ugly) to +3 (attractive).

Why is a risk assessment carried out before fieldwork?

to identify hazards and reduce them. Safety is planned in advance.

Fieldwork and geographical enquiry · Cambridge IGCSE Geography (9

In plain words

Fieldwork is geography done outdoors: asking a question about a real place and going out to measure the answer. The exam tests whether you could plan it, carry it out safely, and judge how far to trust the results.

8 things to know

A geographical enquiry follows a route: a question or hypothesis, a plan, collecting data, presenting it, analysing it, a conclusion and an evaluation.
A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested, such as "the river gets wider downstream".
Sampling. Random: every item has an equal chance of being chosen, which avoids bias. Systematic: at regular intervals, such as every 10 metres or every fifth person. Stratified: in proportion to the groups in the whole population.
Equipment: ranging poles to mark points; a tape measure for distance; a clinometer for the angle of a slope; a flow meter for the speed of water; a quadrat for sampling an area of ground; a stopwatch; and a noise meter.
Techniques: questionnaires and interviews, traffic and pedestrian counts, land use surveys, transects, field sketches and photographs.
An environmental quality survey gives scores for features such as litter and noise. A bi-polar survey scores between two opposites, for example from −3 (very noisy) to +3 (very quiet).
Results are more reliable with a larger sample, repeated measurements, the same method each time, and counts made at the same time of day.
A risk assessment identifies hazards, such as deep water or traffic, and says how each will be reduced.

Worked example

Students want to test the hypothesis that pedestrian numbers decrease with distance from the city centre. Describe how they could collect the data.

Choose sites at regular intervals, such as every 200 metres, along several roads leading out from the centre: systematic sampling.
At each site, count the people passing in both directions for a fixed time, such as 5 minutes, using a tally.
Do all the counts at the same time of day, with one group at each site, so that the results can be compared.

Tips and tricks

In an evaluation, say what could be improved and why it would help: "more sites would make the results more reliable".
Systematic means at regular intervals. Random means chosen by chance. Do not describe "every fifth person" as random.

6 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Fieldwork and geographical enquiry: 6 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

What is a hypothesis?
- a conclusion
- a statement that can be tested (the answer)
- a risk assessment
- a type of graph
The enquiry sets out to see whether it is true.
Which is systematic sampling?
- asking whoever looks friendly
- picking names from a hat
- measuring every 10 metres along a line (the answer)
- asking only your friends
Regular intervals.
What does a clinometer measure?
- the speed of water
- the angle of a slope (the answer)
- noise
- distance
It is used for beach and valley profiles.
What is a quadrat used for?
- measuring wind speed
- sampling a small area of ground (the answer)
- timing a float
- measuring depth
A square frame is placed on the ground and what is inside is recorded.
What is a bi-polar survey?
- a survey at the North and South Poles
- a survey that scores between two opposite descriptions (the answer)
- a count of traffic
- a questionnaire with open questions
For example, from −3 (ugly) to +3 (attractive).
Why is a risk assessment carried out before fieldwork?
- to choose a hypothesis
- to identify hazards and reduce them (the answer)
- to present data
- to calculate a mean
Safety is planned in advance.

6 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 9 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Fieldwork and geographical enquiry

Cambridge IGCSE Geography (9–1) 0976 · 9 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

Describe the difference between random sampling and systematic sampling.[2]
Show answerHide answer
In random sampling every item has an equal chance of being chosen. In systematic sampling items are chosen at regular intervals.
I got this one
Name the equipment used to measure the angle of a slope, the speed of a river, and the plants in a small area of ground.[3]
Show answerHide answer
A clinometer, a flow meter and a quadrat.
I got this one
Suggest two ways in which students could make the results of a traffic count more reliable.[4]
Show answerHide answer
Count for a longer time, or repeat the count on several days. Count at all the sites at the same time of day.
I got this one

Answers: Fieldwork and geographical enquiry

1. In random sampling every item has an equal chance of being chosen. In systematic sampling items are chosen at regular intervals.
2. A clinometer, a flow meter and a quadrat.
3. Count for a longer time, or repeat the count on several days. Count at all the sites at the same time of day.