Field work

Can you put these processes in the order they would come in a field work
investigation?

Conclusion Planning and organisation Data Presentation Analysis

Data Collection

Click on the link below to download a revision checklist for this topic

FIELD WORK CHECKLIST for revision

Fieldwork is when you go out and collect data yourself to find out the answer to a
geographical question.

The order of a field work investigation

You can also then evaluate your field work after it has been completed

Making aims and hypotheses

An aim should state the purpose of your whole piece of field work
For example; a rivers piece of field work might have an aim such as……

To investigate how a rivers width, depth and velocity change as it moves down
stream from the source

A hypothesis is a statement that is made at the start of a piece of field work that
you intend to test.
For example; a hypothesis for a river’s piece of field work may be….

The width, depth and velocity of a river will increase as you move down stream from
the source.

At the end of a piece of field work , in the conclusion, you will refer back to this
hypothesis and state whether the hypothesis can be accepted or rejected after
looking at your results.

Your hypothesis or hypotheses (if there are more than one!) should be
sensible and based on geographical theory. It should also be possible to
test these hypotheses safely.
What is wrong with the following hypotheses?

a)There is more rainfall where there is a full moon

b)There is more erosion when the river is in flood

The answers
a) This hypothesis is not based on any real geographical knowledge. There is no
theory that states that this is the case. Full moons are not linked to rainfall

b) It would be impossible to test this hypotheses as it would be unsafe during a flood,

and difficult to ascertain the amount of erosion occurring
Choosing your methods and sites

Once you have chosen your aims and hypotheses, you must choose your methods
of data collection that will help you decide whether you can accept your
hypotheses or not.
For example if you were investigating whether a river’s width, depth and velocity
changed as you moved downstream you would need to….

– Measure the river’s width

– Measure the river’s depth

– Measure the river’s velocity

This would need to be done at various sites down the river’s course to test your
hypothesis.
Further down the page you will find reminders of all the methods we have
learnt to do

Choosing your sampling methods

Once on your field work you need to ensure your sampling method is appropriate

1) Systemmatic sampling- using a regular interval or pattern

-For example. Asking a questionnaire to every 7th person who passes or sampling at
every 10 metres along a line

2) Random sampling

This sampling involves selecting sample points or people by using random numbers
to avoid bias.
-For example, get all the people in an area on a list from 1-99 and then use the
random number table to select which people you would give a questionnaire to

3) Stratified sampling– It is sometimes advisable to ensure different groups or

types are represented in your sample at the same proportions as they exist in real
life

– For example if 30% of a town is young, 40% are working age and 30% elderly you
could sample 3 young, 4 working age and 3 elderly people

Designing recording sheets

OK; you’ve picked your hypotheses, chosen your methods, sites and your sampling
types. Now you’ve actually got to make the recording sheets you will use to collect
your data!

Recording sheets should always have….

-A title

-Headings for date, day, time, location with spaces next to each

-Other factors such as weather may also need to be recorded if relevant

– Enough space for all your recordings at each site/sample you will visit for this piece
of data

-Tallys are the best option for counts

What is wrong with the following recording sheet for a pace of field work
comparing traffic at three sites?
The answers
– It does not have a title

– It does not have space for the date, time or weather

– All three locations are on the same column so they will be muddled together!

– There is not enough space for a tally for the traffic counts

This is a much better recording sheet

Traffic count Table

Designing Questionnaires
A questionnaire should…..

-Be quick and easy for the interviewee to answer

-Remind you of what to say at the start of each questionnaire (polite request, why
you are doing it)

–Only have questions essential to your investigation

-Questions should be short, simple and numbered

-Include mainly closed questions with set responses with a tick box

-Not embarrass the interviewee (for example asking what sex they are or their age!)
You should visually estimate these things!

-End with a thank you for their help

You should also always complete a pilot questionnaire to iron out any mistakes.
This is where you send out a few copies of your questionnaire to some people to find
out whether it is easy to answer, whether some questions are worded in a confusing
way, and whether you have made any mistakes.
What is wrong with the questionnaire below?
It is going to be used to investigate why different age groups are drawn to a tourist
resort for their holidays.

The answers
– It asks the interviewee their age and sex! Don’t embarrass them!
– All the questions are open which means it take longer for the interviewee to answer
and you may not get the responses you need
– The questions are not all clear (e.g. do you like it?- Like what!?)
– There are unnecessary questions ( e.g. how did you get here?)
– The introduction and ending comments are not polite and detailed enough
A better questionnaire

Actual Data Collection

When you go out into the field and collect data yourself , this is called PRIMARY
DATA
If you use data that has already been collected or compiled by somebody else this is
called SECONDARY DATA
All the methods shown below are primary data collection methods.

In the paper 4 field work exam you must be as specific and detailed as
possible when describing methods, mention equipment , timings and stage
by stage instructins
Field sketches
For some purposes it is useful to record the scene or landscape. A proper field sketch
could be drawn to show the main features.

1. Draw the horizon and foreground first, then add in important features
2. Next label the features you have drawn
3. Add a title to make it clear where the field sketch was drawn
Scroll down and compare your field sketch to the one below!

Traffic count
These can used to show how busy a certain road is.
You count the number of vehicles passing you for a set amount of time.

One road could be done at different times in the same day to see when peak traffic
occurs

Or you could do several traffic counts in different roads to compare how busy they
are ( these should be done at the same time of day

It is easiest to record these in a tally chart

It can be best to have one student recording the data while each type of transport is
called out by an observer

Alternatively different students could count and record different sub groups and
swap results later

Pedestrian count/ People Count

These can used to show how busy/popular an area is.
You count the number of people passing you at a set point in an area. This can be
done…..

 In one area at different times in the same day to see when peak visitors
occur
 Or you could do several people counts in different areas to compare how busy
they are ( these should be done at the same time of day)
 It is easiest to record these in a tally chart
Measuring channel width and depth and drawing a cross section of a river
The width of a river (bank full width)

1. Take a tape measure and two poles (sticks)

2. Place one pole on each bank
3. Stretch the tape measure from bank to bank touching the poles
4. It should be kept as taut as possible to be accurate.
5. Record the width in metres
The depth of a river
 1. Leave the width tape measure in place
2. Put a metre rule in the water, every 1m, until it just touches the bed of the
river
3. Measure depth of the water in metres e.g. 0.25 for 25cm. so that width and
depth measurements are the same units.
4. Next measure depth from the bed to the measuring tape- this gives you bank
full depth
5. Repeat this every metre across the river width
Drawing a cross section graph from the width and depth data
A river cross section graph is a graph to show the width and depth across a river

You can follow the steps below to plot a river’s cross section
The line should be drawn with a ruler NOT freehand!
If you want to work out the river’s cross sectional area you can do the calculation

Width X mean depth

Measuring velocity of a river

The velocity of a river is the speed at which water flows along it in a given time
frame.

It can be done digitally with a flow meter. They have a small propeller which you
place just under the surface of the water. A small digital read out then gives
the velocity of the river
OR it can be done manually using a float, a tape measure and a stop watch

1. Measure out 10m down the river’s course using the tape measure
2. One person stands at the upstream part of the tape measure with a float
3. One person stands at the downstream part of the tape measure with
stopwatch.
4. A person with a stop watch tells the upstream person to release the float and
begins timing it (in seconds). They stop timing when it reaches the end of the
measured section.
5. Write down the result
6. Repeat the experiment 4 more times if possible. By averaging several
different reading a better result can by obtained.
7. It is also a good idea to take the timings at several locations ACROSS at the
site you have chosen and take an average, as sometimes velocity is different
in the middle of the chanell compared to the sides.
Once you have your timings , work out the average time the float took to travel 10
metres.

Then use the formula below to work out the velocity

EXAMPLE:
Let’s assume that we measured the float 5 times over a distance of 10m.
Our results were :
First time 28 seconds

Second time 34 seconds

Third time 36 seconds

Fourth time 30 seconds

Fifth time 25 seconds

1)First take an average of all 5 measurements to get an average time

Average = ( 28+34+36+30+ 25) / 5 = 30.6 seconds

2) Now use the formula to work out velocity

Distance / Time = 10/30.6 = 0.33

So we have a surface velocity of 0.33 metres per second

Measuring size and shape of river bed load

If you want to compare the size and shape of river bed load at various sites along a
river’s course you would need the following equipment.

– Callipers

– Ruler

– Roundness Index Chart

These are all shown in the image below

Instructions
1)Systematically sample pebbles at each site- every metre across channel do the
following

2) At each point reach down with the index finger extended and select the first
pebble it touches.

3) Grip the length of the longest avis on this pebble using the callipers and then take
the pebble out leaving the gap still between the callipers grips.
4) Measure the length of this gap in the callipers using a ruler

5) Now repeat this process for the width of the pebble

4) Also assess each pebble for it’s roundness using a roundness index chart.

5) Repeat this process at every metre you stop at across the channel (depending on
the size of the sample you want and the width of the river you may need to select
more than one pebble for each metre)

Using ranging poles to measure beach gradient and completing a beach

profile
Sometimes, it is useful to study the profile of a section of beach, to compare its
shape to another area on the same beach, or a different beach entirely.

The profile is just the shape of the beach from the shoreline to the back shore

The equipment needed for this is

– A clinometer, A tape measure and Two ranging poles

1) Person A stands at the shoreline

2) The Person B stands a set number of metres from person A up to beach (measure
with a tape measure)

3) Person A stands at the bottom of the slope with the clinometer at a set level on a
ranging pole

4) Person B holds a second ranging pole at the top of the slope

5) Person A sights the clinometers at the same point on the ranging pole held by B or
from their eye level and reads off the slope angle.

6) Angles going uphill are recorded as positive (+) angles and downhill as negative
(-) ones.

Measuring the size and shape of beach material

The Theory
The material found on a beach varies in size and type as you move further away
from the shoreline.

The smallest material is deposited near the water and larger material is found nearer
to the cliffs at the back of the beach.

Large material is deposited at the back of the beach in times of high energy, for
example during a storm.
Most waves break near the shoreline, so sediment near the water is more effectively
broken down by attrition.

How do you investigate if this is true in reality?

Description of method

1) Tape measure is placed from shoreline to back of beach to form a transect line

2) Every 2 metres a square quadrat is placed down

3) The dominant material inside the quadrat is recorded

(e.g. fine sand, medium sand, coarse sand, shingle, pebbles)

4. This is repeated at all several sites to take an average.

Measuring the movement of beach material
You can measure the speed and direction of long shore drift occuring along a
coastline using this method

1) Measure out 10 metres along the coastline with a tape measure

2) Place a float into water in the breakwater zone at the start point.

3) Observe and time the object’s movement across the pre-set distance.

4) Note the direction the float moves

5) Repeat 5 times

6) You can not down the direction the float was moving, and then work out the
velocity in metres per second, using the formula above

Data Presentation
You should be able to plot and read all the following types of graphs for both this
field work paper and your skills paper

(Line graphs, Bar graphs, Divided Bar graphs, Histograms, Radial graphs, Scatter
graphs and Pie Charts)
If you do not know how to plot these graphs go to the map skills section of
the website and you will find information on each type of graph there!

Data Analysis
Analysis is where you look at data and explain what it shows you- your explanations
MUST be linked to the aim of the investigation
You should be able to describe and explain patterns in any of the graphs listed
above.
Lets have a go at doing this section of an old exam paper asking you to
analyse data on a piece of field work on tourism.
Hypothesis of the investigation: The age of visitors influences the activities they
take part in within a national park.

Firstly you need to complete the table like it asks above by adding 5 into the row for
sightseeing under 51-65 and add the total for sightseeing into the total column.

Analysis practice- Analyzing the results shown in the table

1) Firstly describe any relevant results to help with your investigation
In table 3 you can see that the younger age groups (under 20’s and 20-35 year olds)
completed activities such as walking, cycling, running and horse riding. The highest
number of recorded activities for the under 20’s is cycling with 5 people doing it, and
the highest number of recorded activities for the 20-35 group was walking more
than 5 km with 5 people doing this.
Whereas the older age groups (51-65 and over 65 year olds) completed activities
such as walking less than 3 km, sightseeing, bird watching, driving, shopping and
visiting historical monuments. The highest number of recorded activities for the 51-
65 year old is walking less than 3km and visiting historical monuments with 5 people
doing it, and the highest number of recorded activities for the over 65 year old group
was sightseeing with 4 people doing this.

2) Explain what the results show you- linked to your hypothesis.

The results show us that age does influence activities. Lively and active activities are
more popular with younger people. Such as cycling, mountain biking, horse riding,
running and jogging.
Less lively and less active activities are more popular with older people. Such as
sightseeing, driving, visiting historic buildings, shopping and bird watching
Walking is popular with all age groups and this is an exception
Conclusions
You should be able to decide if you can accept or reject your hypothesis based on
data put in front of you.

When writing your conclusions you should always do the following………

1. State what your hypotheses were.
2. State whether you have accepted or rejected each hypotheses
3. Say why you think it is accepted or rejected using evidence to back up your
points
4. Give an overall statement about what your investigation discovered

Look at the data below and decide whether the following hypothesis can be accepted
or rejected.Support your decision with evidence from Fig. 5 and Table 3.

Hypothesis 1: The amount of traffic will be less further from the town
centre.
On each road they chose one survey site close the town centre and one
survey site far away from the town centre

What would be the students’ conclusion about Hypothesis 1: The amount of

traffic will be less further from the town centre?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….?

The answers
 Hypothesis is that the amount of traffic will be less further from the town
centre
 Hypothesis 1 is incorrect / rejected
 No clear pattern on the four roads
 Two roads do actually show less traffic further away from centre
 For example on Queens Rd there are 285 vehicles recorded at the site close
to the town centre and only 278 at the site further away from the town centre
 For example on Robertson Drive there are 115 vehicles recorded at the site
close to the town centre and only 100 at the site further away from the town
centre
  However, two roads actually show more traffic further away from centre
 For example on Wellington Drive there are 70 vehicles recorded at the site
close to the town centre but 78 at the site further away from the town centre
 For example on Cambridge road there are 316 vehicles recorded at the site
close to the town centre bu 320 at the site further away from the town centre
 But difference in amount of traffic variation is small on all roads
 Overall, the investigation has discovered that the amount of traffic varies
between roads not distance from centre

Evaluation
After your field work is finished you should always evaluate your work. The exam is
always asking questions about the following ideas…
1) Was the data collection accurate and reliable?
Accuracy = The accuracy of each method depends on the quality of the equipment
and the skill of the geographers taking the measurement. If the equipment is faulty,
or the geographer makes a mistake, the results may be inaccurate.

Reliability = The reliability often depends on the size of the sample / number of
times you repeated the method to ensure your results were not a one off.

2) If it was accurate say why / If it was not accurate say why

3) How could the investigation have been improved if it was done again?
(think about how to improve accuracy, reliability and whether any other hypotheses
could have been tested)

Some good ideas for improvements are….

– Making a sample size larger to increase reliability.

– Repeating a method at either a different time of day or year to compare the

results.

– Improving accuracy by using digital equipment ( e.g. a flow meter instead of a float
and stop watc