Methodology

Methodology Write-up

Aim to write a detailed and comprehensive description of how data for the investigation was carried out. The methods employed will be explained and justified.

The following questions provide a structure for the completion of the methodology section of your CA report:

1.      1. What data needs to be collected and how does this support the overall investigation? (Justification of  

           data collected).

2.    2. What sampling system was employed and why? (Justification of techniques).

      

3.    3. How was each individual piece of data to be collected? (Describes/carries out appropriate data 

           collection involving primary data collection).

4.    4. Overall, how did the individual methods fit together and how did the team carry them out? (Sequence of 

           investigation + organisation and planning).

The methodology can be a rather long and "dry" section of the report. you are advised to use illustrations to "liven" it up. Marks are also awarded specifically for explanation of the methods employed and for their justification i.e. why they have been selected and what makes them appropriate. The table below can be used to check that you have met these expectations.

Included?	Tick	Examples
Diagrams
Maps
Explanation
Justification

Independent/individual investigation:
Although much of the work in this research is being produced collaboratively in your class, there is an expectation from the exam board that the best investigations will include an element of originality. This means that, for the top grade, you need to include an "original idea" in your project. In effect, this requires you to have an additional hypothesis that other people are not investigating and collect appropriate data to test it. To gain top the marks for this, the idea must make a "significant contribution to the investigation". 

Your original idea must be included in your hypotheses, there must be a description of the methods used to obtain appropriate data and these should be explained and justified. Your findings will also need to be presented and interpreted in the next chapter.

Having completed the methodology chapter, it is time to present the data that you have collected. Go to Data Presentation and Interpretation post.