Fieldwork

key terms

sampling

human

physical

quantitative data - data that can be counted or measured in numerical values
compare it, statistical analysis, objective - no bias, factual, not impacted by human opinions
qualitative data - the descriptive and conceptual findings collected through questionnaires, interviews or observation
gather more info. more info about people's experiences, opinions + quality of life - subjective.

primary data - a type of data that is collected by researchers directly from main sources through interviews, surveys experiments etc. (collected by you)
customised to what you want - get the data you need. more reliable
secondary data - refers to data collected by someone other than you
not introduce bias - questions cannot be leading. quick and easy - convenient, widespread, large-scale, more representative

open questions - a question that cannot be answered with a yes/no response or with a static response. phrased as a statement which requires a longer response
invites opinion and detail - personal experience. could be leading - problem, bias
closed questions - any question for which a researcher provides research participants with options from which to choose a response e.g. 1,2,3,4,5 or v. good/good/okay etc.
little opportunity for leading/bias. objective

systematic sampling

stratified sampling

random sampling

not biased - ensures researcher is neutral + not impacting data
can be used with large sample populations

not representative (necessarily)

data that is collected so each has an equal chance of being selected e.g. by using random numbers

removes bias - same intervals used every time. not influencing data
simple

not representative (necessarily)
devising intervals can be problematic

data that is collected at regular intervals e.g. every 500m

representative
can be used with random + systematic
allows for comparisons between subsets

proportions of sub-sets must be known (may not be)

data that is collected from different parts of a population using prior knowledge (council/census data) e.g. different age groups - if 50% 50+, 50% questioned 50+

impossible to interview everyone/look at every street. saves time, gives more manageable amounts of data

valid - ans. question we want it to?
reliable - can we trust it?
representative - have we surveyed enough diff groups? age/gender/class/minorities
precise/accurate - units? more specific/detailed?

risk assessment:
drowning - stay in shallow water. test depth
slips + trips - appropriate footwear

risk assessment:
weather - slip over/sunburn or stroke sunscreen/hat. raincoat. bottle of water. check weather beforehand
public transport - lose people. groups. do counts. contact no
kidnapping/getting lost - stay away from suspicious people. remain in groups. be supervised by staff

methods

traffic count

  • stand at a certain point and for 5 mins and count the diff vehicles.
  • easy method. easy to repeat
  • if only taken once could be skewed by rush hour/roadworks/closure
  • complete the traffic counts at diff times of day + on diff days to get an average - more reliable
  • quantitative
  • pictogram, bar chart, line graph
  • primary

interviews

  • ask people closed or open questions
  • can collect a large sample no. using closed questions can be used quantitative data so easy to compare
  • cannot be sure telling truth. people may interpret q differently. might only select certain group - biased if using random sampling
  • make sure qs are clear. ask a range of diff groups - stratified sampling
  • quantitative/qualitative
  • pie charts/code into +ves and -ves
  • primary

environmental bipolar survey

  • different factors are scored on a scale of -2 to +2 and then all added together
  • takes into consideration different factors about the location
  • can be subjective - one day impacted by external factors
  • same person does survey in each location
  • quantitative
  • bar chart. line graph
  • primary

IMD - Index of Multiple Deprivation

  • look at IMD website for diff locations. IMD looks at 7 domains for deprivation
  • looks at diff factors so gives a balanced view
  • secondary data - could be out of date
  • use with primary data
  • quantiative
  • put scores on a map
  • secondary

photographs

  • take photos
  • easy to repeat. easy to multiple
  • only a snap shot of the location - could lead to bias
  • take a range of photographs at different locations and different times
  • qualitative
  • annotate photographs to make comparisons. plot on a map
  • primary

methods

  • measuring river depth
  • place a metre ruler into the river until it touches the river bed. record the distance between the river bed and the surface of the water. you should do this at regular intervals between the banks of the river. add the depths together and divide by the number of recordings you took to calculate the mean depth
  • easy to carry out and easy to take measurements. easy to repeat, numerical values are easy to compare.
  • rough, uneven river bed can make measurements difficult. can be unsafe/not feasible in large discharge areas
  • if the bed is rough and bumpy, you will need more measurements at closer intervals to get an accurate result.
  • quantitative
  • can sketch the channel shape on graph paper. bar charts. photos
  • primary
  • measuring river width
  • extend a tape measure from the point where the dry bank meets the water on one side of the river to the same point on the other side. record the length.
  • easy to carry out and easy to take measurements. easy to repeat. numerical values are easy to compare.
  • width can change regularly with weather or landscape. difficult in large discharge areas. human error
  • multiple measurements and at multiple stages.
  • quantitative
  • can sketch the channel shape on graph paper. bar charts photos
  • primary
  • measuring the wetted perimeter
  • the wetted perimeter or occupied channel width is the entire length of the bed and river bank (sides) in contact with water. using a tape measure, this should be held in place along the banks and bed, following any undulations in the smoothness of the river banks.
  • gives a good indication of the river processes. numerical values are easy to compare.
  • human error likely. wetted perimeter can be difficult in large river basins, or when bed is extremely uneven. unsafe at times.
  • using a chain or weighted rope can make the wetter perimeter easier to calculate.
  • quantitative
  • can sketch the channel shape on graph paper
  • primary
  • river velocity
  • time how long it takes a cork/orange peel to float a measured distance down the river channel
  • river velocity gives a very good indication of erosion, deposition and other key processes. numerical values easy to compare
  • human error with timings. cork may get disrupted on the channel
  • use digital equipment such as a flowmeter - to reduce human error and get more reliable results (stand out of the way of the cork/don't stand directly upstream)
  • quantitative
  • line graph
  • primary
  • load shape/size
  • using a sampling method, students take a piece of material from the river bed. using calipers they the longest axis of each stone. using powers roundness index, they calculate the shape
  • first hand, specific data from specific river. numerical values are easy to compare
  • can be subjective when determining roundness. unsafe?
  • taking a larger sample of materials, or taking more frequent samples along the river profile
  • qualitative and quantitative
  • bar graph. line graph. photos
  • primary
  • flood risk surveys
  • using environmental agency data to establish areas of high and low river flood risk
  • extremely useful for guiding floodplain zoning and locating new developments
  • flood risks can be hard to predict and it changes with development, urbanisation and climate change
  • repeatedly check and revise calculations
  • qualitative
  • choropleth maps