How do I plan, carry out and evaluate a geographical fieldwork enquiry?
Fieldwork: the enquiry process, suitable questions and hypotheses, primary and secondary data collection, presentation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation, across one physical and one human enquiry.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Geography 3.3.2 fieldwork, covering the six stages of the enquiry process, primary and secondary data, sampling, data presentation and analysis, conclusions and evaluation for one physical and one human enquiry.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
This is AQA GCSE Geography (8035) Paper 3, Section B (3.3.2 Fieldwork), worth 36 marks. AQA expects you to understand the fieldwork enquiry process and apply it to two enquiries you carry out, one in physical geography and one in human geography. You must be able to write a suitable question or hypothesis, choose and justify data-collection methods and sampling, present and analyse data, draw conclusions and evaluate the whole enquiry. Paper 3 Section B asks about both your own fieldwork and an unfamiliar fieldwork context.
The enquiry process
Data collection and sampling
Presentation, conclusions and evaluation
Data is presented using the most suitable technique: line and bar graphs (for change and comparison), pie charts (for proportions), located bars and proportional symbols drawn onto a base map (to show where data was collected), scatter graphs (to show relationships, with a line of best fit), and choropleth maps. Analysis describes the patterns and trends, picks out anomalies (results that do not fit), and may use simple statistics such as the mean, median, mode, range and a description of any correlation on a scatter graph.
The conclusion answers the original question or accepts or rejects the hypothesis, using the evidence. The evaluation then judges how reliable and accurate the results were, identifies limitations (small sample size, the weather on the day, measurement error, bias in a questionnaire, only one site or one day) and suggests realistic improvements (a larger sample, repeating on different days, more sites) for a more valid and reliable enquiry. The two unfamiliar-context skills examiners test most are choosing the best presentation technique and spotting the weaknesses in someone else's method.
Try this
Q1. State the difference between primary and secondary data. [2 marks]
- Cue. Primary data is collected by you in the field; secondary data is collected by someone else, such as census or map data.
Q2. Explain why an evaluation is an important stage of a fieldwork enquiry. [3 marks]
- Cue. It judges the reliability and accuracy of the results, identifies limitations such as a small sample or bias, and suggests improvements.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20196 marksFor one of your fieldwork enquiries, explain how your data collection methods were suitable for your enquiry. (Paper 3, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 6-mark question from Paper 3 Section B (Fieldwork), assessing AO3 and AO4. It is about your own enquiry, so markers reward specific methods linked to a stated aim, not a generic description.
Award credit for stating the enquiry title or hypothesis (for example "How does beach sediment size change along the coast?"), then explaining why each method suited it: measuring pebble size with a ruler or callipers at fixed intervals gave precise primary data to test the hypothesis; a systematic sample (every 10 metres) gave even coverage and made the data comparable; recording on a prepared table reduced error. The lift to 6 marks is the link between method and aim ("this was suitable because it produced the quantitative data needed to test the hypothesis"). Generic methods with no link to the enquiry cap the marks.
AQA 20229 marksTo what extent did the conclusions of one of your fieldwork enquiries match what you expected? Evaluate your enquiry. (Paper 3, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 9-mark levelled extended response assessing AO3 (analysis and evaluation). "To what extent" and "evaluate" need a judgement on reliability and limitations, grounded in your own enquiry.
Strong answers state the conclusion reached and whether it matched the expected geographical theory (for example sediment did get smaller along the coast, as longshore drift and attrition predict). Then evaluate the whole enquiry: the reliability of the data (sample size, weather on the day, measurement error, bias in a questionnaire), limitations (only one site, one day, a small sample), and improvements (larger sample, repeat on different days, more sites). Reach a judgement on how confident you can be in the conclusion. Markers reward honest, specific evaluation of your own enquiry and a reasoned overall verdict, not a checklist of generic limitations.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Geography (8035) specification — AQA (2016)