← Biology syllabus

ScotlandBiology

Area 3: Investigative Biology

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are biological data analysed, evaluated and communicated?

Communication and scientific literacy: presenting data, descriptive and inferential statistics, evaluating reliability and validity, the critical evaluation of research, scientific ethics and integrity, and the structure of a scientific report.
An SQA Advanced Higher Biology answer on communication and scientific literacy, covering the presentation of data, descriptive and inferential statistics, the evaluation of reliability and validity, the critical evaluation of biological research, scientific ethics and integrity in reporting, and the structure of a scientific report.
11 min answer →

How are valid and reliable biological experiments designed?

Experimentation: observational versus experimental studies, controls, placebos and blinding, randomisation, replication and sampling, in vivo, in vitro and in situ studies, and the treatment of error and uncertainty.
An SQA Advanced Higher Biology answer on experimentation, covering observational versus experimental studies, positive and negative controls, placebos and blinding, randomisation, replication and sampling, in vivo, in vitro and in situ approaches, and the treatment of random and systematic error and uncertainty.
12 min answer →

What principles guide scientific inquiry in biology?

Scientific principles and process: hypotheses and predictions, the scientific method and pilot studies, independent, dependent and confounding variables, ethics in research, primary and secondary sources, and peer review.
An SQA Advanced Higher Biology answer on scientific principles and process, covering hypotheses and predictions, the scientific method and pilot studies, independent, dependent and confounding variables, ethics in biological research, the difference between primary and secondary sources, and the role of peer review.
11 min answer →