How do you research and write the Modern Studies assignment?
The added value assignment, including choosing an issue with alternative views, researching from a range of sources, evaluating source reliability, and structuring a balanced report with a supported conclusion.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the added value assignment, covering how to choose a debatable issue, research from a range of sources, evaluate the reliability of sources, and write a balanced report that reaches a conclusion supported by evidence.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to plan, research and write the added value assignment: choose a Modern Studies issue with alternative views, gather and evaluate a range of sources, and produce a balanced report that reaches a conclusion supported by evidence. The assignment is worth marks, around a third of the total Higher award, and is produced under controlled conditions from your own research folder.
The answer
Choosing an issue
Good issues map directly onto course content, for example "Should the voting age be lowered across the UK?", "Should minimum unit pricing be increased?", or "Should the UK adopt a more proportional voting system?". A decision-style title forces you to weigh two sides and reach a judgement, which is what the conclusion marks reward.
Researching from a range of sources
You keep your evidence in a research folder of up to eight sides of A4, which you take into the controlled write-up. The variety of sources matters because it lets you evaluate reliability (below) and synthesise evidence in the conclusion.
Evaluating source reliability
The four standard tests are origin and authorship, currency, likely bias, and corroboration. Apply them explicitly in the report: do not just cite a source, judge it. This is one of the highest-value skills in the mark scheme.
Structuring the report
Examples in context
A candidate researching "Should the voting age be lowered to across the UK?" might use a Scottish Government page (supportive, since -year-olds already vote in Scottish elections), an Electoral Reform Society briefing (supportive but partisan), and a newspaper opinion column (against, openly subjective). Evaluating each by origin and bias, then synthesising the turnout evidence from Scottish council and Holyrood elections, lets the report reach a justified conclusion. This mirrors the real Higher content on representation and voting systems, which is why issue choice should track the course.
Try this
Q1. State two things you should consider when evaluating the reliability of a source. [2 marks]
- Cue. The origin and author, how up to date it is, whether it is likely to be biased, or whether it is corroborated elsewhere.
Q2. Explain why the assignment issue must have alternative views. [4 marks]
- Cue. Alternative views let you research and present both sides, produce a balanced report, and justify a conclusion with evidence rather than opinion.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 201910 marksEvaluate the reliability of two contrasting sources you might use in a Modern Studies assignment, explaining what makes each more or less trustworthy.Show worked answer →
The assignment itself is marked out of 30, but exam-style practice on its component skills is best split into tariffs of 10 or fewer. This question targets the source-evaluation skill, which carries a large share of assignment marks.
A strong answer judges each source against the standard tests: origin and authorship (who produced it and why), currency (how up to date it is), likely bias (does the author have an interest), and corroboration (is it supported elsewhere). For example, an official Scottish Government statistics release is current and authoritative but may present policy favourably; a campaign group page is useful for one side of the argument but openly partisan.
Markers reward developed evaluation that reaches a judgement on trustworthiness, not a list of features. Naming the source type and explaining the specific reason it is more or less reliable is the discriminator.
SQA Higher 202110 marksAnalyse the features that make a Modern Studies assignment issue suitable for balanced research and a justified conclusion.Show worked answer →
This targets the issue-selection and structure skills of the assignment. Markers reward analysis (showing why a feature matters) rather than description.
A top answer explains that the issue must be debatable with genuine alternative views so the report can be balanced, must be researchable from a range of accessible sources so evidence can be gathered for both sides, and must be specific enough to reach a clear conclusion. It links these features to the report structure: the issue and decision, arguments for and against with evidence, source evaluation, and a conclusion justified by the evidence.
Credit is given for explaining how a poorly chosen, one-sided or vague issue would prevent balance or a supported conclusion.
Related dot points
- The skill of detecting bias, exaggeration and selective use of facts in written and statistical sources, and how to identify objective and subjective statements.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the source-handling skill of detecting bias and exaggeration, covering how to spot selective use of facts, emotive language and overstated claims, and how to tell objective statements from subjective opinions.
- The skill of drawing and supporting conclusions using two or more sources, synthesising evidence, and linking each conclusion clearly to the evidence that supports it.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the source-handling skill of drawing conclusions, covering how to use two or more sources together, synthesise evidence, write a clear conclusion, and support every conclusion with specific evidence from the sources.
- The role of the traditional and new media in democracy, how the media informs and influences voters and politics, debates about bias and ownership, and the impact of social media on participation.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the media and democracy, covering the role of traditional and new media, how the media informs and influences voters, debates about ownership and bias, and the impact of social media on political participation.
- The voting systems used in Scotland and the UK, including First Past the Post and the Additional Member System, their advantages and disadvantages, and how they affect representation and government formation.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on representation and voting systems, comparing First Past the Post used at Westminster with the Additional Member System used for the Scottish Parliament, their advantages and disadvantages, and how each shapes proportionality, government formation and voter choice.
Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Modern Studies Course Specification — SQA (2018)