Part 1 Data Collection

1. Using Surveys and Questionnaires

Primary data is new information collected by yourself in the field. All enquiries must contain some primary fieldwork where you go out and collect some data by observing, counting, measuring or interviewing.

Secondary data is information which is obtained from other sources. Like web sites, maps, libraries, travel agents, book and government publications.

Questionnaires are a very important mechanism for geographers to use. They provide a very important source of information - especially for human geography.

How many?

It is difficult to have a golden rule about the number of people you would sample with a questionnaire but the key is to try and get as many as possible. the bigger the sample the more accurate your result will be in the end. Care needs to be taken when thinking about the threshold population - for example if you were asked to sample students from a school of 750 students you might want to think about a minimum of 10% of students (ie 75) - though more would be better for the accuracy of the results.

Sampling

There are quite a number of different methods of sampling. The thing is that it is not always possible to investigate everything in a particular area - so that makes it important to have a strategy in place so that we can take a sample of people or of measurements in an area.

The main reason for using a sampling technique though are to try and reduce the bias of the researcher.

The three main types of sampling are:

Random Sampling: where random number tables give a sequence to follow, people to ask, houses to call on or points in a square to us.

Systematic Sampling: This is when you follow a particular pattern in a regular way.

Line Sampling: You can use a survey along a line or transect where a sample will follow a structure at equal intervals along the line.

A good example of a census on a large scale is the census.

2. Analysis and Interpretation of maps, photos, Remotely Sensed Images (Qualitative and Quanitative data from secondary sources)

We will spend a little time making sure that you can use maps (from your KS3 and GCSE Geography studies) - use the pages on thinkgeography to help ypu with the map skills aspects of things. We are going to be looking at the following things in class.

1. Mapskills

- 6 Fig GRefs

- using contours

- drawing from a square

- working out from a cross section

2. Photos - Interpreting photos and developing a sketch ma from a photograph

3. Remotely Sensed Images - look at various types of satellite images (EURSAT, Aerial photographs, GIS and Google earth images)