Evaluation is the overall appraisal of the investigation and the results obtained relating to the research question. It should be set in a scientific context.
To score the maximum of six marks for Evaluation the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to:
The conclusion should be completely justified based on the processed data and should reflect directly against the research question. And values that are reported in the conclusion should contain any associated uncertainty and should be recorded to the appropriate number of significant figures. Any data that is obtained, should be compared against literature values where possible and percentage error should be calculated. The data should also be compared against secondary data.
It is extremely important that the strengths of the investigation are assessed as well as any associated weaknesses.
Error propagation should be carried out to assess the total uncertainty of the investigation. A comment should be made on the validity of the data and whether it lies within tolerance of the uncertainty values. Random and systematic errors should be included and a distinction between the two should be made. It is also important that you comment on which error(s) would have had the greatest impact and which would have had a lesser impact. Any assumptions made in the investigation in forming the conclusion should be included and assessed.
After highlighting all of the potential causes of uncertainty, you should suggest realistic improvements that focus on how these could have been minimised. This may include more accurate equipment to reduce the associated uncertainty or could involve improving the method to reduce procedural error.
You should also include extensions to your investigation and areas for further study. This demonstrates that you appreciate the endless nature of scientific inquiry and highlights how you would use what you have discovered to broaden your knowledge into new or wider areas.