A Level H1 Geography Fieldwork Quiz

A-Level Geography H1 Quiz - Fieldwork (Answer Key)

Section A: Research Design and Methodology

1. Definition: The method used to select a representative subset of a population or area for study to make inferences about the whole. [2]
2. Method: Infiltrometer / Double-ring infiltrometer. [2]
3. Advantage: Ensures data is collected at regular intervals, allowing for the identification of a clear spatial trend/pattern along the river profile. [4]
4. Comparative Approach: Allows the researcher to identify differences and similarities, isolating variables that contribute to liveability (e.g., comparing a planned estate vs. an unplanned one). [4]
5. Bias: 1) Time bias (only capturing workers/commuters, missing students/homemakers); 2) Location bias (only capturing people at specific entrances/shops). [4]
6. Distinction: Quantitative is numerical/measurable (e.g., temperature readings); Qualitative is descriptive/conceptual (e.g., interview transcripts on feelings of safety). [4]
7. Justification: Bipolar surveys (e.g., -3 to +3) allow respondents to quantify subjective feelings of fear/safety, making qualitative perceptions easier to analyze statistically while still capturing the intensity of the emotion. [6]

Section B: Data Collection and Analysis

8. Precautions: 1) Wearing high-visibility gear/life jackets; 2) Working in pairs/groups (buddy system). [2]
9. Multiple Points: To account for the irregular shape of the river bed and ensure the average depth is representative of the entire cross-section. [4]
10. Reliability: Decibel meters provide an objective, standardized numerical value (dB) that is not influenced by the observer's personal sensitivity to noise. [4]
11. Sampling: Temporal sampling. Appropriate because urban land use (plazas) fluctuates significantly throughout the day based on human activity cycles (work/lunch/leisure). [6]
12. Reliability: Using a standardized set of questions (structured) to ensure consistency across all respondents, or using a large enough sample size to reduce the impact of outliers. [6]
13. Pilot Study: To test the feasibility of the methodology, identify flaws in the questionnaire, check the timing of the route, and ensure equipment works correctly before the actual data collection. [6]
14. Stratified Sampling: The researcher divides the area into "strata" (e.g., concrete, grass, shrubbery) and samples proportionally from each. This ensures that rare but important land-use types are not missed, providing a more accurate overall average of infiltration. [8]

Section C: Evaluation and Synthesis

15. Evaluation:
    • Strengths: Provides visual evidence of overcrowding, building materials, and lack of infrastructure; permanent record for temporal comparison.
    • Weaknesses: Only captures surface appearance; cannot show social dynamics or internal living conditions; subject to photographer's bias (framing). [8]
16. Extent:
    • Agree: Parallax error when reading gauges, inaccuracies in measuring river width, human error in timing floats.
    • Counter: Use of digital flow meters reduces human error; repeated measurements (averaging) mitigate individual mistakes. [8]
17. Minimising Impact: Avoiding trampling of vegetation by staying on designated paths; using non-invasive sampling tools; ensuring all equipment is removed; limiting the number of students at a single site. [8]
18. Comparison:
    • Structured Interviews: Better for probing deeper into "why" the elderly feel a certain way; allows for clarification.
    • Open-ended Questionnaires: Better for gathering a wider range of unfiltered opinions from a larger sample, but may suffer from incomplete responses. [8]
19. Validity:
    • Low Validity: Sample size (3 sites) is too small to be statistically significant.
    • Oversimplification: Ignores other variables like soil type, slope gradient, or soil compaction.
    • Conclusion: The conclusion is a generalization and lacks sufficient evidence to be a geographical law. [10]
20. Challenges:
    • Urban: High human interference, noise pollution, ethical issues with privacy/consent, traffic hazards.
    • Rural: Physical accessibility, weather extremes, lack of infrastructure, potential for wildlife/terrain hazards.
    • Synthesis: Urban challenges are primarily social/ethical; rural challenges are primarily physical/logistical. [10]