Internal assessment: fieldwork and report
Internal assessment: fieldwork and report
The IA is an individual geographical enquiry based on fieldwork. It tests your ability to design a question, collect and present primary data, analyse it and evaluate the investigation. The SL report has a 1,500-word limit; keep the focus on geographical reasoning, not decoration.
Core rules
- Fieldwork question must be geographical, answerable with data, and linked to a syllabus theme. Avoid questions that are simply opinions or descriptions.
- Context should explain the location, the geographical concept and why the question matters.
- Methods need justification: sampling strategy (random, systematic, stratified), sample size, equipment, timing and control variables.
- Risk assessment and ethics are required: avoid private property, obtain consent, protect personal data and minimise environmental damage.
- Data presentation should suit the data: bar charts for categories, scatter graphs for relationships, GIS or annotated maps for spatial patterns.
- Analysis should describe patterns, identify anomalies and use a technique such as Spearman's rank or measures of central tendency where appropriate.
- Conclusion must answer the question directly and be supported by evidence.
- Evaluation must assess limitations and suggest realistic improvements.
Worked example
Question: 'How does pedestrian footfall vary with distance from the central business district?' Reasoning: operationalise footfall as people passing a point in five minutes. Use a systematic sample of five sites at 500 m intervals along a transect, at the same time on the same weekday to control for commuting. Present a scatter graph and calculate a correlation. A negative relationship would answer the question, but the evaluation should note that weather and school holidays affect footfall.
Traps
- Choosing a question that cannot be answered with primary data.
- Describing methods without justifying them.
- Presenting data without analysing patterns or anomalies.
- Writing an evaluation that lists limitations but does not explain their impact.