Title: Completing the analysis for your NEA LO: To understand the mark scheme requirements for the analysis in your independent investigation.
What your final NEA will have Introduction / Study Aims (approx. 400-600 words) Literature Review (included in above chapter) Methodology and data collection (300-500 words) Data Presentation (1200-1500 words) Data Analysis (included in above chapter) Conclusions (1200-1500 words) Bibliography Appendix
What does analysis involve? Analysis means picking apart your results in order to find meaning and possible explanation. It involves describing, comparing, explaining and attempting to link different data sets together.
Analysis usually consist of three linked activities: 1. Description part of the description will likely be to undertake statistics, either descriptive or inferential. 2. Explanations providing likely geographical reasons linked to patterns and trends in the data. 3. Findings synthesising and suggesting geographical links in the data (and linkage to theory, literature or comparative studies).
Analytical Techniques Adding annotations to graphs or photos to describe your data or compare different locations
Analytical Techniques Using analytical text to explain what you see, or link one set of data to another.
Analytical Techniques Top Tips! Use data!!! Use detailed analytical methods Detailed Analytical Methods Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), and of dispersion (range, inter-quartile range, standard deviation). Inferential statistics, or statistical tests, which explore relationships between sets of data. These include hypothesis testing, levels of significance, student s t-test, Chi-square and Spearman s rank correlation coefficient. Using interview analysis and interpretations of images (e.g. photos, advertising material, paintings), music, film, or text.
Beginning to analyse quantitative data: First, describe the patterns revealed by your data. This may include: A description of the main patterns and trends Illustrating any patterns and trends using data from relevant tables, charts or maps Identifying any anomalies or exceptions which deviate from the main trends Next, look more deeply. With quantitative data, the following checklist of questions may be useful: What is the range of values? Where are most values concentrated? Is there clustering? What shape is the distribution of data? Are there anomalies or outliers? How separate are these from the range of data?
Beginning to analyse qualitative data: Coding is an analytical process in which open-ended questionnaire results or interviews, or blogs, can be categorised in order to help analysis. Photograph analysis, or analysis involving any other form of picture (such as paintings), is useful if you wish to interview people to asses their reactions to changes in an area or to local communities. For example, you could compare the impacts of regeneration using photographs of the same place at two different dates. Task Read through the handout of how to carry out coding, and analysis of photographs. Highlight key information.
Analysis of qualitative data The mass of words and text generated by interviews or data in a textual/photographic form needs to be described, analysed and summarised.
Analysis of qualitative data One option is the categorisation of qualitative information (e.g. Undertaking a count). For example: counting negative adjectives that appear in a blog, forum etc. This then allows the count data to be analysed in a traditional way as categorical data.
Analysis of qualitative data A further option is to use a thematic charting approach or framework analysis. For example: counting negative adjectives that appear in a blog, forum etc. This then allows the count data to be analysed in a traditional way as categorical data.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 10 Base it on geographical knowledge and theory. Have a comparative context throughout.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 9 Use a wide range of geographical sources (articles, book chapters, references, websites, primary and secondary data).
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 8 Fully plan your fieldwork, have an appropriate range of qualitative and quantitative methods and an understanding of your sampling strategy.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 7 Structure your work into chapters: Introduction, Methodology, Data presentation and analysis and conclusions. There can be some variation on chapters depending on the nature of your investigation.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 6 Consider the frequency and timing of your observations, and understand how this will influence your results.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 5 Consider the ethical dimensions of field research methods.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 4 Carry out the fieldwork as best you can, so you can obtain reliable data and information. Make sure your use of methods is consistent and aim for high levels of accuracy / precision.
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 3 Make sure your conclusions and analysis are evidence based (use data!!)
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 2 Use detailed analytical techniques, as discussed today (statistics, coding etc.)
To finish How to complete a successful NEA top 10 1 Come to an overall conclusion that is clearly linked to the purpose of the investigation, and makes links to a broader geographical context.