Question 2 gives you a source that describes some research or evidence, for example a student's project, a survey or a news report. You judge how good it is, and you suggest how a claim could be researched or tested. Both skills use the same ideas: where information comes from, how it was gathered, and whether it can be trusted.
2.1 Evaluating research, evidence and claims
Primary and secondary research
| Primary research | Secondary research | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Information you collect yourself | Information someone else already collected |
| Examples | Interviews, surveys, questionnaires, observation, experiments | Books, websites, reports, official statistics, news articles |
| Strength | Fits your exact question, up to date | Quick, cheap, often large amounts of data |
| Weakness | Slow, small sample, can be biased | May be out of date, biased or not about your question |
Qualitative and quantitative evidence
- Quantitative evidence is numbers (percentages, totals, averages). It is good for showing size and trends.
- Qualitative evidence is words, opinions and experiences. It is good for showing reasons, feelings and detail.
A strong piece of research often uses both.
Questions to judge a piece of research
Use these headings to find strengths and weaknesses, then explain each one.
| Check | Strength looks like | Weakness looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | Large, random, includes different types of people | One person or group, too few, only friends or volunteers |
| Representative | Sample matches the population being studied | A single business, school or town used to speak for a whole country |
| Method | Right method for the question, more than one method (triangulation) | One method only, a poor method for this question |
| Source and author | Expert, independent, named, reliable organisation | Unknown author, personal opinion, a group that gains from the result (vested interest) |
| Bias | Balanced, fair questions, several viewpoints | Leading questions, selects only helpful facts |
| Date | Recent and relevant | Old, or about a different place or time |
| Ethics | Permission, confidentiality, no harm | Secret recording, no permission, personal details revealed |
| Accuracy | Data recorded properly, checked | Noisy room, notes not kept, hearsay, estimates |
Strengths and weaknesses answers
For a question such as "Explain the strengths and weaknesses of the research in Source 3" (up to 8 marks):
- Write about both strengths and weaknesses. An answer with only one side cannot reach the top level.
- Use several different points from the checklist, not the same point five times.
- Use details from the source (the sample, the method, the place, the date).
- Explain the effect: "This means the findings may be unreliable because ..."
- Finish with a short overall judgement: how far can the research be trusted?
Claims and generalisations
A claim is a statement that something is true, which may or may not be supported. A generalisation is a claim about a whole group made from a few cases ("all", "most", "everyone"). When you evaluate research, ask: does the evidence really support the claim, or does it only support a smaller claim?
2.2 Suggesting ways to research or test a claim
Many papers ask: "Explain how this claim could be tested. You should consider the research methods and evidence that could be used." This is about designing research, so think like a researcher.
Step 1: understand the claim
Restate it in a few words and decide what you would need to find out. For "The amount of vehicle crime is increasing nationally", you need figures over time and across the country.
Step 2: choose methods and say why
| Method | Good for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Questionnaire or survey | Lots of people, numbers, quick comparisons | People may not tell the truth, low response, shallow answers |
| Interview | Detail, reasons, personal experience | Slow, small sample, interviewer can influence answers |
| Focus group | Discussion, different views at once | A strong voice can dominate |
| Observation | What people do, not what they say | Takes time, people act differently when watched |
| Case study | Rich detail on one person, place or business | Not typical of everyone |
| Experiment or trial | Testing cause and effect | Hard to control, ethical limits |
| Secondary research | Official statistics, past studies, news, reports | May be old, biased or not exactly the right question |
Step 3: say what evidence you would collect, from whom
- Who: the right people (experts, affected people, officials) and a wide sample so results are fair.
- Where: different places, not just one town.
- When: over time if the claim is about change.
- What: statistics, personal testimony, documents, expert reports.
Step 4: explain why this would give reliable evidence
Link each method to testing the claim. "Police and insurance company statistics for the last ten years would show whether the number of thefts has risen, and because they cover the whole country the results are more reliable than one person's opinion."
A top-level answer
- A range of methods and evidence, each explained, not just listed.
- Choices that are credible and clearly related to the claim.
- Some awareness of limits, and how using more than one method (triangulation) helps.
Practise this chapter
Every past-paper question on these topics, with the mark scheme.