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GEOGRAPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS

SEQUENCE OF INVESTIGATION

 The enquiry skills for Paper 4 are set out in the following stages :

1.Formulation of a hypothesis

 A hypothesis is an idea you intend to test in the field e.g.


a. Average temperatures in urban areas are higher than in surrounding rural areas.
b. Pedestrian density is higher at the Centre of the CBD and declines with increasing distance
from the centre.

2. Planning the fieldwork

In planning the fieldwork you should consider the following:

 sampling method to be used


 health and safety issues
 seeking for permission from the relevant authorities
 the equipment that must be used
 determine whether the survey can be conducted solo or there is need to solicit the help of other
students
 conducting a pilot survey to test the survey tools

3. Collection of data

 types of data (primary or secondary)


 designing a recording sheet
 counting methods
 sampling
 bipolar surveys
 measuring accurately
 designing a questionnaire
 surveying a slope profile
 recording observation in the field

4. Presentation of data

 selection of appropriate diagrams and graphs


 writing an account of your investigation

5.Analysis and interpretation of data

 use of statistical analysis e.g., rank, range, mean, mode, median.


 describing trends, patterns, relationships and anomalies

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 suggesting explanations for your findings

6. Making conclusions

 can the hypothesis be accepted?


 to what extent?

7. Evaluation of your investigation.

 to what extent was it successful?


 how could be it improved?
 how could it be extended?

PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION

1. Health and Safety Considerations

Fieldwork has many dangers so safety precautions must be taken and include the following:

 in many areas it is wise to wear insect repellents


 work in groups
 choose safe locations and times
 wear safety clothing depending on the nature of investigation e.g. safety shoes, helmet, gloves,
goggles
 take contact numbers of home and school and a mobile phone with you in order enable you to
seek help in cases of emergency
 keep away from any military areas.

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2. Pilot Study / Pre Survey

This a minor survey done before the major survey. It is relevant because:

 it helps in the testing of equipment and methods to be used in the field before the full
investigation
 if faults are found with the methods or equipment at this stage, changes can be made before
the actual investigation is undertaken.
 It helps in the choice of the sites to be used for the investigation.

3. Equipment to be used

 This depends on the type of investigation being undertaken.

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4. Number of students needed

 Investigations can be carried out with the help of others or individually, much depends on the
work involved

SAMPLING

What is a sample?

-a sample is a group of objects ,individuals , events or situations that will be involved in a

study

-it is a subset or part of the total population

-it should always be representative of the population ie a third of the population

Population – in statistics it Srefers to all items from which a sample is drawn (also referred to

as a ‘sampling frame’)

When do we use sampling ?

-when the population is very small it is possible to study every item in the population as

sampling would not produce very reliable results

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-when the sampling frame or population is very large such that it is not possible to study

every item sampling is employed

-a subset is chosen from the whole population whose properties are similar to

those of the sampling frame

Sampling Techniques and Methods

-sampling techniques are different from sampling methods

Sampling Methods

-point sampling : individual points are chosen / sampled

-line sampling : objects or items are chosen along lines drawn on maps /streets

-area/quadrant sampling : sampling takes place within squares or quadrants drawn on maps

NB Always choose a bigger sample because:

-it closely approximates the population

-also when interviewing people a sizeable number will not respond , there is therefore often

a difference between the chosen and achieved samples hence the need to have a bigger

sample

Sampling Techniques

-three techniques are commonly used viz: random ,stratified and systematic

Random sampling

-no particular pattern or order is followed when choosing areas of study / respondents

-the researcher chooses the item they come across.

-random number tables can also be used to select the objects

Advantages of Random Sampling

-every item has an equal chance of being selected

-no bias is introduced in the choice

Disadvantages

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-does not work in some surveys where the total population is not known e.g. a shopping

survey

-is not practical enough in some cases e.g. one cannot first number the shoppers and then

select them

-clustering of objects can occur

Systematic Sampling

-items or objects are picked at some regular intervals e.g. every 4th house in the street, every

10th shopper or every 3rd grid line on a map

-random numbers should determine the starting point

Advantages

-there is no need to make a pre-survey

-easier and quicker to do than random sampling

-it ensures good coverage of the population

-technique is good for studying patterned items

-allows for a complete cover of population since the clustering that may occur in random

sampling is avoided

Disadvantages

-only useful when sampling from a map where some system can be developed

-not a good method if one is sampling from a list or a directory as the distribution may not

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be physically systematic

Stratified Sampling

-the population is divided into groups or classes

-each group is known as stratum and all groups as strata

-samples are chosen randomly from each group e.g. if you are sampling a population of 50 000 of

which 60% are blacks , 30% whites and 10% are coloreds. If you are to draw up a sample of

1 000 people ,60% (600) should be blacks , 30%(300) should be whites and 10%(100)

coloreds

Advantages

-useful when studying population made up of different groups

-enables comparisons of different groups to be made

-each group of items is adequately covered

DATA COLLECTION

Types / Sources of Data

Refers to data collected in the field by a person or group of people doing the investigation e.g. through
observation, measurement, interviewing or use of questionnaires.

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Information already compiled and published by other people unconnected with the current
investigation. Secondary sources of data include textbooks, journals, maps, the internet , newspapers
etc

NB : Data may be subjective or objective.

Subjective data is based on a person’s judgement or

opinion.

Objective data is based on measurement in the field

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Direct observation:

-researcher observes and records the data e.g. traffic flow counts

Interviews – two types: personal interview and telephone interview

Questionnaires

Measurement

NB: These data collection methods depend on the nature of investigation being undertaken. Collected
data is recorded on record sheets, maps or questionnaires

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DATA COLLECTION
Research methods
- A great variety of research tools have been developed to aid in the acquisition of data e .g
questionnaires, interviews and observation.

QUESTIONAIRRES

- Is a document containing questions designed to solicit information appropriate for analysis.


- It consists of a list of pre-set questions.
- It is individuals who have the desired information who cannot always be contacted
personally without the expenditure of a great deal of time and money in travel. It is in such
situations that the mailed questionnaires may make a useful contribution.
Considerations when designing a questionnaire

o Questions should be short and precise


o Questions must not be ambiguous
o Avoid the use of technical jargon
o Questions should consist of both open ended and closed questions
o Questions should not skip an age group

 Simplicity and brevity are required in the framing of the questions. Great care
must be taken that that the questions are not ambiguous.
 Phrase questionnaire items in so as to avoid bias that might predetermine a
respondent’s answer.
 Avoid double barrelled questions that attempt to ask two questions in one.
Types of questions

- A good questionnaire should contain both open and closed forms of questions so that
responses from two forms can be checked and compared.
a) Open ended forms of questions
- These enable the respondent to reply as he likes and does not confine him/her to a single
alternative.
- Enables the respondent to state his case freely and possibly give reasons.
- Questions have an unlimited number of options
- The response is not restricted to one answer of the options
- It evokes fuller and richer responses and probably probe deeper than the closed
questionnaire.

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- Open questionnaires may give vague and useless answers.
- The open ended questionnaire frequently goes beyond statistical data or factual
information into the area of hidden motivations that lie behind attitudes, interests,
preferences and decisions.
b) Closed forms of questions

- It has a limited number of responses

- Requires the respondent to place a tick, make a mark or draw a line alongside one of the
several provided possible answers.
- It facilitates answering and makes it easier for the researcher to code and classify the
responses.
- This is particularly useful if details from a large number of questionnaires have to be delt
with, necessitating the use of either mechanically sorted or computer input punch cards.
- Questions can be structured in several ways:
 Completion or fill in
 Checklists
 Scaled items
 Ranking
 Likert- type items
PRETESTING

- Before the final printing it is essential that the questionnaire be pretested in order to
identify ambiguities, misunderstandings and other inadequacies.
- Spending an undue amount of time on a question or leaving it blank can be cases that there
are problems with some of the items.
- The results of pretesting can be used to clarify the items or perhaps eliminate some.
- It is especially important to determine whether the questions will operate equally well in
the different social classes and culture groups of the population to be studied.
LAYOUT OF A QUESTIONNAIRRE

a) Every questionnaire begins with an introduction and general information


- It indicates in brief who is administering it and why you are doing it.
- It assures interviewees /respondents of confidentiality
EXAMPLE: Good morning sir / madam
I am a student at Mandevere college carrying out a survey on solid waste management in
Masvingo town. May you please spare a few minutes of your busy schedule to respond to
my questions. All answers given will be treated with confidentiality.
b) Questions on what you are investigating on.
- Ask about personal information eg sex, age, occupation, education, marital status, income

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c) Conclusion

- this is where you thank the respondent for his or her time.

Advantages of questionnaires

 Standard questions are asked to all respondents.


 Answers can be quantified
 Can analyse results later
 Can post to save time
 Has direct contact with respondent
 A primary data source
 Carters for confidentiality
 Allows several questions in one document
 Several respondents at same time- quickness in data collection.
 Relatively cheap
Disadvantages of questionnaires

 Can only be completed by literate people.


 Uncooperative/ respondents may not have time to complete
 People may be suspicious if asked questions to do with salaries, age.
 Irritability if same people have completed questionnaire before.
 May not allow explanation by respondent.
 Falsehood/ untruthfulness
 Applicable to literate people.
 Biased information.
 Do not accept problems pertaining to the researcher e. g tiredness, tiresome, costly

 Design a questionnaire model of not more than 10 questions to investigate the sphere
of influence of one supermarket in your local town.

a) Introduction

Good morning sir / madam .i am a student at mandevere college carrying out a survey to
investigate the sphere of influence of OK supermarket. Could you please spare a few mins to
answer some questions . This information will be treated with confidentiality.
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b) Personal Information
Tick in the box

1. Sex F M

2. Age 20-30 31-40 41-50

3. What is a marital status Married Single Divorced

4. How much do you earn per month-------------------

5. What is your highest level of education-------------

6. Where did you earn come from-------------------------------

7. What mode of transport did you use to get here---------

8. How many hours did it take to get here---------------------

9. What type of goods did you come to buy here-----------------

Conclusion : thank you very much for your time and have a good

INTERVIEWS - a kind conversation; a conversation with a purpose.


- Having made contacts with and persuaded a person to take part in an interview, then the
researcher need to try to ensure that the respondents.
- Interviewers should make appointments using a variety of methods in advance which
include the use of telephone, write letters
- Interviewers should establish why they want to carry an interview and what the information
would be used for.
Types of interviews
a) Structured interview is simply a questionnaire administered by an interviewer who is
not allowed to deviate in any way from the questions provided.
- The interviewer simply reads out the questions to the respondent.

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b) Unstructured interviews take the form of a conversation where the interviewer has no
predetermined questions.
- Interview of a more structured variety may allow the interviewer to probe the respondents’
answers so they can, if necessary, be classified. The interviewer may also be allowed to
prompt the interviewee.
Advantages

 Can utilize large samples so that generalizations are justified compared to the participatory
observation.
 Concepts and words used by the interviewer and respondent can be clarified.
 One is able to cover many dimensions as possible and as many people as resources permit.
 More flexible than other research methods.
Disadvantages

 It is costly in terms of time and travelling


 It involves physical presence of the researcher
 Researcher may be embarrassed by rude responses (uncooperative)
 Appointments may be dishonoured
Interviews may be affected by interviewer’s bias

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

1. Look for trends/patterns/relationships i.e. increases, decreases, fluctuations , stable / constant


situations on graphs and or tables (describe the nature of trends whether sharp/steep ,
slight/gentle/gradual and whether the changes are taking place at a high or low level)

2. Look for anomalies i.e. data which does not fit into the relationships

3. Comparisons : use comparative terms (whereas. whilst, higher/ lower than )

MAKING CONCLUSIONS BASED ON DATA COLLECTED

Accept or reject the hypothesis : use data / statistics to support the conclusion.

Some investigations may show several anomalies , conclusions made should reveal the anomalies.

EVALUTION OF THE INVESTIGATION

To what extent were the methods used successful ?

Was the equipment used effective ?

Comment on the level of success of investigation .

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HOW TO IMPROVE THE INVESTIGATION

After students discover weaknesses in their investigations there is need to improve the dadta collection
processes. An anomalous result may suggest that there was student error e..g. inaccurate reading of the
measuring cylinder or improper timing of floats when measuring river velocity.

Suggested improvements include :

 Use of digital measuring equipment e.g. a flow meter in measuring river velocity would
eliminate errors.
 Repeating measurements several times may improve the reliability of results where averages
are used.
 More sites may be selected or the frequency of the investigation may be increased.
 Conducting investigation in a different season.
 More students should participate in the investigation or a particular activity.
 Conducting a pilot survey also improves the investigation.

EXTENSION OF THE INVESTIGATION

 Another hypothesis about the same topic may be suggested which could be used to widen the
study

DATA PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES

A wide variety of graphical techniques can be used to present geographical data. There is need to
choose the best type of graph for a particular data set under consideration.

Pie Chart / Divided Circle

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Construction steps:

-draw a circle

-convert values to degrees using formula: X × 360 degrees

Total 1

-draw the twelve o’clock line

-plot the sectors in a clockwise direction

-sectors to be plotted in order (from smallest to largest or largest to smallest)

-decide on a shading scheme

-shade in

-put a descriptive title (Pie Chart Showing...........)

Bar graphs

These are charts or diagrams in which figures are represented by the length of the bar. Bars are drawn
proportional in height to the value they are representing.

(i) Simple bar graph

Data is represented by a series of bars, the height of each bar indicating the size of the figure
represented.

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Construction steps:

-draw the axes (vertical and horizontal)

-label the axes (the variable on the vertical axis and the independent on the horizontal axis)

-choose an appropriate scale for the height of the bars

-draw bars of uniform width

-the bars should be equidistant

-decide on a shading scheme andshade in

-put a descriptive title (Bar Graph Showing.............)

(iii)Compound Bar Graph

These are ordinary bars which are divided into components parts.

Construction steps:

-choose a suitable scale

-draw a bar each representing 100%

-subdivide the bar into the component part

-allocate shades for the respective components

-provide a descriptive title

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-put an informative key

(ii)Grouped/multiple Bar Graph

The component figures are represented as separate bars adjoining each other

Construction steps :

-follow the steps for drawing out the simple bars

-group the bars for each independent phenomenon (Low income, Lower middle income, Upper middle
income )

Origin of children in immigrant families in four countries

(iv)Divergent Bar graph

-drawn to show plus or minus values such as:-

.export or import figures over a number of years

.profit or loss

.increase or decrease in population due to migration

Construction steps :

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-obtain the data

-draw the axes(with the horizontal axis half way up or down the vertical axis)

-label the vertical axis such that the positive values are above zero and the negative below

zero

-labels for the horizontal axis to be below the graph

-draw the bars

-decide on a shading scheme

-allocate shades for the bars and shade in

-put a descriptive title

-put an informative key

Common Advantages and Disadvantages of Bar Graphs and Pie Charts

Advantages :

-visually clear/ visually impressive

-comparative (large, small and similar sectors can be easily identified)

-quantitative in nature (numerical values for each sector can be attached )

-can be used with other methods

Disadvantages

-loss of information as figures are rounded off

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-overlapping

-constant reference to key

LINE GRAPHS

1. Simple line graph

Consists of only one line and shows the relationship between one aspect e.g. temperature

Construction Procedure

-draw the vertical and horizontal axes

-select suitable scales for both the vertical and horizontal axes and label accordingly.

-plot the respective points on the graph

- join the points using a smooth line curve

2.Multiple line graph / Group line graphs.

These consist of more than one line each representing one aspect ,the lines are drawn on one graph.

The lines are useful for showing the relationships between various groups of data and for making
comparisons

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Scattergram / scatter graph

-shows relationships between two or more variables by a distribution of dots

-where there are two variables one is allocated to the X-axis and the other to the Y-axis

-variables are equally weighted (there is no dependent or independent variable)

Construction steps:

-draw the horizontal and vertical axes

-label the axes

-plot dots of the other variable on the graph

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-draw the regression line or best fit line to show the general trend of dots

-put a descriptive title and put a key

There are three possible situations of scatter graphs:

a.Positive correlation

this is a situation where all values increase e.g. increase in precipitation leads to increase in river
discharge

Rainfall

(mm)

50 X x X X

40 X X X X

30 X X X X

20 X X

10 X

0 2 4 6 8 10

Discharge (m 3)

b. Negative correlation

This is a situation whereby as one value rises the other value decreases e.g. as average income
increases infant mortality decreases.

Infant x

mortality 30 x x x

per1000 x x x

20 x x

0 50 100 150 200 250

Income (U S $)

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c. No correlation

No relationship can be seen

Points are scattered and no best fit line can be drawn e.g. there is no link between earthquake
magnitude and number of deaths

200 x

Number 150 x x

of 100 x x

deaths 5O x x

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Magnitude of earthquake

Triangular Graph

-shows the relationship between three variables e.g. issues pertaining to:

. the three industrial sectors-Primary, Secondary, Tertiary ( employment ,production); the three
population groups (Youthful, Adults, Aged)

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-there are three axes drawn as a triangle

-values of the three variables are successively recorded around the perimeter of the triangle

-each variable is measured in %s

Interpreting the graph

-to read a coordinate ,carefully identify which axis you are using(the line opposite the 100%

apex is the 0% line)

-at any one point on the graph the %s of the three variables add up to 100

-each variable increases in value towards a particular apex of the triangle

-there are zones where the values of each variable are greater than the sum of the other

two variables at any one point : see diagram above ;

- at the bottom left apex: values of B > values of A + C

-at the bottom right apex : values of A > values of B + C and

- at the top apex : values of C > values of A + B

-at the centre of the graph there is a point where all the three variables have equal values of

33 & 1/3

-the points at the centre have fairly equal values of the three variable

Using counts to investigate Geographical information.

-Counts are a tool for investigating volume of traffic and pedestrians.

-analysis of information obtained from traffic or pedestrian counts can be used by town planning
authorities to solve problems of congestion among others.

Flow Diagrams

-used to show the movement/flow from place to place of items e.g. traffic, people or items

that are being moved e.g. goods / petroleum from area of production to market, sewage

being disposed of etc.

-flow diagrams show

.quantities passing through a series of check points where counts are made or rates of flow

measured e.g. traffic , pedestrians

.quantities passing along a given route in a particular time e.g. bus service, telephone calls

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How to prepare for carrying out the traffic count

-obtain permission from the local authorities

-obtain a base map of the route network

-design a recording sheet e.g.

TRAFFIC SURVEY RECORDING SHEET

DATE--------------------------------- TIME------------------------------- LOCATION------------------------------

WHETHER INBOUND OR OUTBOUND---------------------------------------------

TYPES OF TRANSPORT

Car Buse Lorrie Motor Bicycle Tractors, Graders


s s s cycles s e.t.c.
Tallie
s
Totals

-obtain data from previous publications, direct observation

-recruit a team to assist with the investigation for it is not possible to do such a task alone

-conduct a pilot survey to test all the survey tools and ensure the success of the survey

Examples of hypotheses that can be formulated

Hypothesis 1.Volume of traffic varies with time of the day.

-here you count different types of vehicles during different times of the day

Hypothesis 2. The volume of traffic varies with distance from the city centre .

-count the number of vehicles at different sites from the city centre.

Actual collection of data

-once the hypothesis has been formulated the actual counting begins

.station helpers at selected counting sites on either side of the road

.counts are done at fixed time intervals, this enables comparison of the number of vehicles for specific
times

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.tallies are used and then totals are given at the end

. during the counting watches are synchronized

How to portray the collected information

The information collected can be portrayed as a flow line map or diagram as shown above

.flow line maps are used to show the volume (quantity) of anything (vehicles, pedestrians, fuel)that
moves along a specific route.

.a line is drawn along the road or from a country of origin to a country of destination. The line should be
proportional in width to the volume of flow.

Method of constructing a flow line map

.obtain a base map of the area concerned showing the routes along which the movements are taking
place

.examine the range of data and decide on the scale of width e.g. 1mm to 50 cars per hour, where the
width remains too large adjust using a constant e.g. square root

-mark out points of related widths on either side of the line/road using a pair of dividers

-join the marked points

-shade either the IN or OUT flow

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-show direction of flow

-provide a descriptive title (e.g. Flow Line Diagram Showing Traffic Flow In and Out Of a

Town)

-insert an informative key

Advantages

-can help to identify points where there are problems of movement e,g, traffic congestion ,

shortage of parking space e.t.c.

-visually impressive

-quantitative in nature

-can easily show a route hierarchy

Disadvantages

-direct proportionality is lost where scale is calculated using the square root(e.g square root

of 100 is 10 represented by 1cm whereas the square root of 25 is 5 represented by 0.5 cm)

-one has to keep referring to the key/scale

-drawing of parallel ‘double- track’ flow lines that remain parallel to each other along curves

is difficult

-choice of scale can be difficult if the volumes involved are too big

Importance of traffic flow diagrams to town planners

-shortage of parking space can be identified and addressed by putting in place

.parkades

.by-laws on parking restrictions

-areas experiencing traffic congestion can be identified and addressed by

.dualising (widening) roads

.constructing : .ring roads to circumvent the CBD

. by-pass roads

. .traffic lights ,give ways, stop signs and round abouts at intersections

.cycle tracks

.foot bridges

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Sphere Of Influence /Catchment Area: Of A Shopping Centre

>Can be determined by

-use of a questionnaire –administered randomly /systematically

-using the address book of a local clinic/surgery

-determining the distance a postman from the local post office travels delivering letters

-observing commuter omnibus destinations

-asking shoppers where they come from

-finding out how far a local shop delivers goods (bread, furniture e.t.c......)

-determining the range of services of a local telephone exchange

>a desire line diagram is the most appropriate mapping technique

Construction Steps

-obtain a base map

-locate each respondent’s home on the map

-draw a straight line from each home to the shopping centre

-connect the points of origins using a broken line

Shopping centre

-provide a descriptive title homes of respondents

-give an informative key

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-provide a scale for the map

Questionnaire Survey

-a survey is an outdoor investigation for collection of data on people e.g. age, income e.t.c.

-a questionnaire is a set of questions designed to find out people’s opinions about something or their
behavior.

-the questions should be short, simple and unambiguous

-the questions are of two types namely :

.closed questions: these questions allow the respondent to quickly tick an appropriate box for the
response chosen

.open questions: these require short answers from the respondent and are quite helpful in
investigations

Layout of a questionnaire

Every questionnaire begins with

a )An introduction and general information:

-it indicates in brief who is administering the questionnaire and why he or she is doing it

-it assures the interviewee of confidentiality

b)Questions on what one is investigating

c)Personal information e.g. income, sex, age, marital status.

QUESTION : Design a questionnaire which you would use to collect information about the impact of
visitors on Kyle Recreational Park. Your questionnaire should address the following :

1. Source of visitors.

2. Mode of transport that they use to get to the park.

3. Frequency of visit to the park.

4. Length of stay when they visit the park

5. Environmental and economic impact of visitors at the park.

SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE

Title : Investigation of the impact of visitors to Kyle Recreational Park.

Date:------------------------------------------------ Area ____________________________________

QUESTIONNAIRE No ___________________________________________________________

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Introduction :

Good morning/afternoon sir / madam. I am a student at Riverton ACADEMY, I am investigating the


impact of visitors to the Kyle Recreational Park as part of my Geography project. Could you please spare
a few minutes to answer a few questions. The information you will give will be treated with
confidentiality. Do not write your name on the questionnaire.

1. Personal Details

Sex : Male Female (Tick )

Age : (Tick box for appropriate age group)

Less than 20 years

21 - 35 years

36 – 50 years

51 – 65 years

Above 65 years

2. Which village/town did you come from ?....................................................( Please fill in )

3. How did you travel to the park ? (Please tick the appropriate box )

..by car .. by bus ..by bicycle ..by train

Other (specify)……………………………………………………………………………………..

4. How often do you visit the park ? ( tick the appropriate box )

..weekly ..fortnightly ..monthly ..annually

Other (specify )……………………………………………………………………………………..

5. Please indicate the activities that you engage in during your stay at the park. (You may tick more than
one box )

Walking

Picnicking

Cycling

Mountain climbing

Other (Specify )……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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6. For how long do you stay at the park per visit? (Tick the appropriate box)

Half a day

One day

2-3 days

A week

Other (specify)……………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. To what extent do you think that visitors create the following at Kyle Recreational Park ? (Please circle
the most appropriate response on each ; 0- not at all, 5- very significant )

Parking problems 0 1 2 3 4 5

Litter 0 1 2 3 4 5

Foot paths leading to erosion 0 1 2 3 4 5

Vandalism and graffiti 0 1 2 3 4 5

Employment opportunities 0 1 2 3 4 5

Bipolar survey

This is useful for assessing environmental quality. The environment includes physical environment and
man made environment. The environment can easily be spoilt or destroyed by our actions. We can use
environmental quality surveys to try and identify problems or damage on the environment.
Environmental quality is recorded by a scoring system. Here a score of 5 is the maximum possible for the
best environmental conditions. The minimum score is 1.

Environmental quality survey sheets

Place ……………………………… Date ……………………….. Time ………………………..

Low quality 1 2 3 4 5 High quality


Poor quality housing High quality housing
Noisy Peaceful
Large amount of traffic Less traffic
Lots of litter No litter
Dirty Clean
Ugly surroundings Attractive surroundings
Air pollution Clean air
Unsafe Safe
Boring Interesting

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Investigating the environmental quality of a town’s different residential areas

Planning the survey

Choose an appropriate number of survey sites. Decide where the survey sites should be located. They
might be along a transect from the town centre to the outskirts of the town. Or they might be chosen
according to known differences in age and perceived differences in quality of town’s residential areas.
Select which characteristics of the environment to measure as indicators of environmental quality eg
house exteriors, roads and pavements, litter, noise etc. Decide on the range of scores to use eg

0 1 2 3
Very low quality of house exteriors Excellent quality of house exteriors
Very low quality roads Very high quality roads
A lot of litter No litter

Prepare an environmental quality reference sheet to use as a guide to what each score for each
characteristic represents. Prepare a recording sheet for use in the field. Decide on the time of the survey
and how many students will go to each site.

Conducting the survey

At the site each student in the group should use the environmental quality reference sheet to determine
and record a score for each characteristic. Then an average score is obtained from ratings given by each
member of the group. After the scores for each characteristic have been noted on the recording sheet,
they should be totaled to give an overall environmental quality score that can be compared with those
for other areas. It is then possible to rank the survey sites according to their scores. The place with the
highest score is perceived to have the highest quality environment.

31

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