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Primary data collection methods

Edexcel IAL Geography · WGE02 Geographical Investigations

Your investigation needs both quantitative and qualitative primary data. Know how each method works, why you used it and what can go wrong (Section B often asks how one method was used).

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Coastal methods

Beach profile: ranging poles and a clinometer (or tape and level) measure the gradient between breaks of slope along a line from the sea to the backshore.
Sediment analysis: measure the long axis with callipers; judge roundness against a chart (for example Powers' scale) at regular points.
Vegetation transect: quadrats at intervals; record % plant cover, % bare sand, number of species, height of vegetation; measure soil pH, soil moisture, wind speed and infiltration.
Longshore drift: time a float moving along the shore.
Coastal defence assessment: bipolar scoring of the condition or effectiveness of defences; field sketches; questionnaires on management.
Mangrove surveys (January 2024 paper): tree height classes and descriptors of human damage, which caused problems when descriptors were confusing.

Urban methods

Environmental quality survey (EQS): score features such as litter, noise, greenery and building condition on a bipolar scale (e.g. -3 to +3), then total or average per site.
Traffic and pedestrian counts for set time periods.
Noise: a decibel (dB) meter or phone app at fixed sites.
Air quality: portable particulate monitors or NO2 diffusion tubes.
Questionnaires: closed questions (tick boxes, Likert scales) give quantitative data; open questions give qualitative data. The January 2024 mark scheme criticised the question 'What is your background?': vague, too few categories, could offend, no 'other' option.
Interviews with stakeholders; annotated photographs; land-use mapping; building height and quality surveys.

Making data accurate and using technology

Accuracy improves with clear recording sheets, standardised methods (same person, same equipment, same time), repeat readings and averages, calibrated equipment, and training (January 2024 mark scheme).

Mobile phones (June 2025 mark scheme): advantages include less paper, digital transfer, easy storage and calculation, geotagged photos and GPS to keep a transect on line; disadvantages include battery failure, no signal, sand damaging the device, theft in urban areas and poor-quality apps (for example noise apps).

Data type	Examples
Quantitative primary	Quadrat % cover, dB readings, traffic counts, EQS scores, closed questionnaire answers
Qualitative primary	Annotated photos, field sketches, interview transcripts, open questions
Secondary	Census data, historic maps, tide tables, crime and deprivation data, council reports

Worked example

Explain how an environmental quality survey produces quantitative data.

Choose criteria such as litter, noise and greenery.
Score each on a bipolar scale, for example -3 (very poor) to +3 (very good), at every site.
Total or average the scores for each site so they can be compared, mapped or correlated.

Answer: Subjective judgements are turned into numerical scores that can be totalled, averaged and analysed.

Key idea: Coasts: beach profiles, sediment size and roundness, quadrat transects (% cover, bare sand, species, pH), floats. Urban: EQS, counts, dB meters, air monitors, questionnaires, interviews, photos. Accuracy: standardised methods, repeats, clear recording sheets; phones help but can fail.

Check yourself

Which equipment is used to measure a beach profile?
- A quadrat and a pH meter
- Ranging poles and a clinometer
- A decibel meter
- A diffusion tube
Show answer
Ranging poles and a clinometer. Gradients are measured between breaks of slope.
A Likert scale question ('strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree') produces
- qualitative interview transcripts
- secondary data
- a field sketch
- quantitative data that can be counted and compared
Show answer
quantitative data that can be counted and compared. Closed responses can be counted and coded.
Why is 'What is your background?' a poorly designed questionnaire question?
- It is too short
- It is vague, so people interpret it differently and answers are unreliable
- It uses a Likert scale
- It is a closed question with clear categories
Show answer
It is vague, so people interpret it differently and answers are unreliable. January 2024 mark scheme.
Which is a disadvantage of using a mobile phone to record data on a beach?
- It allows geotagged photographs
- Data can be transferred digitally
- Sand can damage the device or its charging port
- GPS keeps the transect on line
Show answer
Sand can damage the device or its charging port. June 2025 mark scheme.
An environmental quality survey is mainly a form of
- bipolar scoring of the quality of a place
- traffic counting
- soil testing
- beach profiling
Show answer
bipolar scoring of the quality of a place. Criteria are scored on a scale.
Which change would most improve the accuracy of noise readings?
- Using a different app at each site
- Taking one reading anywhere near the site
- Taking three readings at each site at the same time of day and averaging them
- Asking passers-by how loud it is
Show answer
Taking three readings at each site at the same time of day and averaging them. Standardised repeats reduce random error.
Explain how you would use quadrats to collect quantitative data on a dune transect.
Show answer
Place a 1 m quadrat at regular intervals along the transect, such as every 20 m from the sea, and at each site estimate the percentage plant cover and bare sand and count the number of species, recording them on a sheet.. Where, what is measured, how recorded.

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Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.