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Designing a geographical investigation

Edexcel IAL Geography · WGE02 Geographical Investigations

Unit 2 requires at least two days of fieldwork and research linked to an enquiry question from Topic 1 or Topic 2. Section B asks about your own investigation, so you must know every stage of it (spec, Unit 2 research and fieldwork).

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What the specification requires

At least two days of fieldwork and research, linked to at least one enquiry question in Crowded Coasts or Urban Problems, Planning and Regeneration.
A range of primary data from suitable quantitative (numerical) and qualitative (descriptive: photos, interviews, sketches) techniques.
Secondary data for context and to help answer the question.
Data that can be presented and analysed numerically and statistically.
An individual risk assessment for every student.

Recommended themes: coastal ecosystems (dunes, salt marshes, mangroves) and threats to them; flood or erosion risk and the success of management; impacts of urban transport problems and their management; impacts and success of an urban regeneration scheme. In exceptional circumstances (location, security, illness, disability) substitute data may be used, but you must still graph, analyse, conclude and evaluate it.

The enquiry sequence

1. Aim / question / hypothesis: for example 'How does vegetation change with distance from the sea?' or 'The regeneration scheme has improved environmental quality more in the centre than at the edge'. A null hypothesis states there is no relationship or difference, so it can be tested statistically.

2. Background research: theory, models and secondary data. The June 2024 and January 2024 mark schemes credited using a model such as plant succession, the bid rent model or the Butler model to decide a title, or a literature review; stating the aim alone earned nothing.

3. Location choice (June 2024 credited): a range of sites or ecosystems; manageable scale allowing repeat visits; accessibility; people available to interview; a testable model; safety.

4. Data collection, then presentation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation.

The June 2024 examiners' report noted each Section B part draws on a different stage of this process.

Risk assessment and secondary data

A risk assessment identifies hazards, who is at risk, how likely and serious each is, and how it will be managed. Google Maps and Street View can be used to check sites beforehand. The June 2025 mark scheme credited one risk plus how it was managed, for example: traffic (use designated crossings), cold (warm clothing, a cafe break), heat (water, an early start), slipping on wet rocks (boots, a safe route), and tides on coasts.

Secondary data (June 2025 credited) helps at the planning stage (census data, maps, tide and weather data to design sampling), provides a baseline or historical comparison (old maps, past surveys), and contextualises primary results; but it may be undated, outdated, inaccurate or biased.

Hazard	Management
Traffic (urban)	Use crossings, high-visibility vests, work in groups
Tides (coast)	Check tide tables, work on a falling tide
Slippery rocks	Proper footwear, avoid seaweed-covered rocks
Heat or cold	Water, sun cream, warm layers, breaks
Questionnaires	Work in pairs, stay in public places

Worked example

Write a null hypothesis for an investigation into whether noise levels change with distance from a city centre.

A null hypothesis says there is no relationship.
It must name the two variables.

Answer: There is no significant relationship between noise level (dB) and distance from the city centre.

Key idea: Two days minimum; linked to an enquiry question; quantitative and qualitative primary data plus secondary data; data analysable statistically; individual risk assessment. Sequence: question, research and theory, location, collection, presentation, analysis, conclusion, evaluation.

Check yourself

What is the minimum amount of fieldwork and research required for Unit 2?
- Half a day
- One week
- Two days
- Four days
Show answer
Two days. The specification requires at least two days.
Which is a null hypothesis?
- There is no significant relationship between distance from the sea and plant species diversity
- Plant species diversity increases with distance from the sea
- Dunes are interesting places to study
- I will measure plants at 10 sites
Show answer
There is no significant relationship between distance from the sea and plant species diversity. A null hypothesis states no relationship or difference.
Which would gain credit for explaining how a theory helped decide a fieldwork title?
- Stating 'My title was about dunes'
- Saying the location was near school
- Using the plant succession model to predict how vegetation should change inland and testing it
- Listing equipment
Show answer
Using the plant succession model to predict how vegetation should change inland and testing it. June 2024 and January 2024 mark schemes credited using a model; the title alone earned nothing.
Which is a correctly managed fieldwork risk?
- Risk of rain, managed by going home
- Risk of being cut off by tides, managed by checking tide tables and working on a falling tide
- Risk of traffic, managed by walking faster
- Risk of getting lost, managed by not going
Show answer
Risk of being cut off by tides, managed by checking tide tables and working on a falling tide. A risk plus a specific management strategy.
Which is a use of secondary data at the planning stage of an investigation?
- Measuring noise with a decibel meter
- Counting pedestrians
- Taking annotated photographs
- Using census data to choose contrasting areas for sampling
Show answer
Using census data to choose contrasting areas for sampling. Secondary data help design the sampling strategy.
Which is a qualitative primary data method?
- A traffic count
- Annotated field sketches
- Measuring beach gradient
- Recording dB noise readings
Show answer
Annotated field sketches. Qualitative data are descriptive, not numerical.
Explain why a stretch of coast with a sand dune system was a suitable location for an investigation into plant succession.
Show answer
The dunes show a clear sequence from embryo dunes near the sea to fixed dunes inland, so changes in vegetation could be measured along a transect, and the site was accessible and safe to visit within a day.. Geography of the site, method it allows, practicality.

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