Developing your study
Marjorie Henry, Contributor

I have been discussing the school-based assessment (SBA) in the last two lessons. This, as you should know by now, is a field study report. This week I will return to the suggested timetable to develop your study as given in the syllabus. Through your interviews, questionnaires, surveys and observations, whatever methods you chose, you have collected and sorted your data. May I state again that the data you have collected must be relevant to what you have set out in your aim. If this proves otherwise, you may have to go back into the field for more information.

You must be able to develop some illustrations to be included in your report from the data you have collected. Here are some suggested illustrations:

• Charts
• Bar graphs
• Diagrams
• Maps other than the location maps
• Pie charts
• Flow charts
• Line graphs
• Sketches
• Photographs

At least three different types of illustrations are to be included in the study. Each must be representing a different set of data. In other words, do not duplicate the information by showing the same information in, for example, a sketch, a graph and maybe a photograph. Make appropriate selections of the illustrations for the data. Make sure that these are properly presented, accurately and neatly drawn. They must all have titles and be properly labelled. Limit the use of photographs and remember that they must be relevant to the study. Like your other illustrations, the photographs must also be labelled.

The timetable of developmental activities for your study indicates that by now you should have resubmitted your strategy sheet, sorted your data, decided on the illustrations and drawn your location maps. You are now ready to begin writing your report. Please note at the outset that this can be legibly hand or typewritten. Now, here are some guidelines to follow as you write:

• The language must be clear and grammatically correct throughout. Use appropriate geographical jargon (terms). Do not treat the report as if you are writing a short story in English A.
• Always keep the aim of your study in mind. Your account must relate to your aim.
• Organise your points. Arrange them in a sequence - in an orderly manner.
• Develop the points. Do not merely LIST them. Support them with the data you collected in the field. This will indicate to the examiner that you did field work and you are not only relying on secondary data.
• Integrate the illustrations with the text. Do not just refer to them after you make a statement, for example, 'See Figure 1'. If, for example, Figure 1 is a line graph showing the flow of traffic over a period of time, you can highlight on the graph the peak and the lull times for traffic flow and the correlation between the day of the week and the time of the day with the traffic flow.
• Point out and discuss features in the photographs you took. Do not simply place them in the study.
• Illustrations are to be placed in your report where reference is made to them. Do not group them together at any one place. The presentation of data, analysis and discussion should be together.

Your conclusion comes next. This must be consistent with the aim of the study. It should not be lengthy and no new data should be introduced in it. It must provide an appropriate summary of the findings discussed in the written account. There is a word limit for your study. It should not exceed 1,500 words. Please keep this in mind as you write. You will be penalised if you exceed the word limit. The first draft then, is absolutely important in this regard. When you are through writing, check the number of words. If you have exceeded the limit, review and reduce the number of words without obliterating the point.

Marjorie Henry is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com