Fieldwork: presenting data

Choosing how to present data

Technique	Best for
Line graph	Continuous change, such as discharge over time
	Comparing categories, such as land uses
	The relationship between two variables
Dispersion graph	The spread of values in different groups
Pie chart	Parts of a whole, as percentages
	Data for areas, shaded by value
Proportional symbols	Data at points on a map, with symbol size showing the value
Annotated photo	Showing and explaining what you saw

Choose the technique that best shows the pattern you are testing, and adapt it, for example by adding a best-fit line or locating graphs on a map.

Key terms

A scatter graph: river velocity

River velocity at eight sites downstream (data written for this app).

A suits this enquiry, because it tests a relationship: does velocity change with distance downstream?

Each cross is one site.
The shows the overall trend: velocity rises downstream, a .
Site 4, at 0.12 m/s, lies far below the line: an .

Good graphs have a title, labelled axes with units, and an even .

Key terms

Adapting and combining techniques

The best presentations often adapt a basic technique to show place as well as values:

Located graphs: small bar charts or pie charts drawn on a map at each site, so patterns across the area show at a glance.
depth measurements across a river drawn to scale, showing the shape of the channel at each site.
Annotated sketches and photos: labels that explain what the reader is looking at, not just name it.
Radar graphs: several scores from one environmental quality survey on one diagram.

Using two techniques for the same data can show different things: a table gives the exact values, and a graph shows the pattern.

Strengths and limitations

Every technique has limits. Recognising them is part of evaluating your presentation:

Technique	Limitation
Pie chart	Hard to read with many small categories
Choropleth map	Shows one value for a whole area, hiding the variation within it
Scatter graph	Shows a relationship but not its cause
Line graph	Only suits data that changes continuously

Exam tip

When you're asked to justify a technique, link it to your data and question: 'a scatter graph, because it shows whether velocity is related to distance downstream'.

Exam practice

Plan your own answer first, then open the model answers to see what each level looks like.

6 marks · about 6 minutes

For one of your fieldwork enquiries, explain why one of your data presentation techniques was suitable.

Explain means: Give the reasons why something happens, developing each point with "because" or "so".

Level 1 (Basic)· 2/6 marks (band 1–2)

We used a scatter graph because it is easy to read.

Why this level: A technique is named, but "easy to read" doesn't justify it. To reach Level 2: explain what data it showed and why it suited that data. In the exam, use the details of your own enquiry.

Level 2 (Clear)· 4/6 marks (band 3–4)

We used a scatter graph of velocity against distance from the source. It was suitable because our hypothesis was about a relationship between two variables, and each site could be plotted as one point. A best-fit line showed a positive correlation.

Why this level: Clear link between the technique, the data and the hypothesis. To reach Level 3: develop how it showed anomalies, and compare it with a less suitable technique. In the exam, use the details of your own enquiry.

Level 3 (Detailed)· 6/6 marks (band 5–6)

We used a scatter graph of velocity against distance from the source. It was suitable because our hypothesis, "River velocity increases downstream", is about the relationship between two variables, and each site could be plotted as one point. Adding a best-fit line showed the overall trend, a positive correlation, so we could see that velocity generally increased downstream. It also made the anomaly at site 4 stand out clearly below the line, so we could try to explain it. A bar chart would have been less suitable, because it would have hidden the distances between sites and made the correlation harder to see.

Why this level: A detailed justification linked to the hypothesis, showing how the technique revealed both the trend and the anomaly, compared with an alternative. This is Level 3. In the exam, use the details of your own enquiry.

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