Show:
Inquiry & Method
Sampling & Experimental Fairness
Working with Data
Judging Quality
Sources & Communication
100
Independent, dependent, and controlled
Name the three variable types in a controlled experiment.
100
Hazards, risks, and control measures
What should a practical risk assessment identify?
100
A focused question that guides what the investigation aims to find out
What is an inquiry question?
100
First-hand collects primary data; secondary uses existing information from others
Distinguish first-hand investigation from secondary-source investigation.
100
Choosing suitable variables, controls, and measurements that truly test the inquiry question
What planning decisions most affect whether a method is valid?
200
Small samples are less reliable and more affected by chance
Why does sample size matter?
200
Choosing which people, items, sites, or trials are included
What is sample selection?
200
It shows the baseline without the treatment or tested factor
How does a control group improve fairness of a comparison?
200
They reduce expectation and researcher bias
How do placebos and double-blind designs improve fairness in human trials?
200
Selection bias / unrepresentative sampling (accept convenience sampling bias)
What bias appears if you only include convenient or easy-to-reach participants?
300
To identify trends, relationships, or anomalies that need explanation
Why do scientists look for patterns in data?
300
Qualitative describes categories/qualities; quantitative is numerical
Distinguish qualitative from quantitative data.
300
Identify them, check for error, and consider their influence before forcing a trend
How should outliers be handled when interpreting results?
300
A trend may be coincidental or confounded rather than cause–effect
Why must correlation and causation be separated when reading graphs?
300
It reveals patterns and supports clearer, evidence-based conclusions
How can processing raw measurements into graphs or statistics improve analysis?
400
Consistency when the investigation is repeated under similar conditions
Define reliability of results.
400
Closeness of a measurement to the true or accepted value
Define accuracy.
400
Whether the method measures what it claims to measure / answers the inquiry question
Define validity.
400
They show how much confidence to place in measurements and conclusions
How do error types and uncertainty affect trust in evidence?
400
Repeats agree with each other but are systematically off the true value
What does it mean if data are precise but inaccurate?
500
Evaluation of scientific work by other experts
What is peer review?
500
Independent evidence can support or challenge your inferences
Why use secondary sources when interpreting your own results?
500
A judgement against criteria such as credibility, methods, bias, and relevance
What does evaluating a source require beyond summarising it?
500
So others can replicate the work and judge reliability
Why must methods be described clearly in a scientific report?
500
Students gather evidence and then analyse, judge quality, and communicate justified conclusions
How do practical investigation and critical evaluation work together in Working Scientifically?