An investigable geographical question names a place, something you can measure or count, and a comparison or pattern, and it can be answered with data you could collect in the time available. Questions like this open almost every fieldwork enquiry.
This is the first lesson in fieldwork design and sampling. Later lessons use your question to decide the sample, the recording sheet and the limits of your conclusion.
What makes a question investigable?
Check any question against four points:
- Place: where will the data come from?
- Measurable variable: what exactly will you count, measure or score?
- Pattern or comparison: between sites, times or distances.
- Scale: can a small group collect enough data in one visit?
If one point is missing, the question usually needs rewriting.
How do you improve a weak question?
- Start with the topic, for example rivers.
- Pick one variable that can be measured, such as width in metres.
- Add a place and a way of comparing, such as three distances downstream.
- Check that the question asks for a pattern, not an opinion.
- Add a hypothesis if the task asks for one.
Worked example
A class studies the invented Sungai Lanai. A first draft reads: “Is the river interesting?”
Step 1, test the draft: there is no measurable variable, because “interesting” is an opinion. There is no comparison either.
Step 2, pick a variable: channel width, measured in metres across the water surface.
Step 3, add place and comparison: sites at 1 km, 3 km and 5 km downstream of the source.
Step 4, final question: “How does channel width change between 1 km, 3 km and 5 km downstream on Sungai Lanai?”
Step 5, hypothesis: “Channel width increases with distance downstream.” This can be supported or rejected by the data.
You can practise reading distances on a scaled map with the map scale, contour and gradient practice, which helps when you fix site positions.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is a question that is far too broad.
Mistaken question: “How does human activity affect rivers in Malaysia?”
It covers a whole country and many kinds of activity, so no class could collect enough data to answer it.
The correction is to narrow each part: one river, one measurable effect and a fixed number of sites. For example: “How does the amount of litter per 10 m of bank differ between a built-up site and a wooded site on Sungai Lanai?”
Check yourself
1. Which of these is investigable? (a) “Is the beach beautiful?” (b) “How does average pebble length change between 0 m, 100 m and 200 m along Pantai Biru?” (c) “Why do people like beaches?”
Show answer
(b). It names a place, a variable (pebble length) and a comparison (three positions). The other two ask for opinions.
2. Rewrite “Look at traffic in the town” as an investigable question.
Show answer
One possible answer: “How does the number of vehicles passing in 10 minutes differ between the main road and a side road in the town at 8 am on a weekday?” Any version with a place, a count and a comparison is acceptable.
3. Write a hypothesis for the question in Q1(b).
Show answer
For example: “Average pebble length decreases with distance along the beach.” It is a testable statement that the data can support or reject.
Where this leads next
With a clear question you can decide where to collect data. Continue to choosing a sampling method, and use the fieldwork sample and graph planner to try out your plan.
Some students write good plans but find the first sentence hardest. A teacher on online one-to-one Geography tuition can look at your wording and show where it loses precision.