Criterion A: Research question and inquiry (4)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student establishes and explores an environmental issue
(either local or global) for an investigation, and develops this issue to state a relevant and focused research
question.
(either local or global) for an investigation, and develops this issue to state a relevant and focused research
question.
Clarification for research question and inquiry
A lack of focus may lead to a research question that cannot be suitably addressed within the world limit of 3000 words
Background research: For example, a theory or model. The citation of published materials must be sufficiently detailed to allow these sources to be traceable
Background research: For example, a theory or model. The citation of published materials must be sufficiently detailed to allow these sources to be traceable
Research Question and Inquiry Guidelines
When developing your research question and conducting your inquiry, keep the following points in mind to ensure your investigation is relevant, focused, and unique:
When developing your research question and conducting your inquiry, keep the following points in mind to ensure your investigation is relevant, focused, and unique:
- Choose a Relevant Topic
Select a local or global environmental issue that interests you and can be realistically investigated within the scope of this project. - Background Research
Your background research should directly relate to the environmental topic or issue you’ve chosen. Ensure it’s focused, and builds a strong foundation for understanding your question. - Unique Research Question
Aim for a research question that is specific to your approach or perspective. It should reflect your unique understanding and inquiry focus. - Include Key Variables
- Independent Variable: Clearly identify the independent variable in your question. If you’re investigating a correlation, make sure both variables you’re correlating are clear.
- Dependent Variable: Define a dependent variable that will respond to changes in your independent variable, or to the relationship between the two variables if working with a correlation.
- Focus on Relevant Context
Ensure that both your independent and dependent variables are relevant to the environmental topic. This helps in making your inquiry precise and meaningful. - Scientific Names
If your investigation involves living organisms, use the scientific name in your work to maintain clarity and precision.
A relevant and focused research question should arise from a local or global area of environmental interest (the issue).
- Least developed countries’ (LDCs) governments argue that they cannot be asked to bear the brunt of protecting the environment by limiting the development of their natural resources owing to concerns about the environment; for example, deforestation in Southeast Asia for palm oil or in the Amazon basin for industrial cattle range. These examples illustrate the tension between national economies and global environmental sustainability.
- Reintroduction of locally extinct apex predators to restore ecological balance has an impact on ranchers concerned about livestock losses; for example, wolves in Wyoming, USA. This illustrates the tension between regeneration and rewilding, and maintenance of local livelihoods.
- As human communities expand and encroach on the habitats of animals, different groups need to make use of the same space; for example, tigers entering villages, and villagers—who fear attacks—pre-emptively killing the tigers. This illustrates the tension between the protection of tigers and wild areas versus human community safety.
- Pesticides are used to control herbivorous insects to maximize crop yields. However, this has an adverse impact on non-target organisms; for example, the effect that neonicotinoids—pesticides—have on the learning and memory capacity of honeybees. This illustrates the tension between local livelihoods and environmental pollution.
Choosing Your Environmental Topic or Issue
When picking a topic or issue, keep it specific and relevant to environmental systems and societies. Here’s how to shape your background research and question:
When picking a topic or issue, keep it specific and relevant to environmental systems and societies. Here’s how to shape your background research and question:
- Selecting Your Topic
You can choose a topic similar to others, but ensure your approach is unique. Whether it’s global (like climate change) or local (like urban heat in cities), pick something you feel connected to and are curious about. - Conducting Background Research
Go beyond general descriptions of your topic. Instead, focus on key theories or models, and back up your research question with relevant studies or findings. For example, rather than simply reviewing carbon dioxide levels, you could explore and reference the Keeling curve and models for future CO₂ predictions.- Explain everything the reader would need to know before doing the investigation?
- Explain the science behind the investigation? The Why and how of it working?
- Cite your sources (in text and work cited)?
- Explain how the science is connected to your investigation research idea?
- The background sets the research question into context.
- Justify the connection between your study and the bigger problem that was the stimulus for your investigation
- Background information provide sufficient information about the environmental context
- Appropriate and relevant background correctly described and explained.
- Citations relevant to the research question are used.
- Background information is used to form a hypothesis.
- Developing Your Research Question
Good research questions are specific and measurable. Examples from broad topics include:- Testing plant growth at different CO₂ levels.
- Exploring coral reef changes due to ocean acidity.
- Examining community opinions on banning fossil fuels.
- Keeping It Relevant to ESS
Choose topics that tie clearly to environmental systems. Topics focused only on human health, pure economics, or standalone biology or geography often don’t fit ESS, unless you link them directly to environmental impact (e.g., electricity demand and offshore wind farms’ effects on coastal ecosystems).
The environmental issue is the overarching reason for your lab. (Think is it in the book). EVERYTHING IS LINKED BACK HERE!
Large ideas could include but are not limited to:
Environmental Issue:
Large ideas could include but are not limited to:
- increased use of fossil fuels
- desertification
- eutrophication of water due to farming techniques
- loss of biodiversity
- over population/ urbanization
- over consumption of ground water
Environmental Issue:
- Identify an environmental issue in relation to your RQ (Should be done first!)
- Discuss the environmental issue in the context of your Research Question
- Develop a range of arguments within the focus of the issue
- Explain how the issue is connected to your Research Question
Deciding on Your Research Question
When developing your research question, keep it focused, unique, and manageable. Here are the main points to consider:
When developing your research question, keep it focused, unique, and manageable. Here are the main points to consider:
- Make It Unique
Ensure that your question is specific to you. If you’re working in a group, make sure your approach or perspective on the topic is unique. - Include Variables
Your question should clearly state variables:- Experiments: Define an independent variable you’ll change and a dependent variable you’ll measure.
- Correlations: If you’re looking at relationships (e.g., comparing GDP and access to safe water), specify the two variables without implying one causes the other.
- Stay Realistic and Precise
Choose variables that are reasonable for your topic. For example, if exploring algae growth related to ocean warming, keep temperature ranges within real-world limits (e.g., up to 32°C for tropical oceans). Avoid vague terms like “efficient” or “suitable” as these can be hard to measure accurately. - Be Flexible with Format
Your research question doesn’t need to be a traditional question. It can be a clear statement of what you’re comparing or measuring (e.g., “A comparison of the impact of visitor numbers on biodiversity in two areas of National Park X”). - Avoid Overly Broad Questions
Keep your question focused so you can dive into detail without exceeding the word count. If using more than one independent variable, ensure they’re connected and that your analysis remains in-depth. - Consider a Hypothesis
While not required, a hypothesis may help you structure your investigation by suggesting a potential relationship between your variables.
Whatever you choose, should have a local or global connection somewhere specific that you are looking.
Example: Urbanization of the Dallas, TX, USA metro area is causing and increasing demand for water.
Warnings: Narrow your focus from overly broad issues to something specific to a country or local connection.
Examples:
WHY?! Specific, clear, know what you are going to do without reading it, independent and dependent variables are clear.
Local/Global Connection:
If you are using any living organisms, or products from living organisms, such as seeds from a certain plant, give the most precise name you can and give the scientific name if possible (e.g. Phaseolus vulgaris for kidney beans).
Example: Urbanization of the Dallas, TX, USA metro area is causing and increasing demand for water.
Warnings: Narrow your focus from overly broad issues to something specific to a country or local connection.
Examples:
- Broad: Climate Change
- More Focused: The destruction of the Trinity River Deciduous Forest in Dallas, TX, USA due to urbanization.
- Broad: Air pollution
- More focused: Use of coal plants in Lima, Peru and their energy choices
WHY?! Specific, clear, know what you are going to do without reading it, independent and dependent variables are clear.
Local/Global Connection:
- Provide the reader with an understanding of how the RQ and issue are connected to a local and or global environmental issue
- Clearly explain how these connections are relevant to your RQ
- Provide enough background information for the reader to understand these connections
If you are using any living organisms, or products from living organisms, such as seeds from a certain plant, give the most precise name you can and give the scientific name if possible (e.g. Phaseolus vulgaris for kidney beans).
The second and third in a series from Science Sauce about Choosing Your Topic and Writing Your Report
