INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATIONSINVESTIGATIONS

How to write up your investigation report

THE INVESTIGATION THE INVESTIGATION REPORTREPORT

You write it

Your teacher marks it

It is sent away to a moderator who will check that the marks are appropriate

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA

You can read them in the specification

There are four EQUAL sections

Make sure that you take notice of the detail

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA

Planning

Implementing

Analysing

Evaluating

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS HAVE TWO STRANDS

Planning

Experimental detail

Background theory

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS HAVE TWO STRANDS

Implementing

Doing

Recording

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS HAVE TWO STRANDS

Analysing

Graphs and calculations

Drawing conclusions

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS HAVE TWO STRANDS

Evaluating

Limitations of methods

Uncertainty associated with measurements

MARKING CRITERIAMARKING CRITERIA DESCRIPTORS DESCRIPTORS

Descriptors at levels 2, 5, 8 and 11

You need to satisfy low ones before getting access to higher marks

You have to satisfy descriptors in BOTH strands to move your mark up

PLANNING – THE DETAILPLANNING – THE DETAIL Start off with a clear aim (Don’t use a hypothesis)

Include comprehensive RELEVANT background theory

Include FULL details of the plan (e.g. preliminary experiments, modifications, how much you measured out, what you measured it with).

PLANNING – MORE DETAILPLANNING – MORE DETAIL

Explain why your choices of equipment and readings will produce useful data

Include a risk assessment which is detailed and relevant to what you are doing

PLANNING – YET MORE PLANNING – YET MORE DETAILDETAIL

Include a set of references ( include page number and links references to where you have made use of them in the text)

Include synoptic grid

Sub-headings can be helpful

EXAMPLE OF A SYNOPTIC EXAMPLE OF A SYNOPTIC GRIDGRID

CONCEPT UNIT MODULE YEAR

Amount of substance EL 1 AS

Chemical formulae EL 1 AS

Balanced equations EL 1 AS

Reacting quantities DF 1 AS

Catalysis DF 1 AS

Concentration of solutions M 2 AS

Redox M 2 AS

Rates of reaction A 2 AS

Rates of reaction EP 4 A2

Redox SS 4 A2

Catalysis SS 4 A2

Rates of reaction AA 5 A2

RECORDING RESULTSRECORDING RESULTS

Record all measurements, not just averages

Use correct format including units as you did for AS coursework

Use helpful headings to explain what is going on

REPEATING EXPERIMENTSREPEATING EXPERIMENTS

If experiments produce poor quality data then modify and repeat them

– e.g. low titres from titrations

Gas volume measurements that are all similar

ANALYSING - ANALYSING - CALCULATIONSCALCULATIONS

Show ALL of your calculations

EXPLAIN all of your calculations

ANALYSING - GRAPHSANALYSING - GRAPHS

Make sure that your graphs are of a suitable type (NO bar charts)

Make sure your graphs are well presented (computer generated graphs can be too small and produce thick and inappropriately drawn lines)

Include a helpful title and label axes fully

ANALYSING - ANALYSING - CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

Concentrate on the detail

Try to link with the background theory in your plan

It should be a commentary on your results, not simply a description of them

Don’t skimp

EVALUATINGEVALUATING

This section carries the same number of marks as your plan.

Spend enough time on it.

This is where you can really make a difference

EVALUATING – THE DETAILEVALUATING – THE DETAIL

Calculate the uncertainties associated with ALL types of your measurements

Identify the limitations of your experimental procedures

EVALUATING – MORE EVALUATING – MORE DETAILDETAIL

Comment on the relative significance of limitations and uncertainties

Use the above to explain what and why you would do differently if you repeated the investigation

Don’t skimp