Introduction to Study

Assuming you have already chosen a particular topic that you are keen to investigate further, you will need to narrow this down through your investigation title. A good title has both a geographic and location context:

 Geographic context – what topic, theme or issue in the specification are you keen to investigate further? Whatever you choose to investigate, your title must have a link to a topic(s) within the specification.

 Location context – where is the investigation, fieldwork and data collection going to take place?

 

The title of your Independent Investigation needs to be concise and descriptive, and can be in the form of a statement, question or hypothesis e.g.:

 To what extent are groynes the most effective coastal management strategy in Sheringham?

 Sexuality influences perception of place in Bristol.

 

You should develop one (or more if appropriate) statement, question or hypothesis that can be tested. This may form your actual investigation title or your sub-question/s or sub-hypotheses.

Q addition …. Above all else your title needs to be something that you can actually address through the data you will collect and secondary sources you will also draw on.

Sub questions/hypotheses

It is not just your title that is important; you may also have sub-questions – potentially two to four of them – and these will guide your research and provide a framework. Your sub-questions enable you to break your title down and look at aspects of it in more depth. It is advisable that your sub-questions follow a logical sequence. Each sub-question/hypothesis should be an answerable question or testable hypothesis that is clear and well-defined so that you can do the research needed within an appropriate time frame.

Top tips – thinking more about your title

Is your title relevant?

 Is it relevant to an academic debate or intellectual interest?

 Is it a topical issue from the news or personal experience and what makes this issue geographical?

 Does your investigation lend itself to meaningful data collection, analysis and evaluation?

 Does your title enable you to go in search of information and data which enables you to reach conclusions, recognising that there might be more than one answer?

 

Is your title manageable?

 It must be within your ability to tackle your question in terms of scope and scale. Can you collect all the data you need from your primary data collection techniques and/or the secondary sources in your methodology?

 Where and how are you going to collect data for your investigation? Is this accessible? Practical? Safe?

 What are the timescales you have to complete your investigation?

 

 

Does your title enable you to collect and use sufficient data, e.g. primary or secondary, qualitative and / or quantitative?

 

Is it of interest to you?

 If your question is of interest to you, this will help you remain motivated and engaged with your investigation.

 Is your question clear and straightforward? What looks like a simple question could allow the complexity to develop once the investigation, research and fieldwork begin.

 

 

 

Final thoughts

Your Independent Investigation title needs to be clear and concise – what is it you want to investigate, where and why? Your title can be very specific and narrow in focus or a little broader with focussed sub-questions to break the title down.

 

Aims and hypotheses

The aim is a general statement of what you are trying to find out.

One way of formulating an aim is to ask why two places are different, or why the same place has changed over time, e.g.

• An investigation into how and why there is a difference in functions between the villages of Minsterley and Pontesbury
• An investigation into beach characteristics on the north-facing and south-facing sides of Dawlish Warren
• An investigation into how and why retailing has changed in the centre of Carlisle since 2000

Another way of formulating an aim is to ask how and why things are linked, e.g.

• An investigation into changes in beach profile changes along Weymouth Beach
• An investigation into changes in river channel characteristics with distance downstream at Woodley Beck
• An investigation into changes in retail characteristics with distance from the peak land-value intersection in Barnsley

The hypothesis is a statement that you can test. It needs to be clear, directional and measurable, e.g.

• River velocity increases as distance increases from the source of Woodley Beck
• Beach profile is steeper on the south-facing than the north-facing side of Dawlish Warren
• Environmental quality declines with distance from the PLVI in Barnsley

A null hypothesis is a special form of hypothesis.

The null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis can be constructed from the research hypothesis.

Research hypothesis	River velocity increases as distance increases from the source of Woodley Beck
Null hypothesis	There is no relationship between river velocity and distance downstream at Woodley Beck
Alternative hypothesis	There is a significant relationship between river velocity and distance downstream at Woodley Beck

When you carry out a geographical investigation, you must assume that the null hypothesis is true, and only change your mind (and reject the null hypothesis) if there is strong enough evidence to show otherwise.

 

There is no definitive way to approach this but remember your initial ideas for your title will be refined as you do some reading and become more ‘expert’ in your chosen topic area. Your title will evolve and change and, as you complete your Independent Investigation Proposal Form, you can plan your investigation and think through your ideas.

The information you provide in your proposal form should demonstrate how your investigation is capable of being tested or answered to enable you to analyse your data and reach substantiated conclusions within an appropriate time frame. The mark scheme can be used in the early stages of your planning so that you know how to plan an investigation that will enable you to reach your potential. Your teacher will take you through the mark scheme to make sure that you understand the stages of the investigation and this will support you in putting your Investigation Proposal Form together.

Urban-Rural Fringe: Encroachment and Commuter Impact

Context: Many areas on the edge of Glasgow (e.g., East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, or South Lanarkshire fringes) have seen massive housing developments on former greenfield sites.

• Aim: To investigate the extent to which new housing developments on the Glasgow urban-rural fringe have altered local commuter patterns and the surrounding rural landscape.
• Research Questions:
  1. How does the environmental quality vary between the historic village core and the newly developed commuter estates?
  2. To what extent do the residents of the new developments rely on Glasgow city centre for services and employment compared to long-term residents?
  3. How has traffic volume and flow at key arterial intersections changed during peak commuting hours?
  4. What are the key land-use conflicts emerging between local agricultural practices and expanding residential zones?

2. Retail Geography: Out-of-Town vs. Traditional High Street

Context: Comparing the impact of a massive peripheral hub (like Silverburn, Glasgow Fort, or Braehead) against an older, traditional suburban high street nearby (like Paisley, Govan, or Shawlands).

• Aim: To evaluate the geographic sphere of influence and economic health of an out-of-town retail center compared to a traditional local high street.
• Research Questions:
  1. How do the spheres of influence (catchment areas) differ between the out-of-town retail center and the local high street?
  2. Is there a statistically significant correlation between pedestrian footfall and the percentage of vacant retail units across both sites?
  3. How does the diversity of services (using a functional land-use classification) differ between the two locations?
  4. What are the variations in consumer perceptions of safety, accessibility, and environmental quality between the two retail environments?

3. Socio-Economic Disparity: Transect of Wealth

Context: Glasgow is famous in geographic literature for its stark health and wealth divides (e.g., comparing an affluent peripheral area like Bearsden/Milngavie or Newton Mearns with a nearby lower-income urban edge area).

• Aim: To analyze the socio-economic and environmental disparities along an urban-to-suburban transect on the edge of Glasgow.
• Research Questions:
  1. How does the Environmental Quality Index (EQI) change as you move along a 3km linear transect from the inner-urban edge to the affluent outer suburb?
  2. To what extent does the provision and quality of public green space correlate with proxy indicators of local wealth?
  3. How does the type and frequency of local retail and health services change across the socio-economic divide?
  4. Is there a measurable difference in local resident perceptions regarding community safety and place attachment between the chosen study zones?

4. Fluvial Geomorphology: River Channel Dynamics

Context: Using a local Glasgow river or tributary (such as the River Kelvin, White Cart Water, Allander Water, or a local burn) that flows from the countryside into the urban edge.

• Aim: To investigate how the channel characteristics of [Name of Burn/River] change downstream in accordance with the Bradshaw Model as it transitions from a rural to an urban environment.
• Research Questions:
  1. Does the average bedload particle size decrease and roundness increase as distance from the source increases?
  2. Is there a statistically significant positive correlation between downstream distance and channel cross-sectional area (width x depth)?
  3. How does actual velocity change downstream, and does it match the theoretical increases predicted by hydrological models?
  4. To what extent have artificial channel modifications (hard engineering, culverts, embankments) on the urban edge disrupted natural stream profiles?

5. Microclimate: Urban Heat Island Edge Effects

Context: Investigating how the built environment on Glasgow’s edge modifies local weather compared to the immediately adjacent open countryside or country parks (like Pollock Park or Mugdock).

• Aim: To examine the impact of different urban surfaces and building densities on local microclimates along Glasgow’s rural-urban gradient.
• Research Questions:
  1. How do air temperature and relative humidity vary between high-density built residential areas, open parks, and adjacent rural farmland?
  2. Is there a statistically significant relationship between the percentage of impermeable ground cover (concrete/asphalt) and localized surface temperatures?
  3. How do wind speed and direction change around major edge-of-city structural features (e.g., a modern glass business park or high-rise complex) compared to open fields?
  4. To what extent does canopy cover from suburban street trees mitigate the local Urban Heat Island effect?

6. Environmental Quality & Green Space Management

Context: Glasgow means “Dear Green Place,” and its fringes feature vast country parks or regenerated wetlands (e.g., Seven Lochs Wetland Park on the eastern edge).

• Aim: To evaluate the recreational impact and effectiveness of environmental management within a local urban-edge country park.
• Research Questions:
  1. How does soil compaction and vegetation degradation vary with distance from primary walking footpaths and visitor hubs?
  2. What is the spatial pattern of litter and vandalism within the park, and does it display a “Nearest Neighbour” clustered distribution pattern?
  3. How do the primary motivations and demographic profiles of park users change between weekdays and weekends?
  4. To what extent does the biodiversity of ground vegetation vary across areas with different levels of active conservation management?

7. Urban Regeneration: Post-Industrial Hubs

Context: Examining areas on the edge of the city that have transitioned from heavy industry, shipyards, or docklands to modern residential/commercial spaces (e.g., parts of Renfrew, Clydebank, or the East End/Clyde Gateway).

• Aim: To assess the geographic success of a post-industrial brownfield regeneration scheme on the periphery of Glasgow.
• Research Questions:
  1. How has land use changed in the study area over the past 30 years according to historical OS maps and modern GIS mapping?
  2. To what extent has the regeneration project improved the overall Environmental Quality Score of the immediate neighborhood?
  3. Does the demographic profile of new residents in the regenerated zone differ significantly from the populations in the surrounding, un-regenerated neighborhoods?
  4. What are the prevailing views of local business owners regarding the economic benefits and remaining challenges of the regeneration scheme?

 

 

Glossary

 Title – This frames your investigation and can be in the form of a question or statement.

 Hypothesis – A statement which is a prediction and can therefore be tested (through data collection, analysis and evaluations)

 Sub-question – This is a question which addresses an aspect of the title and helps to break it down for the purpose of research and data collection.

 

Good luck with your investigation.