Top tips for the II for an experimental investigation.

Advice to help with carrying out a successful investigation and satisfying the criteria.

First of all, before you start

Read and familiarise yourself with the criteria

Ensure that your RQ and protocol are suitable for the investigation
Retain references for every source that you consulted (including ideas for the protocol)
Ensure that your investigation/RQ has some originality and will provide you with sufficient, reliable data for analysis
and evaluation

Personal Engagement

Do Don’t
Introduction, background and protocol Choose a simple, limited RQ
Explain your involvement in the choice of RQ and/or Use a standard lab form a text or source that you have
hypothesis not adapted for your investigation
Explain your choice of sources in the background Collect a limited amount of data that is insufficient for
Describe why you chose/designed a particular protocol analysis and could have been collected in too short a
and the materials and apparatus that you used (it is time period for an II
helpful to carry out a short pilot study) Use a protocol that does not properly address the RQ or
Describe how you will control the IV and measure the control sufficient variables (this can also affect
DV exploration and communication)
Describe the controlled variables
Analysis and evaluation
Give the reason why you used certain methods of
analysis (means, SD, statistical tests, graphs etc)
Give reasons for interpreting the data in the way that
you did
Explain the scientific context in the conclusion

Exploration

Do
Ensure that the RQ is very precise and relevant to the
investigation
Ensure that the background information is precisely
related to the RQ, not generalised statements
Designed a protocol that addresses all the important
variables fully (a standard method may be used but
needs to be applied properly to your RQ)
Collect sufficient (enough) data. This should include 5
repeats or 5 values of the IV (depending on the time
factor)
Collect reliable (carefully measured) data
Collect qualitative data/observations
Addressed safety – correct handling, disposal and
minimised consumption/waste (as appropriate for the
investigation)
Addressed ethical issues
Don’t
Have a simple RQ without a proper scientific
background
Use a simple protocol from a text that is not adapted to a
novel RQ
Use inappropriate, poorly thought out methods for
making measurements and collecting the data
Write a poorly designed, incomplete protocol that could
not be exactly repeated form the written account
Carry out an unsafe, unethical or inappropriate
investigation
Analysis
Methods of analysis depend upon the type of data collected, not all aspects of processing may be appropriate to a
particular investigation
If the data does not demonstrate an expected trend or relationship, it can still receive good marks if properly processed
and evaluated

Do
Include a sample of the raw quantitative data (if
extensive) in a clear, titled and comprehensible table
Describe qualitative observations (if relevant)
Include uncertainties in data tables
Explain the choice of graph/pie chart etc
Explain and use suitable lines of best fit
Derive R2 values
Derive mean, SD
Use an appropriate statistical test
In all cases, include one sample calculation for each
method for processing data
Find comparable data from other investigations
Interpret the processed data, explaining the significance
of the calculations and their use in interpretation
Evaluate relationships between the IV and DV
Consider outliers and erroneous data
Don’t
Include all the raw data if it is extensive (the report must
be concise)
Correct analysis of a limited amount of data does not
achieve high marks
Be inconsistent with decimal places/significant figures
in data and processing
Use a method of processing without understanding or
being able to explain why it is appropriate
Merely present the data without interpretation of the
meaning and significance of the processing
Use overly simple or incorrect scientific vocabulary

Evaluation

Do Don’t
Discuss whether the data collected answers the RQ Include irrelevant referenced material
and/or hypothesis by referring to the data and the Offer a conclusion not justified by the data obtained and
scientific context research of sources
Describe to what extent the data obtained can support Describe weaknesses related to vague ideas or incorrect
the RQ/hypothesis use of materials and equipment
Describe to what extent the data obtained is supported Offer unspecific improvements or extensions lacking in
by accepted scientific knowledge detail
Evaluate strengths of the protocol, the accuracy of
measurements made and of the control of variables
Suggest improvements to further improve the accuracy
and quantity of the data collected
Evaluate weaknesses of the protocol, accuracy of the
measurements made and control of variables
Suggest improvements to further improve the accuracy
and quantity of the data collected. Procedural difficulties
can be addressed if there was a difficulty encountered in
controlling a variable or making a measurement
Make valid suggestions to extend the scope of the
investigation to enhance the understanding of the topic
Communication

Do Don’t
Remain within the 12 page limit Use unscientific terminology
Ensure that the sequence of subsections of the report are Shrink the sizes of diagrams and graphs to become
clear and properly titled incomprehensible
Use clear, concise language and correct scientific Include repetitive information or irrelevant material
terminology Be careless and inaccurate in tables, graphs and
Label tables, columns and graph axes correctly and calculations
comprehensively
Show clear sample calculations
Use correct formulae
Use SI units for all measurements
Be consistent with decimal places, uncertainties,
Draw clear, labelled diagrams and graphs which have
titles to ensure that their meaning is comprehensible
Use a sensible font size (11)
Correctly reference in a consistent manner