This document provides guidance for writing up a geography research project for the NCEA Level 3 AS91430 standard. It recommends students look at exemplars on the NZQA website and keep all planning documents and questionnaires collected during fieldwork. Students should collect secondary data to answer their research aim and present information in tables, graphs and maps. The completed research project should include the research plan, fieldwork data, presented data, a conclusion on results, reflections on limitations, and a bibliography.

1. Research Write Up Guidance
AS91430
Some thoughts on writing up your research.

2. Please look at the NCEA website!
 http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/qualifications-and-
standards/qualifications/ncea/NCEA-subject-
resources/Geography/91430-B/91430-EXP-B.pdf
 http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-
standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/geography/an
notated-exemplars/level-3-as91430-b/

3. Please keep all your planning and
questionnaires!
 You will need to hand in your research plan and your
completed questionnaires.
 You will need to write down any thoughts you have
on how well your fieldwork collection went.
 Be honest – any problems you encountered,
anything you think you should have done differently
– all this is part of your reflection.
 Write it down now so you won’t forget.

4. Start collecting your secondary data.
 Go back to your research plan and look at what else
you intended to collect.
 Complete research online and start getting all your
information together in one place.
 Make sure you always refer back to your aim – Have
you got enough information to actually answer your
question.

5. Present your information in the most
appropriate way.
 Tables
 Graphs, bar, pie, histogram, cartogram, line, scatter
etc..
 Maps
 Sketch maps
 Annotated photographs.

6. Annotate your map
to show the main
features of the area.

8. Pie Graphs

9. Bar Graphs

10. Flow Line Maps

11. Cartogram – showing world population.

12. Chloropleth – uses colour to show features

13. Population Pyramids

14. Bar graph and map combined.

15. You could be inventive!

16. Sketch Maps.

18. So what do you need in your completed
research project.
 1. Research Plan and Aims.
 2. Fieldwork – completed questionnaires/surveys.
 3. Data and information you have collected presented in
an appropriate way. Tables, graphs, maps etc…
 4. Conclusion – what did you find out, in relation to your
aims.
 5. Reflections on your results. What did you do well, what
you could do better next time. Are there any limitations to
what the information you collected can tell you? Did you
need to collect more? Is any of it inaccurate or
misleading?
 6. Bibliography – websites, books, sources of secondary
data.
PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR INSTRUCTIONS FOR A MORE
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IS NEEDED!