About This Subject
This subject is not mainly a knowledge-based subject like Biology, History or Geography.
A student is not expected to memorise detailed facts about climate change, migration, healthcare, sport, technology and all the other syllabus topics. Cambridge states that the topics provide contexts in which students develop skills, while knowledge of topic content is not assessed. It also says students are not expected to have experience of every topic.
1: Core Concepts And Global Perspectives Skills
2: Research Methods, Evidence And Source Evaluation
3: Written Exam Preparation
4: The Individual Report
5: The Team Project
6: Global Topics 1–8
7: Global Topics 9–15
8: Global Topics 16–22
9: Practice Tasks, Model Responses And Checklists
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Learning Objectives
- Use search terms and search strategies to locate useful evidence.
- Distinguish relevance from general interest.
- Build a source collection that includes different places, groups and perspectives.
- Recognise when a source set is too narrow or repetitive.
Key Terms
- Search term
- A word or phrase entered into a catalogue, database or search engine.
- Keyword combination
- Two or more search terms used together to narrow or redirect results.
- Relevance
- The extent to which a source helps answer the specific research question.
- Diversity of sources
- Variation in source type, origin, author, method, place and perspective.
- Contrasting evidence
- Evidence that differs in findings, interpretation or perspective.
- Search trail
- A record of searches, useful sources and decisions made during research.
Searching With Purpose
An effective search begins with the main concepts in the research question. Students can combine the issue, location, stakeholder, policy or outcome. Quotation marks may locate an exact phrase, while adding terms such as “report”, “survey”, “evaluation” or a country name can improve relevance.
Search terms should be varied. Different organisations may use different language for the same issue. Searching only “illegal migrants”, for example, may produce a different set of perspectives from searching “undocumented migrants” or “irregular migration”. The language of the search can shape the evidence found.
Relevance Before Quantity
A source is relevant when it contributes directly to the research question. A detailed history of renewable energy may be interesting but not useful for a question about the present cost of household solar systems. Students should read titles, summaries, dates and methods before saving a source.
Relevance also depends on scope. Evidence from another country may be valuable for global comparison but may not prove what will happen locally. The student should explain how each source is being used.
Building A Diverse Source Set
A strong investigation draws on different types of evidence and different origins. It might include official statistics, independent research, expert explanation, community testimony, business perspectives and policy documents. This allows scale, experience and reasoning to be considered together.
Diversity does not mean collecting weak sources merely to create disagreement. Sources should still be credible and relevant. The aim is to avoid dependence on one institution, one country or one perspective.
Looking For Contradictions
When sources disagree, students should not simply choose the one they prefer. They should compare dates, definitions, samples, methods and interests. Two reports may reach different conclusions because they examine different populations or use different measures of success.
Contradiction can strengthen research by revealing uncertainty or complexity. The student can explain which evidence is more convincing and why, while recognising what cannot be concluded confidently.
Worked Example: Searching For Evidence On Remote Work
A weak search is simply “remote work”. Stronger searches might include “remote work productivity longitudinal study”, “employee wellbeing remote work survey”, “employer perspective hybrid work”, or “remote work developing countries internet access”.
The final source set should not consist only of technology-company blogs. It could include labour statistics, university research, employee testimony, employer surveys and evidence from more than one country.
Common Mistakes
- Saving the first search results without checking whether they answer the question.
- Using several sources that all repeat the same original report.
- Assuming that a source from another country automatically applies to the local context.
- Avoiding evidence that challenges the student’s preferred conclusion.
Knowledge Check
1. Why should search terms be varied?
Answer: Different wording can reveal different evidence and perspectives and reduce the effect of search-language bias.
2. What makes a source relevant?
Answer: It directly contributes evidence or reasoning needed to answer the specific research question.
3. Why is source diversity useful?
Answer: It reduces dependence on one viewpoint or method and allows the issue to be understood from several angles.
4. What should a student do when reliable sources disagree?
Answer: Compare their methods, definitions, dates, samples and interests, then explain which is more convincing and why.
