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
- Keep organised notes that separate evidence from personal interpretation.
- Use citations and a reference list to acknowledge sources.
- Avoid plagiarism and inaccurate paraphrasing.
- Evaluate the research process and explain how it could be improved.
Key Terms
- Citation
- A brief acknowledgement in the text showing where information or ideas came from.
- Reference list
- Full publication details for all sources cited in the work.
- Bibliography
- A list of sources consulted, which may include material not directly cited.
- Paraphrase
- Restating information or an idea in new wording while preserving the original meaning.
- Plagiarism
- Presenting another person’s words or ideas as one’s own.
- Research log
- A record of sources, search decisions, methods, findings and changes made during the enquiry.
- Process evaluation
- A reasoned judgement about how well the research was designed and carried out.
Organising Research Notes
Good note-making records the author, title, date, publication details, link and access date where needed. Notes should clearly distinguish direct quotations, paraphrases, summaries and the student’s own comments. This prevents accidental plagiarism and makes later referencing much easier.
A source table can include the main claim, useful evidence, perspective, method, strengths, limitations and relevance to the research question. Organised notes also help the student compare sources rather than writing one source at a time.
Citations And References
Cambridge does not require one particular referencing system, but the system used should be clear and consistent. Whenever a student uses another person’s information, data, argument or distinctive idea, the source should be acknowledged.
The reference list should contain enough information for the reader to identify the source. Copying only a web address is often insufficient because pages can change. Author or organisation, title, date and publication details should be included where available.
Quoting, Paraphrasing And Plagiarism
A direct quotation uses the exact words of a source and should be placed in quotation marks with a citation. Quotations should be short and purposeful. Most evidence should be paraphrased or summarised so that the student can connect it to the argument.
Changing a few words is not a genuine paraphrase. The student must understand the idea and express it independently while still citing the source. Citation is required for ideas as well as copied wording.
Evaluating The Research Process
Process evaluation explains what worked, what did not work and how limitations affected the findings. It should be specific. “The survey was bad” is weak; “The voluntary online survey mainly reached older students, so younger students may be under-represented” is useful.
Improvements should follow from the limitation. A better future study might use stratified sampling, translate questions, collect evidence at different times or include a missing stakeholder perspective. Evaluation demonstrates learning rather than pretending the research was perfect.
Worked Example: A Research Log Entry
A useful entry records the search terms used, the source selected, why it was relevant, what perspective it represented, how credible it appeared and what follow-up evidence was needed. The student might note that an official report provided strong national statistics but did not include the experiences of rural communities.
The next action would then be purposeful: locate research or testimony from rural communities and compare it with the national figures. This makes the research process systematic and transparent.
Common Mistakes
- Copying web addresses without recording author, title or date.
- Changing a few words from a source and presenting the result as original writing.
- Listing sources at the end but failing to cite them where ideas or evidence are used.
- Writing vague process evaluation without explaining the effect of a limitation or a realistic improvement.
Knowledge Check
1. Why should direct quotations be clearly marked in research notes?
Answer: So the student does not later mistake copied wording for their own writing and can cite it correctly.
2. Does paraphrasing remove the need for a citation?
Answer: No. The wording changes, but the information or idea still came from the source.
3. What makes a process evaluation useful?
Answer: It identifies specific strengths and limitations, explains their effects and proposes realistic improvements.
4. What should a research log record?
Answer: Sources, search terms, decisions, methods, useful findings, limitations and next steps.
