GLOBAL STUDIES

GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT

Global Studies

Resource Booklet

2019

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The Group Research Project (GRP) is designed to give you the opportunity to apply some of the skills and knowledge gained in class to a practical research assignment involving the study of an issue that is of interest to you and your group. It is a chance for you to be a detective! You have to choose a topic which interests all of you and use your best research and problem-solving skills to find out about it.

You can’t complete the project at home or in the library or in the classroom. You must get outside and interact with people because the GRP requires you to do two different types of research. These are:

Primary research - information that you gather first hand. Primary research is usually done by taking measurements, recording observations, conducting surveys and interviews, and taking photographs.

Secondary Research - locating, selecting and organising information from published reports, texts, editorials and opinion pieces, audio-visual productions, graphical and statistical information. Secondary research is collecting research, writings and ideas other people have created. This is the research that you are used to doing for school projects.

GETTING STARTED

Use a shared Google Doc to keep track of your project. This is the place you keep all your ideas, records, articles, excerpts, links, references, reflective log, research plan, and so on, so that nothing gets lost or forgotten. Remember to keep it up to date!

If you create a new document, like a Google Slide, be sure to share it with your teacher and all group members.

Start thinking about ideas for topics. Try to decide on a problem soon, so you can start researching it.

Read through this workbook and think about what you must do. Is there anything you don’t understand? Try to clarify problems early, while they can be easily solved. Refer to it quite often.

SKILLS YOU WILL NEED

There are many skills you will need to complete your project. Some of these you will already be familiar with, others are new. We will be learning and practicing these skills in class. You should be confident about doing all the skills on the checklist.

SKILLS CHECKLIST

Become an expert and draw conclusions about problems in Australia

Use digital platforms and apps to organise information

Develop a research plan Choose the best method of primary researchPresent your research to an audience Write interview questionsEvaluate information from secondary sources Write survey questionsWrite a letter requesting an interview Interpret and analyse interview resultsGenerate, describe, compare and interpret graphs from survey data

Reflect honestly on the process of research and your progress

Write a reference list Conduct ethical primary research

HINTS AND TIPS(or what the Global teachers have learned over many, many years…)

Use the notification and marking criteria as a checklist.

Start early and set aside regular time outside of class to meet and work on your GRP.

Read through the GRP Resource Book and past projects and other resources on the Global Studies website.

You have identified some very specific questions you wish to answer. Make sure you stick to these when you are interviewing people and collecting data. Don’t wander away from the topic.

Be aware that the people you contact may be very busy. Try to be to the point and ask specific questions. Offer to contact them at a more convenient time. Always be polite, and don’t take a refusal personally. Remember you are asking them to do you a favour.

Take advantage of websites and pamphlets to find out as much information as possible about your topic and interviewee before speaking with them. Try not to ask questions you could easily have found the answers to elsewhere, you are there to get their opinion on the issue to complement your secondary research.

Don’t spend a lot of time printing articles and information you will never read. Only photocopy or print things which are very relevant to your research.

Read through sources and make a list of the main points in your GRP Google Doc. Keep a complete reference to the source. If you want to refer to it again, you will be able to find it.

Remember that much of the material you read will be written from a particular viewpoint. This is not a problem as long as you include material from different perspectives. Whenever you are reading material, think about the viewpoint it has been written from. When you have read a range of views you will be better able to form your own opinion.

Not all the information you find on the Internet will be accurate or helpful. Try to use only official sites operated by governments, universities, interest groups and companies. Remember to look for bias.

REFERENCE AS YOU GO! The last thing you all want to be doing is creating a reference list. Use the SLASA Referencing Generator or the Referencing documents on the Global Studies Canvas page as a model on how to reference your sources and write a reference list.

Make sure you answer your key question.

Use the Project Structure heading from the notification as signposts throughout your project.

ASK FOR HELP! Please don’t blunder around, putting things off because you will figure it out “later”. You will not receive much sympathy if you don’t let your teacher know until the last minute that there’s a problem, especially if it’s an intragroup conflict.

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THE INFORMATION PROCESS

The first thing your group must do is gather information on your topic from secondary sources. This involves using the information process.

The information process is an approach that you can use to clarify the steps in research and guide you through any assessment task. The process consists of six stages each requiring a different type of thinking.

It is important to recognise that the information process does not need to be followed in a step-by-step fashion. You may, for example, realise that the information you are selecting requires you to redefine your question. Or you may realise when organising your presentation, that you have a ‘hole’ in your argument requiring a redefinition of your research focus and the location of further reference materials.

Use the steps and information skills outlined above to assist you throughout your GRP process.

To get you started, the first step in using the information process is to gain a clear picture of what you are being asked to do. This is called DEFINING the task. To do this you need to think through the following questions specific to your GRP:

What are the key words in the instructions? What are the intended outcomes of this assessment? How much time do you have to complete the project? What does this suggest about the length and

detail required? What do the task outcomes suggest about the marking criteria that is likely to be used?

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CHOOSING A TOPIC THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is that your topic choice appeals to your group’s interests as much

as possible, as this will increase your enthusiasm for thorough research and high-quality results. The topic must be something on which your group can do primary research. Think about what access to possible primary research interviewees you have in your family and among

your friends. Is Uncle Bob a lawyer in international law? Is your best friend’s mom an energy policy analyst?

If your topic is a controversial one, consider that you will need material from a variety of viewpoints, so you can form an overview of the topic. You need to have a balance between different perspectives – the task is not to write a piece of propaganda.

If your topic is an ongoing issue, make sure that current information is available. While historical information is important, having both is preferable for a well-rounded presentation.

GETTING THE BALL ROLLING

There are lots of places you can look and questions you can ask to help you come up with ideas. If you have a topic of interest and you wish to find out more information, search online for a topic, such as ‘autonomous vehicles’ and see what issues and problems currently surround it. Save and organise your online resources by copying the link and key information from the site into your group’s shared Google Doc.

PLUS-MINUS-INTERESTING

If you have a variety of topic ideas, the next task is designed to help you select the most suitable topic. The idea of this exercise is to think critically about each of the topic proposals and assess their relative advantages (+plusses) and disadvantages (-minuses) and any further questions (?interestings) you have about the topic. To do this, you will need to ask yourself the following questions:

Does this topic provide opportunities for both primary and secondary research? How easy will it be to find secondary information? Primary research interviewees/ responders? Am I interested enough in this to research it for 2 terms? Are there any laws that may prevent me from conducting this research? Is the topic safe to research? Will it be possible for me to complete the primary research?

Having assessed the relative advantages/disadvantages of each topic your group will now be in a better position to select a topic that best suits you. At this stage it might help to do a search on the topics as there might not be much information or clear problems on one of the topics.

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Plus/Minus/Interesting + - ?

Proposed Topic 1

Proposed Topic 2

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FINE TUNING YOUR TOPIC

Once you have selected a topic area the next challenge is to ensure that your group’s research question is not too broad or narrow. You need to consider the length of the task and how much time you have to complete it. Having too wide a topic can lead to difficulties narrowing down your information and conducting primary research. Too narrow a topic will leave you with insufficient material.

Brainstorm, mind map or scan articles online for 10-15 minutes for more specific details (to narrow) or wider implications and effects of your topic (to broaden).

REFINING YOUR TOPIC INTO A RESEARCH QUESTION

The first stage in developing a research plan was to define your topic. You now need to refine this and develop a specific question that you want to answer in your research.

Think of as many questions as you can about your topic. Here are some ideas to get you started.

What is… What are… What might… What should…

Why is… How can… How does… What if…

Who has… Who can… To what extent… What changes…

Some of these questions will overlap. Narrow the questions down until your group has one main question you want to answer. This is your research question.

Feel free to look at past groups’ questions on the Global Studies website.

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RESEARCH PLANNow that your group has a topic for your project, you all need to develop a research plan. Remember that a key element of the assessment is that you engage with the information process. This means that your group must locate, select, organise, assess and then present the information on your chosen topic, and your group must gather and process data on your chosen topic.Use the Important Dates table from the notification and below to assign certain tasks to individuals or pairs or the whole group. Add dates specific to your project (i.e., interview dates, survey release and close dates), dates of other commitments (i.e., robotics, Duke, assessments) and dates you set aside to work on specific parts of the GRP.

You group will need to submit drafts of sections of your GRP to your teacher and others – parents, friends, other teachers – throughout the project for feedback.

Tasks Due Person(s) Responsible

In-class time to work on GRP T3 Weeks 6-10T4 Week 1

GRP introduced, groups formed, brainstorm possible topics, teacher shares GRP Files

T3 Week 1

Past project overview and group topic brainstorm Week 1Submit focus question Week 3Teacher review of in-text referencing Week 3No changes to final topic or focus question Week 6Draft interview or survey questions and email (complete form below) Week 6Start sending out interview request emails Week 7Draft background Week 7Notify teacher of presentation format Week 8Draft literature review and primary research sections Week 9Draft conclusions Week 10Finalise your GRP T4 Week 1Submit GRP Week 2In-class time to work on presentations, send final GRPs to interviewees Week 2Presentations commence Week 3Final evaluations Week 3

“Primary research, if it’s left too late.”

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HOW MUCH TIME DOES YOUR GROUP NEED?

Only your group knows the answer. You have approximately 15 class lessons to work on the project. You will also need to give yourselves enough time outside of class to carry out all your brilliant ideas and research.

DO NOT LEAVE EVERYTHING TO THE LAST MINUTE!

As a group, think through each stage of the GRP. Make an estimate of how long it will take you to complete each section of your research plan. Then double it. This is how long you should allow yourself.

Once you've worked that out, use your project planner to set aside dedicated time to work on your GRP. Print out your planner and put it somewhere where you can easily refer to it.

Start your primary research as early as possible. Analysing the data will probably take longer than gathering it. You should leave yourself plenty of time to do this. Starting early also gives you more time to correct mistakes and redo surveys, if it's necessary.

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STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTING SECONDARY DATA

Given the vast range of secondary sources available, it is often difficult to select the most appropriate resource for your research project. You can waste a lot of time (and money in photocopying) if you are unaware of the relative merits of each data source.

Where can I start looking for secondary information? Libraries – school, local, state and national Academic journal databases e.g. EBSCO, JSTOR, NSW State Library Newspapers and news websites Magazines, e.g. The Economist, The Monthly (in the library) Radio, television and podcasts Internet Government department websites, company websites Your friends and family Non-government organisations – environmental groups, unions, interest groups Australian Bureau of Statistics –information and data about population, crime, employment, etc. Reference books/sites e.g. encyclopedia, atlas, dictionary

EVALUATING AND SELECTING APPROPRIATE SOURCES OF SECONDARY INFORMATION

Having located a range of relevant sources of secondary information it is important to assess their validity and relevance. The process of assessing for relevance and validity involves asking questions that can be used to assist you to select the most appropriate secondary resources for your research project. These six criteria deal specifically with the content of resources rather than their presentation or illustrations. These features may contribute to the usefulness of a source or they may be just for show. BE SELECTIVE!

1. AUTHORITY Is the source’s creator an expert on your topic?

2. PURPOSE What is the aim of the author, the source and who is its’ target audience?

3. COVERAGE Does this source provide comprehensive information on your topic? What other sources will you need?

4. CURRENCY Is the information from this source up-to-date (within the last 5 years)?

5. OBJECTIVITY Does this source provide a one-sided or balance perspective?

6. ACCURACY Can the information from this source be backed up by others?

Evaluating Facts and Opinions Ask if a statement can be proved true or false. If a statement can be proved true or false, it is a fact, if not, it

is an opinion. Because opinions cannot be proved true or false, they must be evaluated in other ways.

Does the author support his or her opinions with facts and statistics? If not, you may want to quote the author if they say something in a memorable way, but make sure you support the opinion with facts.

Do the facts and statistics the author uses logically support his or her opinion? If not, the result is more likely to confuse the reader than to persuade. Make sure your own opinions are supported by facts.

Does the author's experience, affiliations or worldview influence his or her opinion? If the author is obligated to reach a specific conclusion on a given topic, he or she is less likely to consider facts that oppose that conclusion. You should seek additional information.

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ORGANISING YOUR SECONDARY RESEARCH

Once you have started to gather information and ideas, you need to organise your material into sections and ideas, ensuring that you stay on topic and answer your focus question. There are many ways you can outline and organise your research project.

Websites

Copy and paste the links and relevant information from these links into your GRP Google Doc. Create the reference once you know you will be using information from that site in your GRP. That way you can in-text reference that information as you integrate it into your GRP.

Dot Point Outline

Keep it simple. Capture the idea or point you want to make; don't include unnecessary information. Write your focus question at the top of the outline to maintain focus.

Mind Maps

GRP Plan

Simply use the signposts provided on the notification to organise your research. Copy information and links, write drafts as you go under the signpost headings.

Focus Question Introduction Background

ProblemCauses Consequences

Literature Review Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4

etc.

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REFERENCE LIST & IN-TEXT REFERENCESAcknowledging sources of information

When conducting research of any kind it is important to acknowledge the thoughts, concepts, theories, findings, suggestions and opinions of others. The referencing of resources is an essential part of efficient research technique. These references are important for two main reasons:

1. They provide acknowledgement of the original author of the material. You would not want people to use your ideas and claim them as their own.

2. They enable you to quickly and efficiently relocate a source if you need to clarify a concept or obtain further details when you are writing up your report.

The second point is of particular relevance to students completing their project, whether quoted or paraphrased. Because of the ongoing nature of this project there is often a multi-week gap between the locating of reference material and the writing of the final presentation. During this time it is very easy to forget where ideas, theories and diagrams were obtained. For these reasons it is essential that you are careful about acknowledging sources as you go.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work. If you hand in a project which is identical or nearly identical to that of another, or to a book, website, article or other source, you will receive zero for your project. You must always acknowledge when you have used someone else’s ideas and data. If you say that you have borrowed the idea or information, there is no problem. You are only guilty of plagiarism if you pretend that something is your own work when it isn’t.

Formatting your reference list and in-text referencing

Refer to our Canvas Course Resources for Harvard Author-Date referencing guides – for both your reference list and in-text referencing. Use the SLASA website accessible from the school portal to generate your reference list. REFERENCE AS YOU GO! The last thing you want to di is spend hours compiling and checking your reference list.

Referencing images and audio-visual materials

Create a separate section of your reference list for these materials, which must be fully and correctly referenced. You may organise them chronologically by “Figure”, if submitting a written GRP, or in order of appearance, if submitting a multimedia presentation. In-text references these sources where practicable.

Referencing primary research

You DO NOT need an entry for any of the following sources in the reference list. You do need to use the person’s full name and position the first time you write about them, i.e., Professor Sally Richards or Ms Jane Ayres. From then on, use their title and last name, i.e., Prof Richards or Ms Ayers, during the rest of your GRP.

Material In-Text ExampleEmail An email (J Ayers 2019, personal communication, 2 June) provided the perspective of ...Interview During an interview conducted on 11 June 2019, Professor Peter Dawkins stated that …

ORThe Vice Chancellor's statement was confirmed during an interview (P Dawkins 2018, personal communication, 11 August)

Telephone call

During a phone interview conducted on 28 August 2019, Professor Sally Richards stated that... ORThe Vice Chancellor's statement was confirmed during a phone interview (S Richards 2019, personal communication, 28 August)

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THE LITERATURE REVIEWWhat is a literature review?

A literature review describes, compares and evaluates the main ideas, issues, arguments and themes in the secondary sources (aka, the literature) which have been written about your topic and which are relevant to your background and conclusions. Unlike in other reports or essays where you use the relevant literature (i.e., secondary research) to support the discussion of your topic, in a literature review, the secondary research itself is the subject of discussion.

A literature review is not just a summary of each of your sources listed one by one or a descriptive summary of the historical background of your topic.

Make sure that your literature review briefly evaluates how useful or helpful each source was and why rather than just describing or summarising it. You should compare what different sources say about your problem and point out any inconsistencies or conflicts, as well as common themes that arise.

In a literature review, your central focus is examining what has been said before on a topic and establishing the relevance of this information to your own research. Read through a few past GRPs’ literature reviews to get a sense of how this can best be done.

Like other assignments the review has an introduction, body and conclusion, well-formed paragraphs and a logical structure.

What counts as “literature”?

“Literature” covers everything relevant that is written on a topic: books, journal articles, news articles, government reports, documentaries, podcasts and websites. The important word is 'relevant'. The focus is on scholarly published materials. If there is no clearly identified author then the work is unlikely to be relevant.

In general, a source is appropriate if it has: relevance – it should contribute to the development of your project, clarify your ideas, provide an alternative

point of view you wish to argue against or provide useful ideas for your primary research. authority – it should be published in book form or in a reputable journal or newspaper, have been critically

evaluated or be a recognised authority in the area. currency – it should be recent research or still be relevant in the area.

Check with your teacher if in doubt.

How many references do we look for?

By this stage of your assignment you should have consulted between 10 and 15 secondary sources to get background information on your topic, help you decide the key issue to research is, and help you write your interview and survey questions. Your literature review should refer to 3-4 of your key sources that provide a range of perspectives and ideas.

What questions is your literature review trying to answer?

1. What are the current ideas other people have about your topic? What are the key themes arising?2. What are people currently doing around the world to address your topic?3. What are the issues with implementing these solutions?4. What questions are unanswered?5. What disagreements are there about your problem? What are the solutions proposed? Do they differ? How?

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How do I write a literature review?

Step One – Find sourcesFind out what has been written on your subject. Use as many sources as you can to find relevant titles. See the Where can I start looking for secondary information? Section on p. 9 of this workbook. Ideally, you will have found your 3-6 sources to use before starting to write this section. Consider choosing sources that provide different perspectives and arguments on your topic. Some sources may be useful for understanding some aspects of your topic but fall short on others.

Step Two – Keep a recordWrite down the full reference list entry details of each source used as soon as you decide to use it. This will save you an enormous amount of time later.

Step Three – ReadTake notes as you read the literature. You are reading to find out how each piece of writing approaches the subject of your project, what it has to say about it and how it relates to your focus question: What perspective does it offer? Does it follow a particular school of thought? What biases are there? What kinds of data does it use to back up its argument? What conclusions does it come to? Why does it come to the conclusion it does? Account for the perspective of the source. What other sources can I compare it to?

Step Four – WriteLike all academic writing, a literature review must have an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should include:

the definition of the topic of your project the basis for your selection of the literature (why did you chose the sources that you will discuss?)

The body paragraphs could include relevant discussions on the following. Choose only the few that are relevant to your project:

historical background/context key themes and ideas arising in the literature current mainstream versus alternative viewpoints, including differing assumptions, differing political

outlooks and other conflicts; current research and/or discoveries about your topic and possible (dis)agreements principal questions that are being asked (or not being asked!) about your topic general conclusions that are being drawn about your topic and possible (dis)agreements information and/or debates on causes, consequences and possible solutions

The conclusion should include: a summary of major perspectives and/or agreements and disagreements in the literature a summary of general conclusions that are being drawn about your topic that are key to your background

and conclusions.

How do we know we have included everything?Use this checklist:

Did you outline your topic? Have you identified appropriate source material from secondary sources? Have you compared the sources? Have you said which sources were useful, which were not and why? Have you written a draft and edited it carefully? Have you included these sources in your reference list?

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STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

Types of primary researchQualitative research (e.g., in-depth interviews, focus groups) is good for in-depth understanding of attitudes and motivations (exploring reasons why).

Quantitative research (online, intercept and telephone surveys) provides a precise measure of attitudes amongst a population by measuring a random sample of it. It provides you with a data set that you need to collate, interpret and analyse.

Research design and methodology Start with the end in mind. What information do we need? How will we use it? Will my questions give us

the information we need? Remember there is no second chance to change your mind or fix things after your survey is in field or your interviews are completed.

Decide which research methodologies – surveys or interview or both – are appropriate (balancing an ideal design with time and $ constraints) for answering your question: do you want expert’s opinions on the problem? If so, conduct interviews. Do you want to know what ordinary people think about a problem? If so, run a survey.

Consider how much time you have to design, implement and then analyse your research results when planning for research.

SURVEYS

So, you’ve decided that surveying a sample of the population will help answer your group’s focus question. Online surveys are common and most cost-effective with free apps available like Google Forms. Check out what kind of post-survey tools these apps have (graphs and spreadsheets that you can use to compare, interpret and analyse your data) and how easy they are for you to use.

Sample and bias For a large population a sample of 30 is an absolute minimum for any quantitative analysis - common

sample sizes of 400-1000 for professional surveys. You are aiming to get 50-100 valid responses. The survey sample should be representative of the population in regard to age, gender and maybe location. You may have to set criteria, based on your problem, for limits to population. Be prepared to discard some

responses if some of the surveys do not meet your criteria. For example, if you only want teenagers’ views then you will need to discard adult responses.

Your sample should not contain bias. You can minimise the chance of introducing bias into your study by avoiding the selection of people who are known to have strong views on a certain topic. The inclusion of these groups may introduce bias into your study and invalidate your results.

Recruitment of survey respondents Will you send out your survey via invitations and reminders emails or via social media? The invitation email/post is very important. It should be motivating to targets giving them: an opportunity

to help you, have their say, and contribute to some positive outcome. It needs to have the survey link for them to click on. It should let them know how the information will be used and reassure them the survey is anonymous and

their privacy will be protected; the results will be analysed in aggregate only. Tell respondents they are there to help ensure a representative sample of the population. Do not disclose the exact question or problem in your invitation email/post, just the general topic area as

this may influence who participates and confirmation bias may occur. It should tell them when the survey will close – one to two weeks is an appropriate field period. Use a reminder email/post to boost your sample – a “last chance to have your say” email.

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Testing your survey Design your survey as a Word document first (don’t go straight to an online version). Edit the survey before and after programming for spelling mistakes, logic and flow of questions. Test the relevance, completeness and bias of your survey by having 2-3 friends or family members take a

version of the survey and, as they complete it, discuss with you: Was each question clear and easy to understand? Were the options complete or whether anything was missing? What was the overall experience like and how it could be improved? Did you get results that you could use for your GRP or do you have to change the questions?

General principles of good survey questionnaire design Be mindful that real people will be completing your survey – the nature of their experience will impact

their responses and the quality of the data. 2-4 minutes to complete the survey is good for a project of this size. Start will broad questions (awareness, knowledge, overall support, level of interest or concern) and

proceed to more specific aspects of the issues (e.g. preferences for actions, opinions/knowledge on specifics).

Consider the order of questions and the potential for earlier questions to unintentionally bias responses in later ones.

Group similar questions (topics) together in sections to help respondents focus. Avoid repetition to minimise respondent fatigue and frustration. Don’t ask the same question twice! Response options should be comprehensive and appropriate with clear instructions. Information provided should be true and questions (statements and scales) should be unbiased. To avoid confirmation bias, put demographic questions at the end (e.g. age, gender, work-status, location

(state/regional metro) or any others that are relevant to your project objectives. Give an age range Randomise answer options, where appropriate, to avoid order bias – i.e. respondents are more likely to

select the options they see first and we want to mitigate against this). Give an age range. Thank them at the end of the survey.

Common types of questions Ranking/prioritisation questions provide good discrimination between options but not an absolute measure

of attitudes. Be sure to randomise options on the list to avoid your bias influencing responses. Rating questions are the most common type of question and provide and absolute measure of attitudes.

They can be single factor or complex grid questions. Be sure to randomise options. Open-ended questions provide qualitative-style information (e.g. reasons why) to analyse and group into

themes – max of 2-3 in your survey at most as they are harder work for respondents and results are less precise than other question types.

In developing your survey questionnaire consider writing the questions first, getting the order right and them considering the appropriate scales to use.

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Sample survey questions

Example of a simple selection/prioritisation questionQ1. Which of the following influenced your decision to attend or join Playgroup?

Select all that applyInformation from online searches about playgroups The things I learned from the Playgroup NSW website A recommendation from a friend A recommendation from a healthcare professional or social worker (please specify the type)

Seeing advertising about Playgroup Attending an event run by Playgroup NSW Attending a talk or seminar run by Playgroup NSW/where Playgroup NSW was speaking

Having a mothers’ group I was in transition to a playgroup Reading or hearing about them in the main media Hearing about them through social media Having one that was located close to where I live Having one that was held at a time that was convenient to me

Example of a more complex ranking questionQ2. From the following list, please select the top 5 issues that concern you the most, and then rank them

from 1 to 5 (‘1’ being the issue that concerns you most,‘5’ being your fifth most concerning issue).

RankCoal mining Coal seam gas Uranium mining Asylum seekers and border control Reducing Government debt Climate change The cost of housing The environment Terrorism and national security Managing the economy The education system Roads Public transport Jobs and unemployment The health system The cost of living Interest rates Crime

Example of a simple rating questionQ3. Do you support or oppose the idea of stamp duty (the tax people pay when they buy a new property)

being abolished?

Strongly support

Somewhat support

Neither support nor

oppose

Somewhat oppose

Strongly oppose

Select 1

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Examples of a complex grid rating questionQ4. How concerned are you about the following challenges that Australia faces?

Extremely concerned

Very concerned

Quite concerned

Not very concerned

Not concerned

at allIncreasinggovernment debt

Select

1

Housing affordability

Select 1

The ageing population

Select 1

The end of the mining boom

Select 1

Example of an open-ended questionQ5. Please explain why the issue you chose as number 1 concerns you the most. Please provide as much

detail as you can.

Other common rating scales to consider for your questions Awareness (yes/no) Knowledge (a lot, a fair bit, a little, nothing at all) Performance (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Very Poor) Agreement (Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Neither agree nor disagree, Somewhat disagree,

Strongly disagree) Appeal/Fairness/Concern/Useful (Very, Quite, Not very, Not at all)

The information on developing a survey above was compiled for Global Studies and presented by David Stolper, Senior Research Director, Newgate Research in 2017.

Survey ChecklistBefore you send out your survey, make sure that your survey:Check that your survey:

is clearly set out and neat does not take long to complete. explains why you are doing your research. does not require a name or identifying details such as address. does not ask too many questions. The more questions you ask, the more responses you will have to

collate and interpret. includes only questions which are relevant to your topic and there are no repetitive questions. asks questions in order from least to most personal and does not ask unnecessary questions. has a politely worded introduction per the instructions above in the Recruitment of survey

respondents section.

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INTERVIEWS

So, you’ve decided that interviewing experts on your problem will help you answer your group’s focus question. Aim to interview at least one person with valuable knowledge and opinions on the topic. Try to get a range of opinions, where appropriate. Start requesting interviews soon as you can. It is possible you will get knocked back many times before landing an interview.

Designing your interview questions

You want to aim to have an interview that is no longer than 20 minutes. However, a good interview can takeplace in less or more time. Design 5-10 open ended questions that flow logically. You want to ask questions that you cannot find in

secondary research, you want their opinions and insight; let them tell you what they know. It is often a good strategy to ask your focus question last as you don’t want to bias them. Be sure to start your interview off by asking their permission to record the interview and to use their

responses and their name in your report. Ask them to introduce themselves and their position with relation to your topic. Ask your interview questions. If they have already answered one of your questions, do not ask it again. End the interview by thanking them for their time and offering to send them a copy of your final project.

Recruitment of interviewees

The first step is to select the best person to interview. At this point it can be useful to make the most of family contacts and friends. This can make all the difference when you are looking for a bank manager, lawyer or local council member to interview.

If you don’t have personal contacts, consider who would be best placed to provide you with an informed, expert opinion on your problem. Aim high! We’ve had High Court justices, federal politicians, CEOs, professors, internationally renowned economists and doctors agree to interviews before.

It is most likely that your first direct contact with a potential interviewee is via email, usually to request an interview and then to arrange a time and date for the interview. Whilst this may seem like a minor part of the process, it is your first chance to create a positive impression in the mind of the potential interviewee.

In an introduction email / phone call include the following information: Your names, school and its location (add more detail to the location the further away the potential

interviewee is – Hornsby, NSW Australia). Provide a general overview of the GRP and your topic as you do not want to bias them. Ask them if they would be willing to be interviewed by you and that their response will be used as

primary research in your GRP. Let them know why their opinion is important to your project - know what it is they do and any

work they have done in this field. Let them know you can interview face to face, via Skype or over the phone. If they are overseas,

amend these options accordingly. Thank them for their consideration of your request. Sign off formally using your full name. Use proper grammar and formal language at all times, using their title and surname. Use your manners at all times – pleases and thank yous.

DO NOT send an interview request until your teacher has approved of your draft email!

Should your request get knocked back, respond by asking if they would be willing to be interviewed via email, you could send them the questions. If they refuse again, be sure to send a ‘thank you for your time’ response.

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Should your interviewee agree to be interviewed: Send a follow up email to confirm where and when is best for them for the interview to take place.

Continue to use formal language and your manners. Confirm that they are okay to have the interview voice recorded and have their name and responses used

in your GRP. Should they refuse a voice recording, confirm that you can take notws in the interview and/ or use a pseudonym for them in your GRP.

Ensure your computer and phone are charged Ensure you know how to use any digital recording tools Ensure any information you need is downloaded from the cloud in case you don’t have Wifi at your

interview site Prepare for the interview with family or friends by asking practice questions and trialling your recording

tools Bring a written list of your questions, a pen and a notepad in case you have technology malfunctions Seek permission from your parents to miss school time to conduct an interview and have them send an

email to your teacher. Give your teacher at least a day to organise you being able to miss school.

Within a few days of the interview being conducted, send a thank you email. Offer them the opportunity to withdraw their consent to have the interview used in your project. Again, use formal language and your manners.

Once your GRP is completed, send your final GRP along with a thank you email to your interviewees and anyone else who helped you along the journey, i.e., your parents.

Conducting an interview

How you present yourself in an interview is as important as what you say. For this reason it is crucial that you think carefully about the clothes you wear to the interview. In most cases the appropriate attire will be your school uniform. Wearing a uniform enables you to be quickly identified with your school and can be very reassuring to the person being interviewed.

Regardless of whether you conduct your interview in person, over the phone, or via Skype, your verbal communication skills are extremely important. Introduce yourself and put the person at ease. Make sure you speak clearly and avoid using terms such as “yeah”, “um” and “you know”. Be mindful of your non-verbal communication skills, too. Maintain eye contact. Make sure that you are always engaged and focused. Don't look out the window or stare at your shoes. Be alert. Be interested and polite. Nod, be encouraging, say ‘yes’, ‘I see’. If you encounter hostility, tactfully withdraw.

Adopt an appropriate attitude to the interview. Be confident but not arrogant. Remember that the interviewees are doing you a favour. Thank them accordingly.

Be organised - make sure you have a pen and paper, your questions and any notes you have made close by so you don't need to fumble for items whilst you are having your conversation.

Listen to your interviewees answers closely. Should your interviewee answer a question you have not yet asked, DO NOT ask that question. Also, be prepared to ask clarifying questions over the course of the interview. Build on what the interviewee is saying. However, do ensure they answer the question you’ve asked – you might need to reword the question or redirect their answer to get the information you want. Allow the person time to think before answering and don’t interrupt.

Do not lose track of the time. Run through the interview before you go. This will give you a rough idea of how much time you will need.

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ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

You should conduct your research in an ethical manner. When you are planning your research, you should think about the following areas: Respect the confidentiality and anonymity of survey and interview respondents by not disclosing their

names, if requested, or asking overly personal questions; and by storing data appropriately. Avoid the use of deception and coercion with respondents. Always allow respondents time to consider

taking part in your study. Make sure you obtain consent from the parents of people under 18. Do not pressure people to take part.

Be aware of the potential physical, psychological, cultural, social and environmental harms which may result from your study. Be aware of people’s cultural sensitivities. Provide your respondents with opportunities to withdraw from the research. Be careful of how you represent the results of your research.

Always obtain permission to be in an area and to carry out your research. Get permission in writing or verbally recorded if possible.

You must always acknowledge when you have used information from source materials. If you do not do so, it is plagiarism.

INTERVIEW HINTS AND TIPS

You have identified a very specific question you wish to answer. Make sure you stick to that when you are interviewing people and collecting data. Don’t wander away from the topic.

Be aware that the people you contact may be very busy. Try to be to the point and ask specific questions. Offer to contact them at a more convenient time. Always be polite, and don’t take a refusal personally. Remember you are asking them to do you a favour.

Take advantage of websites to find out as much information as possible. Don’t contact people asking questions you could easily have found the answers to yourself.

You will receive more positive responses if you dress neatly and are polite. People will be suspicious if you are inappropriately dressed.

Don’t spend a lot of time and money photocopying articles and books and printing information you will never read. Read through sources and make a list of the main points. Keep a complete reference to the source in log or draft documents. If you want to refer to it again, you will be able to find it.

ANALYSING PRIMARY RESEARCH DATAInterviews Account for reasons why the interviewee gave the answers they did – their perspective, position, biases Compare the responses with each other and with the secondary research you have done Provide different responses on causes, consequences and conclusions using direct quotes

SurveysUse Google Forms or other online survey platform to administer your survey, generate graphs and to analyse your responses. Decide which data will be the most useful and compare these data sets in your project to develop conclusions relevant to your topic.

This Google Forms tutorial is a good place to start https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxlfPLPI0wM

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FINALISING AND PRESENTING YOUR GRPEdit and proofread your final draft

Allow yourself a few days to finalise your GRP. Don’t rush the process, otherwise months of hard work will not be best presented. It is sad to see excellent research and months of hard work presented in a rushed, careless way.

Edit your final draft. Make any necessary changes. Rewrite sentences and paragraphs as required. Spell check and make sure your grammar and sentence structure are correct.

Now read it aloud to yourself. Make sure that your review is easy to follow and is clearly linked to your topic.

Ensure that you have properly used in-text references. Check that your in-text references match your reference list and that they’re properly formatted.

Provide a final draft to a parent or another person to read for grammar and flow of ideas.

Presenting your GRP Your research should be presented in a logical and structured manner. Use the Project Structure heading

from the notification as signposts throughout your project. You should provide evidence in the form of quotes, photographs, sketches, graphs and tables to help

support your arguments and research throughout your project. Label these using the ‘Figure 1’ method reviewed in class. Everyone should have an equal part in presenting the GRP to the class. Make sure you answer your key question. Check that your reference list and in-text references match.

There are tips on a link on the Global Studies website for how to best present using PowerPoint.

Practice, practice, practice presenting your GRP, whether it is a 20-minute oral presentation or your 5- minute overview of your written project.