GEOG1232: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH (BSc)

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• To introduce students to a variety of methods for research and analysis in physical geography
• To introduce students to research in a variety of geographical environments
• To enable students to select appropriate methods to study diverse geographical issues
• To develop students' geographical skills of numeracy, data management, manipulation, analysis, display, interpretation and explanation

• This module is designed to give students a broad introduction to research in Geography in Term 1. Lectures will focus on the philosophical and practical issues involved in different research approaches for a range of geographical environments. Students will learn how to approach a topic and formulate research questions, and will be offered a broad introduction to qualitative and quantitative research. In the practicals, students will practice this knowledge as applied to particular research techniques.
• In Term 2, the module focuses more specifically on a range of current methods in physical geography, offering students more in-depth skills acquisition and field and practical learning. Students will undertake residential fieldwork between Term 1 and Term 2 (during the vacation), where they will practise a variety of field methods on a range of field research topics in fluvial, coastal and hillslope environments. The fieldwork is then the focus of a series of practical workshops and tutorials in Term 2, which provide support for the analysis and write up of the field data. In the event that a residential field trip cannot take place, it will be replaced by similar content delivered by field-trip leaders as separate components. These components will feed into the same set of workshops and practicals (as above). The module thereby offers a grounding in physical geography research that prepares students for more advanced technical training and skills development and implementation later in the degree programme
• Lecture themes (Term 1): Research design (including decolonising methodology and ethics), quantitative techniques and data analysis, including GIS, and qualitative techniques and data analysis, focusing on interviews.
• Practicals (Term 1): quantitative techniques and data analysis, including GIS, and qualitative techniques and data analysis, focusing on interviews
• Fieldwork (between Term 1 and Term 2): The physical environment: 1 week field course
• Practicals (Term 2): Field course follow up workshops, aerial photographs and map skills, field course support tutorials

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• Understand the linkages between research design, information collection, analysis, display and interpretation
• Demonstrate understanding of basic statistical terminology
• Demonstrate understanding of appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods
• Demonstrate an understanding and practise aerial image interpretation and mapping
• Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and conceptual underpinnings of research
• Demonstrate an understanding of a range of methods to undertake geographical analysis and research
• Demonstrate an understanding of sediment types and landform types

Subject-specific Skills:

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• Formulate basic research questions and proposals in physical geography contexts
• Design simple research projects using a diversity of approaches and techniques
• Demonstrate ability to select appropriate software packages to undertake geographical analysis and research
• Use a range of methods to undertake geographical analysis and research
• Demonstrate basic competence with methods of observation and analysis of the physical environment
• Apply basic statistics to geographical data
• Use key software programmes with a basic level of competence (such as Excel and ArcGIS)

Key Skills:

• Basic competence in the use of range of software packages
• Analytical skills
• Designing questionnaires
• Ability to describe, analyse, interpret and synthesise data
• Ability to present findings using oral, written and electronic media
• Ability to work effectively within a group

• Lectures will provide an introduction and theoretical background to underpin the fieldwork and practical work. These will be supported by additional reading lists, which will enable the student to build on information provided in the lectures.
• Since learning outcomes are focused on skills and methods, practicals and fieldwork will play an important role in the module by providing active learning environments where the students are encouraged to engage with the subject matter.
• Formative feedback will allow students to develop skills that will be the focus of summative assessment. This summative work will allow students to demonstrate their ability to describe, analyse, interpret and synthesise data, and present it using oral, written and electronic media
• Fieldwork will enable the student to gain 'hands on' experience of group work, examining, describing and collecting data using a range of techniques and methods in a range of environments. Virtual and online replacements will be designed to replace these learning experiences as closely as possible.

Ongoing feedback on practical tasks.A set of self-paced questions and problems, accompanied with fully developed explanatory solutions that will allow students to work through problems of statistics and GIS as Term 1 progresses.

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