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Selecting and Using Relevant and Reliable Primary and Secondary Sources to Support Geographical Inquiry

Primary versus. Secondary Sources:

Primary sources are first-hand sources; secondary sources are second-hand sources.

For example, suppose there had been a car accident. The description of the accident which a witness gives to the police is a primary source because it comes from someone who was actually there at the time. The next day's newspaper story is a secondary source because the reporter who wrote the story did not actually witness the event. A secondary source contains commentary on or discussion about a primary source. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources (University at Albany, 2017).

Examples of primary data in Geography include: interviews, photographs, sketches, surveys and questionnaires collected by you or someone else first-hand. Secondary data sources may include: maps, graphs, statistics, and websites that someone else has developed (second-hand).

Geographers find answers to their questions in many places.

They “use initial research to identify geographically significant questions to frame inquiry… collect and evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources... selecting relevant geographical data/information to answer inquiry question/s” (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority [QCAA], 2014).

(QCAA, 2014)

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When undertaking an inquiry, geographers need to evaluate the sources they use for reliability and potential bias, as well as usefulness (Easton, 2014). You can do this by answering the following questions:

Name of Source/URL:

Reliability · Who has collected his data?

· When was this data collected? How old is it? Try not to use data that is older than 10 years.

· Where was this data collected? Look at the extension at the end of the website address, as this gives you an important clue about the origin of the information. For example .com is used by commercial organisations such as online stores, .org is used by non-commercial organisations such as NGOs and welfare groups, .gov by government departments, .edu refers to schools and universities, .biz by businesses and .mil by military groups.

· Why was this collection of data created? Was it written to educate (most reliable) OR was it written to persuade (not very reliable).

· Opinion or fact? Is the data factual (reliable), OR is it an opinion (not reliable).

· Can I trust the author of this source of data? If you cannot find out when the information was published or who published it, it is probably too unreliable to use in a geographical inquiry.

· How accurate is the data compared with other sources?

Bias · Is there any bias presented in this data? Is the author a professional in the field, OR a person who has a particular point to prove? You can often find out more about the organisation publishing information by going to their ‘home’ page or ‘about us’ page.

· What bias, attitude and values might influence this collection of data?

· Is this data similar to or different from other sources?

· Can you find evidence to support this data? Does it provide detailed examples of evidence (reliable) or does it lack in evidence, and isn’t supported by other sources (not reliable) = corroboration or contradiction

Usefulness · What is the data measuring or representing?

· What does the data not measure or represent?

· What patterns, trends and relationships can be drawn from this data? Social, Environmental, Economic impacts.

· How does this data help you respond to your inquiry?

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· Can you describe the data in verbal or written form?

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When collecting reliable, relevant and unbiased data to formulate and answer your inquiry question/s, you might find it helpful to use a table similar to the one below:

Name of source/ URL

& Date

Type of source (primary/

secondary, and explain why it is. E.g.

This is a primary source because…)

Evaluation of source (who wrote it and for what

purpose? Is it reliable, useful, or

biased?)

Inquiry questions this source will answer

Positive/negative impacts of Geographical Criteria

SOCIAL (condition of people’s live) ENVIRONMENTAL (natural

environment)ECONOMIC (money)

1.

2.

3.

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Graphic Organisers

When planning and organising your ideas in response to a geographical inquiry, you might like to use graphic organisers such as those listed below.

Web (concept) Map: assists with activities that involve planning, brainstorming, note-making, organising, or problem-solving. Record the issue/topic in the centre and note the related around it. Use lines, colours, labels and arrows to show links between ideas. http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/webmap.pdf.

Venn Diagram: used to compare two things by recording aspects of similarity where the circles overlap, and aspects of difference in the separate sections of the circles. http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/venn_diagram.pdf.

Positive, Negative, Question (PNQ) chart: Use a Positive Negative Question chart to consider the positives, negatives and questions about an issue and identify questions for further research.http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/pnq.pdf.

Plus, Minus Interesting (PMI) chart: assists when evaluating an issue, allowing you to compare the advantages and disadvantages and make decisions. In the Pluses column enter all the positive elements, in the Minuses column enter all the negative elements, and in the third column, enter elements that cannot be classified precisely as positive or negative (Interesting) or potential outcomes (Implications). http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/pmi.pdf.

Fishbone Diagram: provides a systematic way of considering a problem. The scales could be labeled with words such as ‘how’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘why’, and ‘what’. http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/fishbone.pdf.

Consequences chart: use a consequences chart to consider alternatives to a “what if” question/problem. Suggest possible solutions and then write the probable flow-on consequences of each solution to assist in making a final decision. http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/consequences_chart.pdf.

(Global Education, 2012)

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References:

Easton, M. (2014). Oxford Big Ideas Geography 10: Australian Curriculum. Oxford

University Press: Australia, 14-18. Retrieved:

https://www.oup.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/58034/Oxford-Big-

Ideas-Geography-10-Geographers-Toolkit.pdf.

Global Education. (2012). Home / Resources Gallery / Templates. Retrieved October 5,

2017, from http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/resources-gallery/resource-

gallery-templates.html.

University at Albany. (2017). Primary and Secondary Sources for the Humanities

and Social Sciences. Retrieved October 5, 2017, from

http://library.albany.edu/infolit/primary.

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority [QCAA]. (2014). Australian

Curriculum Year 9 Geography Sample Assessment | Teacher guidelines.

Retrieved October 5, 2017, from

https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/ac_sa_geog_yr9_inv_prod

uction_patterns.pdf.

Salton, Y., Chalk, T. (2017). Module 2 – Pedagogical Priorities in Humanities

Education. Retrieved October 5, 2017, from

https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/course/view.php?id=11084.