ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

ACCREDITING SOCIAL ACTION THROUGH THE

EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION.

The Extended Project (EPQ) is a stand-alone level 3 qualification in which

students choose to develop and extend topics from within and beyond their

taught subjects. The themes shown above are found in many submissions for

the E.P.Q. What they have in common is that they all include an attempt to

influence others and to contribute to a positive change. Research is

undertaken not just to acquire knowledge but to use it to make a difference in

some way. They deserve to be treated differently from other types of project.

This guide is for the AQA qualification only and provides guidance for

supervisors of projects that include one or more of these themes.

Supported by

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 2 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Key Terms

Social action1 can be defined as practical actions in the service of others. It involves activities

carried out by individuals or groups that are not for profit and aim to bring about a change

or benefit for communities. This might involve giving time and/or money. It includes

volunteering and community involvement such as that provided by the Duke of Edinburgh’s

Award or the National Citizen Service amongst others.

Active learning1 is a technique or set of approaches designed to encourage pupils to be

actively engaged as they plan, undertake and reflect on their learning. The learner is

involved in the process of gaining and constructing knowledge.

Active Citizenship1 in educational terms is an approach that uses active learning to equip

pupils to take informed and responsible action aimed at making a positive difference in their

communities. It involves people acting together or individually to achieve a change or

benefit in society or to resist an unwanted change.

Active citizenship represents the combination of formal political literacy (e.g. a knowledge

of law-making) with apposite procedural skills (e.g. community organisation and public

speaking) and justice-orientated intentions (e.g. to end food poverty). It can be regarded as

a process, the educational outcome of which is the development of active citizens2.

Political Literacy – This is what Bernard Crick3 called ‘a practical understanding of concepts

drawn from everyday life and language’. It includes knowledge and understanding regarding

where power and influence lie and how to make change happen in a range of institutions,

including schools, communities, workplace as well as the relevant levels of government. It is

everyday politics, which can often be far removed from Westminster and party politics4.

Active Citizenship2 Projects use research and some degree of political literacy to aim to

bring about some positive change by influencing others in some way. They include all the

features of project qualifications4 but aim to have an additional impact on the wider world.

1) Adapted from ACT/NCS Teaching Guide 2016, available from www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk

2) The interpretation given to active citizenship here is consistent with that found in the Crick Report

(1998) which contributed to the introduction of Citizenship as a taught subject in the National

Curriculum from 2002. It remains part of the reformed National Curriculum.

3) Quoted from Crick (2000 p61) This classical interpretation of politics was promoted by Sir Bernard

Crick in ‘In Defence of Politics’ (1961).

4) Project qualifications are available at Foundation (level 1), Higher (level 2) and Extended (level 3)

levels. This guidance deals specifically with Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) as offered by AQA,

other boards offer similar qualifications but have slightly different procedures and may use different

terms.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 3 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Some features of Active Citizenship Projects5

• These include aims which attempt to make a positive difference in some way. Such aims

could involve raising awareness, support for a cause or persuading others of the

desirability or otherwise of some proposed change.

• They involve undertaking research to further these aims. This research may inform the

actions taken by examining the desirability and feasibility of the action.

• Such projects involve sharing the findings6 of this research in a way designed to

influence others views and bring about positive change. This could involve producing a

report, performance, product or artwork that is intended to influence others.

• All projects require independence, students need to be able to make their own

decisions. Active citizenship projects often involve contested values and strongly held

views making this more challenging.

• All projects involve the capacity to think critically and to make informed decisions based

on evidence from a range of sources. For active citizenship projects this is likely to

include considering political and other forms of bias7.

• These projects are likely to involve a recognition of alternate views and an evaluation of

different options before a decision on appropriate action is made.

• All projects involve informed decision-making, evaluating evidence to make a judgement

and reach a conclusion. Active citizenship projects can also involve thinking ethically and

considering issues of social justice.

• All active citizenship projects could be expected to involve the development of political

literacy in relation to the topic area.

• Social action and voluntary work can provide a starting point for project qualifications.

The skills and knowledge which underpin active citizenship enables students to develop

their good work into a research project which both enhances their understanding of the

political realities involved and prepares them for participation in a democratic society.

Some students want to change the world, or at least some aspect of it. The EPQ has a

valuable role to play in channelling this enthusiasm. The challenge is to identify outcomes

that can be measured to enable evaluation. They don’t have to be successful in making a

difference but they do need to be able to suggest why the desired effect cannot be brought

about by them. Initial research should result in a modest aim that is achievable.

5) Students do not need to have studied Citizenship or Politics – with the EPQ students can choose

any topic regardless of their taught subjects. Having studied Citizenship at GCSE would give the

student a useful knowledge and skill base but not having done so should not put anyone off.

Everyone can become an active citizen.

6) Students are required to complete a formal record of the process (the production log), a written

report (in the region of 5,000 words) and a presentation to a live audience. Some students may

choose to produce an artefact, which can be a product or event, in which case the report may be

shorter (a minimum of 1,000 words with a maximum of about 5,000).

7) Centres are required to deliver a ‘taught element’ in which skills such as research methods,

project management, ethics and presentation skills can be learnt.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 4 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Examples of Active Citizenship Projects 1

With all Active Citizenship Projects the students’ motivation goes beyond individual

curiosity to attempt to make a difference, however small, to the shared, public world.

Fair Trade Fayre – This student was part of a group whose social action involved organising

a Fair-Trade Fayre. Her role was publicising the event itself and the aims of the Fair Trade

movement. Her research included investigating some of the main criticisms which she

addressed in a series of articles for a local paper and a community blog. Her political literacy

regarded an understanding of the power of the media and skills of communication. At the

event the effectiveness of this attempt to influence other’s views was assessed in a

feedback questionnaire.

A Maths Project – with a twist. This keen maths student lived in a village over run by lorries

trying to avoid a congested main road at peak times. Working with a local campaign group

he collated data on traffic movements on both roads which showed how the congestion was

likely to increase. In addition to this primary data he undertook research into local

government to try to understand how best to present the findings. His research was

instrumental in releasing funding toward a traffic calming scheme. His report told a story of

developing political literacy.

Holocaust education – Since 1999 over 30,000 sixth form students have participated in the

‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ programme run by the Holocaust Educational Trust. The dual

accreditation rule means students cannot submit material for the EPQ which has been

submitted as part of this programme, however they can undertake a project inspired by

their experiences. One such project involved designing and piloting a series of lesson plans

and materials for use with KS3 students. The student needed to undertake research beyond

that undertaken for the visit and to investigate lesson planning & teaching materials. She

then delivered the pilot lessons and analysed feedback from teachers and students

producing a report which evaluated the impact on the younger students. Her political

literacy included understanding the decision-making process in school and the challenges of

a sensitive topic which aimed at raising moral and political awareness.

Fashion Show – organising a fashion show is quite a popular EPQ activity, often with a

design or event management theme. Some projects have raised clear questions about issues

such as size zero, body image and gender stereotyping. The subsequent show events can be used to

raise awareness of culture and diversity in modelling and challenge prejudice in relation to these,

using the language of rights and justice.'

Photography - One keen photography student who wanted to challenge the size zero

culture produced a set of ‘glamour’ photo’s recruiting exclusively large girls who wanted to

prove that fashion was for them too. The student used his photographs to interrogate

stereotypes of models and raise authentic questions about how stereotyping can be challenged. His

EPQ included research into models and fashion designers who aimed to provide an

alternative. A sensitivity to the issues was combined with research into the power dynamics

of the industry.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 5 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Examples of Active Citizenship Projects 2

An Amnesty International group had organised a Guantanamo Bay protest outside college.

One member used this towards her EPQ by developing political literacy through researching

divergent views and negotiating with college authorities, and the police, informing

themselves of the legal position and wider political context. In their report, they included an

analysis of impact by sampling views of passers-by. Another group put on awareness raising

sessions for each year group using before/after questionnaires to measure impact.

Autism Awareness Day – Organised by a college student with Asperger’s syndrome. Their

report included a lot of detailed information on ASD research but their greatest challenge

was organisational and promotional. They managed to recruit a key researcher to provide a

live video session using Skype as well as workshops by other specialists. The report included

an assessment of impact using a mobile phone app. Political literacy was developed through

challenging discrimination and persuading college managers to support the event.

Cleft palates - A would be medical student completed voluntary work in Bangladesh with a

medical charity. Her EPQ involved a comparative study of the treatment offered there and

in the UK for cleft-palate in babies. She discovered that her medical project soon became an

investigation into how religious, cultural and political factors influenced the charity’s work.

Her report was used by the charity to help prepare other volunteers.

Food Banks – This student had completed GCSE Citizenship the previous year and was a

member of a group involved in supporting a local food-bank. For his extended project, he

wanted to research the history of food banks in NE England and the wider economic and

political context. His political literacy was further extended when he produced display

panels based on his research for a local anti-austerity campaign.

Documentary – A student produced a short video documentary for you-tube which told the

story of his life with a chronic medical condition. It featured interviews with his family as

well as the consultant who treated him. Because it aimed to raise awareness of the

condition it was an active citizenship project. Political literacy was developed in response to

discrimination and disability rights. Social media provided a useful means to assess the

impact.

Many students put on a performance or create an art-work for their EPQ. Where there is an

aim to influence others views to bring about change then these have an active citizenship

element. Political literacy is developed through research into the wider social and political

context. The EPQ requires evidence of this research and some evaluation of the extent to

which these wider aims have been achieved.

Some students want to support a charity or cause. This could be part of an active citizenship

project but only if the political literacy element is developed. Students could research the

aims of the charity and its effectiveness, they might look at the political, legal, economic,

and cultural aspects. Fund raising could be used as evidence of persuasive communication;

however, this would need to go alongside awareness raising. Some evidence would be

needed of the extent to which a donation was linked with a measurable change of views.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 6 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Advice for supervisors: The Proposal Process

To be successful the project has to be owned by the student but the supervisor can help the

student to work out just what their project entails by asking questions about what they

hope to achieve. It is often in the initial thinking period, well before a proposal is submitted,

that a supervisor can make the biggest difference to the success or otherwise of a project.

Identifying Active Citizenship projects:

Those who want an outcome that makes a difference to the world around them in some,

however small, way have the makings of an Active Citizenship project. For some students

the motivation may be to research something they are deeply interested in or for some it is

to create or produce something original. All can be accommodated by the EPQ process but a

student unsure about what they want to achieve is unlikely to achieve it. The supervisor’s

job is not to impose or even recommend their own model but to tease out the student’s

motivation and channel this into something both manageable for the student and suitable

for the qualifications assessment model.

Developing active citizenship content:

To enable those students who want to influence others and bring about change to develop

an Active Citizenship project involves the supervisor asking questions of the student about

the wider context of their aims and the nature of their intervention. The requirement of this

level three qualification includes critical analysis, evaluation and the capacity to come to a

judgement. Whether the student realises it or not this demands the skills of active

citizenship and a degree of political literacy. The supervisor can, by questioning the student,

help identify some of those skills, and encourage them develop their Citizenship knowledge

and understanding. This could involve talking to a specialist Citizenship teacher and using

the extensive resources available some of which are mentioned on page 11.

Appropriate Aims and Achievable Objectives

Appropriate aims are those achievable within the time constraints and resources available

to the student, a supervisor’s questions at an early stage can help the student recognise just

how realistic these are. In part B of the project proposal the supervisor states that in their

view the project proposal will enable the student to meet all the assessment objectives, at

this level. This may mean asking how the student will measure the impact of their

intervention and about how they intend to undertake the research that could make it

effective, as well as what method of communication is most likely to be effective.

Initial ideas and Proposal

Much initial discussion between supervisor and student takes place before the student

submits their proposal (earlier drafts of proposal could be the focus of such discussion) and

the student needs to make a record of this initial discussion and how ideas and plans

develop. The student should make clear in Part A of the proposal under the section headed

‘my intended product’ what it is that they are hoping to achieve, and whether, at this stage,

they are intending to produce an artefact or write a 5000-word research report.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 7 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Advice for supervisors: The Proposal Process (continued)

Group Projects

Social action lends itself to group working; it is difficult to make a difference on your own,

however, this can present challenges for the supervisor. For group activities to become

Active Citizenship projects some evidence is required that those involved have developed

their political literacy. If the student is the only member of the group submitting a project,

then they need to clearly identify their own role and the supervisor must be able to verify

this. When more than one student involved in an activity is submitting an EPQ the

supervisor must insist that they have clearly defined roles before submitting a proposal.

Each student should have separate and clear areas of research and separate, clear and

measurable outcomes identified at an early stage to ensure that assessment is of their

individual contribution and not a group effort. Advice available from the exam board web-

site.

Dual Accreditation

Those students who completed a GCSE in Citizenship will have been required to undertake

some active citizenship activities from which they answer questions on in the exam. This is

no longer submitted as coursework but even so it would not be acceptable for students to

include in their EPQ any work they undertook as part of their GCSE course. It would be

acceptable for students to use their GCSE experience as a starting point for their EPQ as in

the Food Bank example above. The same principle applies to other qualifications and to

work submitted for other purposes such as that in relation to the Holocaust example.

Advice for supervisors: Post-approval:

Post-approval comes a planning section of the log. This should show the progression of

ideas and the student’s record of and response to questions from their supervisor. Ideally

the Active Citizenship element will be clear at this stage, but in some cases (such as the cleft

palate and maths examples) this may become more apparent during the research stage.

Artefact or Dissertation?

Some Active Citizenship projects may involve an event, performance, or presentation to a

wider audience to raise awareness and gain support for a cause. Others may use artwork or

digital artefacts/platforms to influence others. Both are forms of artefact. Many students

can present their research, explain what they did, and why, and evaluate the impact with a

written report alone. A decision needs to be made by mid-project review about the form of

project being submitted.

Assessment objective AO1

Broadly speaking the way in which the project as a whole is managed will reflect on the AO1

marks the supervisor is able to award. In all cases evidence must be submitted to be able to

support this decision. Guidance on this and the other AOs is provided in the specification,

available at http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-W-7993-SP-15.PDF .

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 8 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Advice for supervisors – The Research Process

Appropriate research

Before any action can be taken, however small, the student will need to undertake research

to find out more about the area they wish to influence, they will also need to research

different methods of bringing about change and justify the method(s) chosen. The proposal

form, part A, should indicate the area of research and the initial sources selected.

Political Literacy

Political literacy is not a detailed knowledge of politics but a working understanding of how

things work; who are the decision-makers; where does the power lie. It may involve

research into local, national or global systems of governance or/and research into

institutions and social conventions. Many students will find during their research that where

they expected a consensus there are a variety of views, some hotly contested.

Evaluation of sources

Where students are motivated to bring about change or influence others in some way there

is often a tendency to accept uncritically sources that agree with their own view. To meet

the level 3 criteria, students need to be able to look critically at those whose views they

accept as well as examining opposing viewpoints. Before taking action, they will need to

demonstrate that the research on which their project is based is as well-informed as

possible and to be able to justify their decisions by appealing to appropriate evidence.

Primary Research

Students may well wish to undertake their own primary research prior to taking action as

well as afterwards to access impact. They may consider using questionnaires, interviews or

focus groups to access the attitudes of their target audience. They should have learnt about

these methods and the ethical issues involved in the taught element of the EPQ. All primary

research undertaken needs to be clearly justified.

Use of Experts etc

For Active Citizenship projects the emphasis is on furthering an understanding of the wider

issues encountered that the student may not have been aware of, such as ethical or political

considerations. Experts may be campaigners, charity organisers, citizenship coordinators.

law or politics teachers. Any human being used as a resource should have qualifications and

experience scrutinised, their use as a valid and reliable source should be justified. Any

information within the report that comes from such experts should be fully referenced.

Action research

This involves taking informed action and assessing the impact, many examples of active

citizenship can be regarded as action research. This does not mean however that the initial

research into the area does not also need to be undertaken beforehand.

The relevant Assessment Objective here is AO2.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 9 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Advice for supervisors – Taking Action

Events

These have an active citizenship element if the aim of the event is to influence the audience

to act differently; to change attitudes; raise awareness or influence decision-makers. To

meet the level 3 requirements the aims of the event need to be made explicit, relevant

research must be evident, and the impact, in terms of the stated aims must be analysed and

evaluated. Decision-making needs to be justified in terms of the stated aims.

Fund raising

This can often present problems at this level and although fund raising does not have to be

ruled out, it is best used as a measure of how effective students have been in persuading

others to support their cause alongside other forms of evidence of impact. Baking cakes or

dressing up may well be effective fund raising but it is not active citizenship and it is difficult

to bring in the depth of research, critical thinking and evaluation of contested ideas that

characterise an extended project, which is the same level of challenge as an A level.

Awareness raising and campaigning

Some research may be needed into the nature and views of the audience beforehand, both

as a means of measuring impact but also to help justify the means chosen. Taking part in a

campaign is unlikely to generate enough evidence alone without the background research,

justification of campaign methods and other evidence of active citizenship skills developed.

Campaigning on a social issue could lend itself to group projects (but see notes above).

Presentation as Action

The formal presentation which is a requirement of the project process is focused on a

review of the project as a whole and is an opportunity for others to ask questions about it.

This is not therefore the best place to attempt to alter viewpoints or gain support for a

cause. Some students undertake a larger presentation as part of the project (a type of

artefact) which has the purpose of influencing others in some way, the impact of this can be

assessed and the effectiveness evaluated in the report and reviewed in the formal project

presentation. Students are to be reminded that a set of power point slides do not in

themselves constitute a presentation, a live audience is needed for this.

Use of Social Media

Many students develop Facebook pages, web-sites, blogs and other digital forms of

communication as a means to get their message across. For an active citizenship project the

emphasis should be on the way in which the content has been researched to enable

effective communication with a specific audience. The suitability of this medium for the

aims of the project should be explained and design decisions justified accordingly. Social

media have the advantage of providing feedback mechanisms which provide evidence for

analysis of impact.

Assessment Objective – AO3.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 10 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Advice for supervisors – The Evaluation

The need for evaluation

All projects which aim to achieve something beyond the writing of a research report, an

extended essay or the creation of an artefact need both to be clear about what these aims

are and how they can be assessed. These aims may become more apparent as the project

develops and may be secondary to the main aims but there still needs some assessment of

to what extent these wider, more political aims have been achieved.

Measuring social impact

The taught element will have familiarised students with qualitative and quantitative data, so

they hopefully will be open to a variety of creative ways of measuring social impact. This

could be before and after measures of attitude change; feedback from an audience or

experts and/or a reflective self-evaluation. Funds raised may be offered as evidence

provided it is clear that this is a consequence of the persuasiveness of the cause promoted.

Suggestions for next steps

Many students may still want to change the world, the proposal process enables them to

identify manageable aspects where a small difference can be made in the time available.

However, it is likely that, even a limited tiny element of the world turns out, under

investigation, to be more complex than the student imagined. An evaluation of impact can

always acknowledge how minimal this may have been, offer explanations for this and

recommend future actions.

Using the Presentation

The formal presentation works best as a tool for assessment where it is more conversation

than power-point. The Q&A session provides the supervisor and others in the audience the

opportunity to ask questions about the social impact and political implications that go

beyond that presented in the report. In an Active Citizenship project the student is unlikely

to pass up an opportunity to get their message across so supervisors may need to exercise

some judgement here (see notes on presentations as action). It’s the student’s presentation

but the supervisor needs to ensure that it meets the requirements of the specification.

Reaching a conclusion (did it work?)

Every project needs some form of conclusion, even though it may not be clear cut. With

Active Citizenship projects this will relate to the social impact identified in the aims. It will

also give the student an opportunity to identify the active citizenship skills developed (even

if they do not label them as such) and reflect on the political implications and other

dimensions they may not have anticipated. In doing so, the pupil should attempt to

demonstrate sound reflection about a) the impact and importance of their project and its

findings; b) the limitations of the research process; and c) the personal development they

have experienced.

Assessment Objective – AO4.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 11 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Sources of further information and support for supervisors.

On the EPQ Quick Guides to most aspects of the EPQ are available at http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/projects/aqa-certificate/EPQ-7993/teaching-and-learning-resources Details of relevant CPD courses available at http://www.aqa.org.uk/professional-

development

Wide range of support for EPQ available from Higher Education institutions at

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/projects/aqa-certificate/EPQ-7993/why-choose/support-

from-higher-education-institutions

Political Literacy & Active Citizenship

Range of useful resources on political literacy are available from Association for Citizenship

Teaching http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/projects/aqa-certificate/EPQ-7993/why-

choose/support-from-higher-education-institutions

A wide range of resource material on wider political issues are available from the Political

Studies Association (PSA) at https://www.psa.ac.uk/psa-communities/specialist-

groups/schools/teaching-resources-and-materials-0. The PSA can also provide speakers on

political topics who can provide advice on the political research aspects of an EPQ.

Active Citizens FE also provide a range of resources which focus on active citizenship post

16. http://www.activecitizensfe.org.uk/resources.html

Other helpful organisations

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – volunteering with http://www.dofe.org/volunteering-section

National Citizens Service – social action projects http://www.ncsyes.co.uk/social-action-

partnerships

Holocaust Educational Trust – Lesson’s from Auschwitz – next steps project

http://www.het.org.uk/lessons-from-auschwitz-programme/how-the-lfa-project-

works/about-next-steps

Amnesty International – Human Rights https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/education/

UK Parliament Education Service - http://www.parliament.uk/education/teaching-

resources-lesson-plans/

CND Peace Education - http://www.cnduk.org/information/peace-education

Oxfam - https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP PROJECTS - GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS

Guidance for supervisors - Page 12 - © Kevin Walker 2017

Supported by -

Association for Citizenship Teaching is the subject association for

Citizenship representing teachers and others involved in Citizenship

education. https://www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk/home

Active Citizens FE (ACFE) is a community interest company and

national network for post-16 citizenship, learner voice and social action. http://www.activecitizensfe.org.uk/

Political Studies Association exists to develop and promote the

study of politics. https://www.psa.ac.uk/

The Sir Bernard Crick Centre: promoting the public

understanding of politics. http://www.crickcentre.org/

This guidance was produced for the Association for Citizenship

Teaching with the support of the above organisations and written by

Kevin Walker who is solely responsible for the views expressed.

Please check with the exam board above if you need clarification

regarding any interpretation of their requirements.

For the Extended Project Qualification visit

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/projects/aqa-certificate/EPQ-7993

For GCSE Citizenship visit

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/citizenship/gcse/citizenship-studies-

8100

Kevin Walker is a Citizenship teacher with many years’ experience as

a project supervisor and centre co-ordinator. He is also a member of

the senior team of examiners for Citizenship GCE and the EPQ. He acts

as a Projects advisor and provides CPD in Citizenship Education.

Kevin would like to acknowledge the support of those who have

provided advice and commented on this document.