01 Nov ESS IA Research: From an Online Claim to a Testable Question
A social-media post can draw your attention to an environmental issue, but popularity does not establish that a claim is accurate or that it will make a workable ESS IA. Treat the post as a starting point: identify the claim, check its source and decide what evidence would be needed to investigate a focused question.
Separate the issue from the claim
Imagine a post claiming that a school recycling campaign reduced mixed waste. The environmental issue concerns waste management. The specific claim concerns a change after the campaign. These are different things: the first helps establish context, while the second needs evidence.
Ask what “reduced waste” means. Does it refer to a measured mass, a smaller number of bin collections or somebody’s impression? Check the location, dates and original source before building a plan around it.
Turn an interesting post into a feasible question
A hypothetical planning direction might compare mixed-waste mass per school day before and after a defined campaign. Before choosing final wording, check whether comparable records exist, how waste was measured and whether attendance or collection arrangements changed.
This is a possible investigation to develop, not evidence that a campaign worked. An observed difference would not automatically establish causation. Other changes during the same period could affect the result.
For alternative directions, see ESS IA topics and measurable variables.
Check the data source
- Origin: who collected the information, and for what purpose?
- Method: are definitions, units and collection procedures available?
- Coverage: which places, periods or people are represented?
- Comparability: were observations made in a sufficiently consistent way?
- Limitations: what missing information could affect your conclusion?
Trace a screenshot or infographic back to its original dataset or report where possible. A short caption may leave out important qualifications. Likes, shares and views describe activity on a platform; they are not direct measurements of environmental awareness or behaviour in the wider population.
Plan ethically before collecting responses
If a project involves people or online material about them, discuss the design with your school first. Public visibility does not remove every concern about privacy or ethical use. Consider consent, anonymity and whether personal information is necessary.
Do not assume that responses from your followers represent all students, residents or a country. Explain how participants were selected and whose views may be missing. Avoid questions that assume a person’s age or gender causes a particular environmental behaviour.
Choose analysis that fits the question
There is no universal calculation required for every dataset. A mean or measure of spread may be useful for suitable quantitative data; categorical responses require an appropriate summary. A statistical test needs a justified purpose and data that meet its assumptions.
Keep a record of how data were collected or selected and explain uncertainty and alternative interpretations. The aim is an evidence-based answer to your question, not a collection of impressive-looking graphs.
Develop your own investigation
Check the current ESS IA word-limit guidance and IA structure guide. Your submitted investigation must remain your own. Marija Maletz, ESS teacher, examiner and tutor, can explain planning and analysis skills through online ESS lessons. You can request a free 20-minute trial lesson to discuss where you need support.
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