02 Dec ESS IA format and structure
For your ESS Internal Assessment, the structure is critical.
Introduction:
State the main environmental issue being studied and its importance – what is the organism/compound/concept being studied (eg: heavy metal pollution, global warming, etc.)? What are its impacts? State the personal or global significance of the topic – what made you choose this and why is it an important topic to investigate? Briefly introduce the method used in the experiment and state why this is the most appropriate method to use for the experiment (for example, why were plants given acidic water to simulate acid rain’s effects on plants).
Research question:
State the main research question of the experiment including the independent and dependent variables. Make sure to include units for the independent and dependent variables (if applicable).
Background information/context:
Describe the main topic in more depth. If studying an organism, provide background information as to why you have chosen that particular organism – what makes it suitable for the study?
If you are conducting a demographic study (eg: how age affects recycling) explain why you have chosen the respective age groups for the study. Include the sampling locations as well as why these were chosen (eg: was it more urban, suburban, rural, etc).
Explain the main scientific background behind the environmental issue (eg: why is global warming or acid rain occurring?).
All the background information included should be directly focused on the research question. Include in-text citations throughout the background information section.
Results:
Include a table of the data collected from the experiment. Include a number and caption for the table and ensure the data is centred in the cells. Add a section for qualitative data if applicable. Include a sample equation and calculation showing how the data is processed. Do this for each type of calculation used (eg: calculating averages, calculating standard deviation, etc). Place the rest of the processed data in a new processed data table.
State the conclusion and evaluate it. Add application which is a solution to your environmnetal issue.
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