A good conclusion answers the aim in its first sentence, then backs the answer with figures from the data. It finishes by stating how far the evidence can be trusted. This is where fieldwork questions often award or lose their final marks.
It follows anomalies in fieldwork analysis and evaluation.
What does a conclusion need to contain?
Use four parts, in this order.
- Answer the aim. Say whether the evidence supports, partly supports or does not support it.
- Quote evidence. Give at least two figures, with units, and describe the pattern in words.
- Mention exceptions. Refer to any anomaly and what it changes.
- State the limits. Say what the evidence cannot show, such as a small sample or one day of data.
The words of the aim should appear in your answer, so the reader can see the question being answered.
Worked example
The invented aim is: “To investigate whether pedestrian counts decrease with distance from the town centre.” The evidence is the seven-site dataset from the first lesson. Counts fall from 84 at 0.1 km to 35 at 2.0 km.
Calculate the change: 84 − 35 = 49 fewer pedestrians. As a percentage of the starting count, 49 ÷ 84 × 100 = 58.3%.
Calculate the rate: the distance between the two sites is 2.0 − 0.1 = 1.9 km, so the fall is about 49 ÷ 1.9 = 25.8 pedestrians per km.
Write the conclusion:
The results support the aim that pedestrian counts decrease with distance from the town centre. The count fell from 84 at 0.1 km to 35 at 2.0 km, a fall of 49 or about 58%, and the line of best fit sloped downwards. This is based on seven sites counted for ten minutes on one day, so the pattern may differ at other times.
The conclusion uses the words of the aim, two figures, one calculation and one limit. It does not claim a cause.
What mistake costs marks?
A frequent mistake is to answer a different question, or to overclaim.
Mistaken conclusion: “The data proves that shops cause more people to walk in the centre, so every town works this way.”
The aim was about distance, not shops. The word “proves” and the claim about every town go far beyond seven sites. The correction is to answer the aim, say “supports”, and limit the claim to the sites measured.
Check yourself
All data is invented.
1. The aim is to investigate whether pebble size decreases downstream. The mean size is 8.4 cm at site 1 and 3.6 cm at site 5. Calculate the fall and the percentage fall.
Show answer
Fall: 8.4 − 3.6 = 4.8 cm. Percentage: 4.8 ÷ 8.4 × 100 = 57.1%.
2. Write the first sentence of the conclusion using these results.
Show answer
For example: “The results support the aim that pebble size decreases downstream, because the mean size fell from 8.4 cm at site 1 to 3.6 cm at site 5.”
3. Why is “this proves rivers always make pebbles smaller” a weak ending?
Show answer
It overclaims. Five sites on one river cannot prove a rule for all rivers, and “proves” is stronger than the evidence allows. A better ending states the limit: the pattern holds for these five sites on this day.
Where this leads next
A conclusion often leads to a question about how the investigation could be better. Continue with propose a specific improvement without inventing field observations. The statistics and distribution explorer lets you check percentages and means before you write them down.
A teacher on our online one-to-one Geography tuition can mark your conclusion against the aim and show how to tighten each sentence.