1. INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATIONS How to write up your investigation report

2. THE INVESTIGATION REPORT You write it Your teacher marks it It is sent away to a moderator who will check that the marks are appropriate

3. MARKING CRITERIA You can read them in the specification There are four EQUAL sections Make sure that you take notice of the detail

4. MARKING CRITERIA Planning Implementing Analysing Evaluating

5. MARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS Planning Experimental detail Background theory

6. MARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS Implementing Doing Recording

7. MARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS Analysing Graphs and calculations Drawing conclusions

8. MARKING CRITERIA HAVE TWO STRANDS Evaluating Limitations of methods Uncertainty associated with measurements

9. MARKING CRITERIA DESCRIPTORS Descriptors at levels 2, 5, 8 and 11 You need to satisfy low ones before getting access to higher marks You have to satisfy descriptors in BOTH strands to move your mark up

10. PLANNING – THE DETAIL Start off with a clear aim (Don’t use a hypothesis) Include comprehensive RELEVANT background theory Include FULL details of the plan (e.g. preliminary experiments, modifications, how much you measured out, what you measured it with).

11. PLANNING – MORE DETAIL Explain why your choices of equipment and readings will produce useful data Include a risk assessment which is detailed and relevant to what you are doing

12. PLANNING – YET MORE DETAIL Include a set of references ( include page number and links references to where you have made use of them in the text) Include synoptic grid Sub-headings can be helpful

13. EXAMPLE OF A SYNOPTIC GRID CONCEPTUNITMODULEYEAR Amount of substanceEL1AS Chemical formulaeEL1AS Balanced equationsEL1AS Reacting quantitiesDF1AS CatalysisDF1AS Concentration of solutionsM2AS RedoxM2AS Rates of reactionA2AS Rates of reactionEP4A2 RedoxSS4A2 CatalysisSS4A2 Rates of reactionAA5A2

14. RECORDING RESULTS Record all measurements, not just averages Use correct format including units as you did for AS coursework Use helpful headings to explain what is going on

15. REPEATING EXPERIMENTS If experiments produce poor quality data then modify and repeat them – e.g. low titres from titrations Gas volume measurements that are all similar

16. ANALYSING - CALCULATIONS Show ALL of your calculations EXPLAIN all of your calculations

17. ANALYSING - GRAPHS Make sure that your graphs are of a suitable type (NO bar charts) Make sure your graphs are well presented (computer generated graphs can be too small and produce thick and inappropriately drawn lines) Include a helpful title and label axes fully

18. ANALYSING - CONCLUSIONS Concentrate on the detail Try to link with the background theory in your plan It should be a commentary on your results, not simply a description of them Don’t skimp

19. EVALUATING This section carries the same number of marks as your plan. Spend enough time on it. This is where you can really make a difference

20. EVALUATING – THE DETAIL Calculate the uncertainties associated with ALL types of your measurements Identify the limitations of your experimental procedures

21. EVALUATING – MORE DETAIL Comment on the relative significance of limitations and uncertainties Use the above to explain what and why you would do differently if you repeated the investigation Don’t skimp