Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Research Skills and Information Literacy Syllabus

Research Skills and Information Literacy syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Research Skills and Information Literacy in Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Locating and Selecting Sources

   4 topics

   • Types of source
     • Primary versus secondary sources
     • Academic journals, books, reports and grey literature
   • Effective searching
     • Library catalogues and academic databases
     • Search terms, Boolean operators and filters
   • Using the internet critically
     • Domain credibility and bias indicators
     • Distinguishing scholarly from popular sources
   • Keeping organised research records
2. 2

   Evaluating Source Reliability

   4 topics

   • Criteria for credibility
     • Authority, accuracy, currency and purpose
     • Peer review and publication standards
   • Identifying bias and perspective
     • Author intent and funding influence
     • Recognising misinformation and pseudo-science
   • Triangulating evidence across sources
   • Weighing the strength of competing claims
3. 3

   Primary Research Methods

   4 topics

   • Designing surveys and questionnaires
     • Question types and avoiding leading questions
     • Sampling methods and sample size
   • Interviews and focus groups
   • Experiments and field observations
   • Research ethics in primary data collection
     • Informed consent and anonymity
     • Data protection and storage
4. 4

   Reading and Note-Making

   4 topics

   • Active and critical reading strategies
     • Skimming, scanning and close reading
     • Annotating and questioning the text
   • Effective note-making systems
     • Summarising, paraphrasing and quoting accurately
     • Linking notes to citations to avoid plagiarism
   • Synthesising ideas across multiple sources
   • Building a literature review

Research Skills and Information Literacy flashcards for Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

22 of 51 cards from the Research Skills and Information Literacy deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source?

   A primary source is original, first-hand evidence created at the time of study (e.g. raw survey data, interview transcripts, original documents, experimental results). A secondary source interprets, analyses or summarises primary material (e.g. textbooks, review articles, commentaries).

2. Define a tertiary source and give two examples.

   A tertiary source compiles or indexes primary and secondary sources rather than offering original analysis. Examples: encyclopaedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, databases and directories.

3. In EPQ research, what is the distinction between quantitative and qualitative sources/data?

   Quantitative data is numerical and measurable (counts, statistics, scores), suited to statistical analysis. Qualitative data is descriptive and non-numerical (words, themes, opinions, observations), suited to interpretation of meaning.

4. What is a peer-reviewed (scholarly) source and why is it valued?

   A source evaluated by independent experts in the field before publication. It is valued because the review process checks methodology, accuracy and validity, giving greater credibility than non-reviewed material.

5. List the main types of source a researcher may use.

   Books, academic journal articles, newspapers/magazines, websites, official statistics/government reports, primary data (surveys, interviews, experiments), audiovisual media, and reference works such as encyclopaedias.

6. What are Boolean operators and what does each do when searching?

   Words that combine search terms: AND narrows results (both terms must appear), OR broadens results (either term), and NOT excludes a term. They refine database and search-engine queries.

7. In searching, what is the purpose of truncation and wildcard symbols?

   Truncation (often *) retrieves all word endings from a root, e.g. educat* finds educate, education, educational. Wildcards (often ?) replace a single character to capture spelling variants. Both broaden retrieval efficiently.

8. Why use quotation marks (" ") in a search engine query?

   They force an exact-phrase match, so the engine returns only pages containing those words in that exact order, improving precision.

9. What is the difference between a keyword search and a subject (controlled vocabulary) search?

   A keyword search matches the exact words you type anywhere in a record and can miss synonyms. A subject search uses standardised index terms (controlled vocabulary) assigned by cataloguers, retrieving all items on a concept regardless of wording.

10. What does the search advice 'evaluate before you trust' mean when using the internet critically?

    It means assessing each web source's authority, accuracy, currency, purpose and objectivity before accepting its information, rather than treating any retrieved page as automatically reliable.

11. What can a website's domain suffix suggest about its likely purpose? Give examples.

    It hints at the publisher type: .gov (government), .ac.uk/.edu (educational/academic), .org (organisation, often non-profit), .com/.co.uk (commercial). It is a clue, not a guarantee, of reliability.

12. What is the 'filter bubble' problem when researching online?

    Search engines and social media personalise results based on past behaviour, so you are shown material that reinforces existing views and may miss opposing evidence, narrowing the range of perspectives encountered.

13. Why is Wikipedia generally not cited as an authoritative academic source, and how can it still be useful?

    It is openly editable, so authorship and accuracy are not guaranteed. It is useful as a starting point for background orientation and for following its cited references to reliable primary/secondary sources.

14. What information should a good research record/log capture for each source?

    Full bibliographic details (author, title, year, publisher/URL, page or access date), a summary of relevant content, key quotations with page numbers, your own evaluative notes, and how it links to your research question.

15. What is a reference management tool and name two examples.

    Software that stores, organises and formats references and generates citations/bibliographies automatically. Examples: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, RefWorks.

16. Why should researchers keep an audit trail or research diary during the EPQ?

    It records decisions, search strategies, dates and changes of direction, demonstrating systematic working, supporting the production log/reflection, and making the process transparent and reproducible.

17. What does the CRAAP test stand for as a tool for judging source credibility?

    Currency (timeliness), Relevance (importance to your need), Authority (source/author expertise), Accuracy (reliability and evidence), and Purpose (reason the information exists).

18. List five key criteria used to judge whether a source is credible.

    Authority/expertise of the author; accuracy and supporting evidence; objectivity (lack of bias); currency (how up to date it is); and purpose/audience for which it was produced.

19. How does an author's credentials and affiliation affect a source's credibility?

    Relevant qualifications, expertise and reputable institutional affiliation increase authority and trust; unknown, anonymous or unqualified authorship, or a conflict of interest, reduces credibility.

20. Why does currency (publication date) matter when assessing a source?

    In fast-moving fields, outdated information may be superseded or disproven; checking the date ensures the evidence still reflects current knowledge, though older sources can remain valid for historical or foundational topics.

21. What is bias in a source, and what is the difference between bias and perspective?

    Bias is a systematic distortion that unfairly favours one position, often by selective or misleading presentation. Perspective is the legitimate standpoint or viewpoint from which an author writes; recognising perspective helps interpret material without assuming it is dishonest.

22. Name four common signs that a source may be biased.

    Emotive or loaded language; one-sided argument ignoring counter-evidence; selective use of facts/cherry-picking; an undisclosed vested interest or funding source; and lack of cited evidence.

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Planning Research Skills and Information Literacy for Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Research Skills and Information Literacy (Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)) FAQ