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

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.

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.

What is confirmation bias and how should a researcher counter it?

The tendency to seek, favour and recall evidence that confirms existing beliefs while discounting contradictory evidence. Counter it by deliberately seeking opposing views, testing your hypothesis against disconfirming evidence, and triangulating sources.

What is a vested interest, and why does it matter for evaluating bias?

A personal, financial, political or institutional stake in a particular conclusion. It matters because it can motivate selective or distorted presentation, so identifying who funded or benefits from a source helps judge its objectivity.

What does it mean to triangulate evidence in research?

To use multiple independent sources, methods or types of data to investigate the same question, so that conclusions are corroborated rather than resting on a single source. Agreement across them strengthens confidence in findings.

Name the main types of triangulation.

Data triangulation (different data sources/times/people), methodological triangulation (different methods), investigator triangulation (different researchers), and theory triangulation (different theoretical lenses).

When sources disagree, what factors help you weigh which claim is stronger?

Quality and quantity of supporting evidence, the rigour of the methodology, the expertise and objectivity of the author, how recent and relevant it is, whether it is corroborated by independent sources, and the logical coherence of the argument.

What is the difference between correlation and causation, and why is it important when weighing claims?

Correlation means two variables vary together; causation means one actually produces a change in the other. A claim that correlation proves causation is weak because the link may be coincidental or due to a confounding third variable.

What is the difference between anecdotal evidence and empirical evidence?

Anecdotal evidence is based on isolated personal accounts and is not systematically collected, so it is weak for generalising. Empirical evidence is gathered systematically through observation or experiment and is more reliable.

In survey design, what is the difference between an open and a closed question?

A closed question offers fixed response options (e.g. yes/no, multiple choice, rating scales), giving easily quantified data. An open question lets respondents answer freely in their own words, giving richer qualitative data that is harder to analyse.

What is a leading question and why should it be avoided in questionnaires?

A question worded to push respondents toward a particular answer (e.g. 'Don't you agree that...?'). It biases results and reduces validity, so questions should be neutral and balanced.

What is a Likert scale and what is it used for?

An ordered rating scale (commonly 5 points: Strongly agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly disagree) used to measure attitudes or opinions, converting subjective views into ordinal quantitative data.

Why is a pilot study (pre-test) of a questionnaire valuable?

Testing the questionnaire on a small sample reveals ambiguous, confusing or biased questions and practical problems before the main study, improving reliability and validity.

Define population and sample in survey research.

The population is the entire group the researcher wants to draw conclusions about; the sample is the smaller subset actually studied, chosen to represent that population.

What is the difference between random sampling and a non-random method such as convenience sampling?

Random sampling gives every member of the population an equal chance of selection, reducing bias and aiding generalisation. Convenience sampling selects whoever is easiest to reach, which is quick but more prone to bias and less representative.

What is a structured interview compared with an unstructured interview?

A structured interview uses a fixed set of predetermined questions asked in the same order to all, giving comparable, standardised data. An unstructured interview is open and conversational, exploring topics flexibly for richer but less comparable data.

What is a semi-structured interview?

An interview using a guide of key questions but allowing the interviewer to probe and follow up flexibly, combining the comparability of structured interviews with the depth of unstructured ones.

What is a focus group and what is one key advantage and one disadvantage?

A guided group discussion (typically 6-10 people) led by a moderator to explore views on a topic. Advantage: interaction generates ideas and reveals shared/differing attitudes efficiently. Disadvantage: dominant participants or peer pressure can bias responses (groupthink).

In an experiment, distinguish the independent variable from the dependent variable.

The independent variable is the factor the researcher deliberately changes/manipulates; the dependent variable is the outcome that is measured to see if it responds to that change.

What is a control group and why is it used in an experiment?

A group that does not receive the experimental treatment (independent variable change), used as a baseline for comparison so any effect can be attributed to the manipulation rather than other factors.

What is a confounding variable and how can researchers control for it?

An extraneous variable that affects the dependent variable and is linked to the independent variable, distorting the apparent relationship. Control it by holding variables constant, randomisation, matching, or using a control group.

What is the difference between participant and non-participant observation?

In participant observation the researcher joins and takes part in the group being studied; in non-participant observation the researcher watches without taking part. Participant gives deeper insight but risks influencing behaviour and losing objectivity.

What is the Hawthorne effect in field research?

The tendency of people to change their behaviour because they know they are being observed, which can reduce the validity of observational findings.

Why is informed consent a core ethical requirement in primary data collection?

Participants must be told the purpose, nature and any risks of the research and agree voluntarily before taking part, so they can make an autonomous choice and are not deceived or coerced.

List four key ethical principles to follow when collecting primary data.

Informed consent; confidentiality/anonymity and secure data handling; the right to withdraw at any time; and protecting participants from harm. Special care and parental consent are needed for vulnerable groups or minors.

Why does anonymity and confidentiality matter ethically, and what is the difference between them?

They protect participants' privacy and encourage honest responses. Anonymity means the researcher cannot link data to an individual at all; confidentiality means identities are known but kept private and not disclosed.

What does the SQ3R active-reading strategy stand for?

Survey, Question, Read, Recite (or Recall), Review — a method for reading purposefully and improving comprehension and retention of academic texts.

What is the difference between skimming and scanning a text?

Skimming is reading quickly to get the overall gist or main ideas (e.g. headings, intro, conclusion). Scanning is searching the text rapidly to locate a specific piece of information such as a name, date or keyword.

What is the Cornell note-making system and how is the page organised?

A structured note method dividing the page into three areas: a wide right-hand column for notes during reading/lectures, a narrow left cue column for keywords and questions added afterwards, and a summary section at the bottom to consolidate the main points.

What is synthesis in research, and how does it differ from summary?

Synthesis combines ideas from multiple sources to build a new, integrated argument, showing relationships, agreements and contradictions between them. A summary simply restates the content of one source. Synthesis is analytical; summary is descriptive.

What is a literature review and what are its main purposes?

A critical survey and synthesis of existing published work on a topic. Its purposes are to map current knowledge, identify themes, debates and gaps, situate your own research question, and demonstrate that your work builds on rather than repeats existing scholarship.