Advanced Graded Investigation exemplar material
Learning Outcome 1 - Planning
LO1
AC1.1
AC1.2
Know how to plan an investigation with a contemporary focus including a
balanced consideration of a local/Wales perspective and one other country or
region
Formulate a research question or hypothesis with a contemporary focus,
identifying appropriate aims and objectives to ensure a balanced consideration
of a local/Wales perspective and one other country or region.
Identify and explain appropriate research methods to be utilised to achieve the
aims and objectives of an individual investigation
AC1.1 PASS
AC1.2 PASS
To what extent are Wales and Scotland committed to renewable energy and what
are the positive and negative effects of this policy on these countries?
Introduction
I have a general interest in natural resources and would like a job in the near future working with
renewable energy. Also it is very interesting to see the different ways that we can create natural
energy from our everyday things.
Having undertaken some research into my topic, I found out that renewable energy is used in both
Wales and Scotland and the most used renewable energy source is wind turbines. I am interested
in finding out the benefits of having these wind farms in Wales and Scotland. I will interview local
people living near wind farms that can help explain the positive and negative effects of wind farms.
Aims
•
•
A comparison between Wales and Scotland looking at the forms of renewable energy that
are used in both countries.
The positive and negative effects of renewable energy sources on these countries.
Objectives
•
•
•
•
To research into renewable energy used in Wales and what the government is doing about
the environmental issues with non-renewable energy sources
To research into the renewable energy used in Scotland and what the government is doing
about the environmental issues with non-renewable energy sources
See and compare the results of a survey on the wind farms from the view of residents of
Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, to get a better view on the opinions of the wind farms.
Compare the information about both locations, to see which county is doing the best for
both the renewable energy and the happiness of the country’s population.
Comment [J1]: AC 1.1 Appropriate a
and objectives, clearly linked to the
research question. A balanced and
appropriate focus can be maintained on
the basis of these aims and objectives.
Pass.
Rationale research methods
Within my investigation I will use two types of primary sources, as well as a wide variety of
secondary sources. For primary research I will create and analysing the results of a questionnaire,
also try interviewing an expert on the subject of renewable resources. With the new technology
today, interviewing and questionnaires can all be done online and easily with more reliable and
controlled results, this would be a more reliable way because you can choose who you want to
interview and can get a wide range of people and not just local people in your area. Secondary
sources can be found on the internet such as the BBCNEWS.com or books that hold data on my
topic such as Green Peace leaflets and information booklets on the topic produced by the
government.
Comment [J2]: Refers to primary an
secondary sources AC 1.2
Comment [J3]: AC 1.2 Limited
reasoning as to choice of methods.
To begin my investigation I am going to research about renewable energy in Scotland, so I will go
about this by finding the information on the internet but first I will need to check if there is enough
there to write about, if not then I will have to travel to Scotland or email them and find out primary
what they are doing, otherwise I will have to stick with secondary resources.
To find out the information on the Welsh government I will need to go on the internet and get
secondary information as I can’t go interview anyone in the government at this stage, so I will find
the information on government sites where the government will give out updates on what they are
doing for their country and its issues. I will also try other government sites to see if the information
is the same all round in case the data I am given of one website is misleading.
The problem is that I live in Wales and not close enough to Scotland to travel there and interview
small groups so I will be sticking to Welsh views on the wind farms but I am finding out what both
countries are doing with renewable resources. The primary sources are relevant as I can ask
certain question that will benefit my investigation, as well as asking either a wide range of people
or certain individuals like experts of locals. The secondary sources will gain me a lot of
information, this is vital to the investigation as it holds data that only certain individuals would know,
which means I have easier accesses to the information. So I did some research and found a
survey on wind farms in both areas Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, which are both effect by the wind
farms.
The questionnaire will be able to give out a personal view on the wind farms in their local area that
will help explain what is it like to live near them and help input some negative effects of having
wind farms. I will go about getting the data by going up front and asking questions to the local
people to get a complete questionnaire on the opinions and hope that the information will benefit
my investigation with the interview on living in the area of wind farms as well as my own personal
opinions.
Comment [J4]: AC 1.2 Limited
reasoning on a further aspect of the
research design.
Comment [J5]: AC 1.2 Offers
justification of a further stage in the
research but comments again limited.
Comment [J6]: AC 1.2 Clear descript
of appropriate methods to be used. Foc
is on research question. Several comme
on reasoning behind choices. None are
more than limited. Pass.
AC1.1 MERIT
AC1.2 MERIT
What strategies have been used to deal with global warming in Wales and
Australia?
Comment [J7]: Appropriate research
question.
Aims
•
•
•
I aim to look for expert views and public opinions on the strategies used to deal with global
warming in both countries. In order to carry out my investigation properly, I will need to find
out, not just expert views, but subjective public opinions as well. The Welsh view will be
different to that of Australia’s, as I believe that the two countries are tackling global warming
in different ways.
To evaluate how effective the strategies are in both countries – I will look at the strategies
that each country has deployed, and from public opinions, expert views, and effectiveness
to date, I will then evaluate how effective the strategies have been in Wales and Australia.
To evaluate whether these strategies are a sustainable solution – from the opinions I get in
my questionnaire, and the fact files from the strategies, I will assess how sustainable they
are, and whether they can continue to be used in the future to help tackle global warming.
Objectives
•
•
•
To find out expert views and public opinions, I will use information from reliable websites
online and research people’s opinions in each country. I will send out a questionnaire in
Wales to find out public opinion.
To find out how effective the strategies are, I will research how the climate is changing in
each country, by looking at websites online. I will look at graphs from trusted and reliable
sources of the how the climate is changing. I will also research how the wildlife is changing
in each country, by looking at nature websites where the wildlife is changing, demonstrating
evidence of climate change.
To find out whether these strategies are sustainable, I will research what strategies are
being taken, by looking at governmental sources online to see what strategies they, and
local councils, are putting in place. I will also research how these strategies work and what
knock-on effects they have, by finding out what makes these strategies better than the
previous one in an attempt to combat global warming. I will also find out what problems
there are with these strategies to see if there are any consequences.
Rationale for research methods
Research of people’s opinions using websites and a questionnaire will help with my evaluation of
how successful the strategies have been in each country, because I think that there is nothing
more important to a country than its people, so their opinions are vital. Expert views will be equally
as important, because they are the ones who have most of the knowledge on the subject, and are
the ones who should be listened to as they know exactly what is going on. I will get these opinions
through the use of open questions in a questionnaire, as these perfectly allow people to put down
their thoughts on paper anonymously, so they will not feel bad about people judging them on their
opinion.
Climate change is vital to this investigation, because it is what it is all about. How the climate is
changing is just as important, because the strategies used to defend the planet from global
warming will be based on how the climate is already changing. I will have to look at data, graphs
Comment [J8]: AC 1.1 Aims are mor
detailed than previous example. They ar
appropriate for research question and h
a logical progression, considering views,
strategies and finally the sustainability o
strategies. They ensure a balanced focus
they refer to both perspectives
throughout.
Comment [J9]: AC 1.1 objectives foc
on each aim in turn ensuring balance an
effective focus. They are directly develo
from and specific to t each aim and
therefore the initial research question.
Therefore, the logic and development is
apparent. Merit.
Comment [J10]: AC 1.2 Justification
methods given. Methods are appropriat
and address research question. Address
some of the issues of primary and
secondary methods of data collection.
and figures from reliable websites to see how the climate is changing, as these will give me the
information I need. These will also tell me how quickly the climate is changing, which will also be
an important factor. I will find these graphs figures and data on the Internet as there are many
reliable sources with this information.
With the climate changing, it is fairly inevitable that the wildlife within the country will change with it.
I will investigate this by looking at numbers of certain species in both countries from the past, the
present, and I will look at predicted numbers in the future. This will give me a good idea of what
pace global warming is moving at, and what effects it is having. From this information, I can then
get a good understanding of why some of the strategies that are in place, are actually in place. I
will also find this information on the Internet, on websites such as WWF which will have statistics of
species and how they are changing.
Comment [J11]: AC 1.2 Rationale
addresses each aim in turn with
justification and clear reasoning of choic
made.
Comment [J12]: Where information
coming from and why the source is used
addressed.
I will then look at what the actual strategies are that are being taken in each country. This is hugely
important because this is one of the main parts of the investigation, and needs to be done properly.
I will look at how each country is doing their bit in a bid to slow down (or try and stop) global
warming, and how they are doing it to protect their climate, their wildlife, and their country. I will
look at governmental websites and see their page on climate change to see what strategies the
country is using to help combat global warming.
Looking at the strategies is one thing, but assessing what knock-on effects and how the strategies
work is another matter completely. This will affect how sustainable the strategies are, because a
strategy is no good if it is not going to do any good for the future generation. The same websites
used for researching the strategy will be used here, as they should also contain what issues there
are with the strategy, leaving space for a better idea if one comes forward.
As previously mentioned, a questionnaire will be vital to my investigation to find out public opinion.
But before I can send out my questionnaire, I will have to do a pilot one. This is basically just a
practice one, that makes sure that there are no leading questions that are persuading the reader to
choose one answer, and to make sure that it is fine to give to people and that there is no bias. I will
construct my questions by thinking about what contributes to climate change the most out of
everyday life, as a lot of the general public will be able to relate and answer the questions properly,
meaning hopefully I will get some really good answers.
Comment [J13]: Further comments
primary methods.
Comment [J14]: AC 1.2 This is a clea
description of what the candidate intend
to do. Appropriate methods are describe
and the research question is addressed
directly throughout the rationale. Some
justification is apparent. Merit
AC1.1 DISTINCTION
AC1.2 DISTINCTION
An investigation into crime in Wales compared to New York.
Introduction
For my individual investigation, I intend to find out the patterns of crime in Wales compared to New
York and determine which of the two is the safest place to live. I aim to do this by looking at the
rates of crime in each place and the types of crime that occur in order to determine which place is
the safest in terms of crime. I have chosen to investigate this topic as it links to my Sociology A
level course, and relates to the subject I wish to study in university. I have chosen New York as my
wider perspective as I know that in the past there have been many problems in areas of New York.
I know New York has a reputation for crime and events such as 9/11 have made people feel less
safe. I also know that particular areas of Wales have crime problems and I am interested to see
how these areas compare to those of New York as well as whether the crime committed is
different. I have chosen to look at Wales as a whole rather than one area, as it will provide me with
more information as well as being more in proportion with New York. I will collect primary and
secondary research for my investigation. For my primary research, I will create and hand out a
questionnaire asking people on their views in order to get a clear idea of the views within Wales.
As it will only be local views, I will also conduct secondary research for the views of the rest of
Wales and the views of those in New York.
Comment [J15]: Research question
appropriate AC 1.1
Comment [J16]: AC 1.2 some
justification in introduction for choice of
design.
Aims and Objectives
I have created 4 aims that I hope I will find the answers to during my investigation. These aims will
make my research more organised so that I will not go off topic and give me a wide variety of
research so that I will be able to answer my investigation title with confidence.
1. What are the differences in the types of crime committed in Wales and New York?
2. The public’s reaction to crime and whether they think convictions should be more
lenient/harsh
3. The amount of crime reported in Wales compared to New York
4. How fearful the public is of crime and how safe they feel within their area.
Comment [J17]: AC 1.2 further
justification for design.
Comment [J18]: AC 1.1 Specific,
detailed and focused aims.
I have created objectives that will help me organise my work and make my investigation easier to
research.
Aim 1
(a) Look and analyse official statistics online and create a graph that is easy to understand which
clearly states the differences between the types of crime committed in New York and Wales.
(b) Look at textbooks that I can find in a library which may bring alternative statistics and compare
my research with research already done.
Aim 2
(a) Create a questionnaire and give it out to a wide sample of people I know of all ages. This will
help me gain a close analysis of information that I know is real as I have done the researching
myself. This will also be a quick way of gathering information.
(b) Use the Internet, perhaps American news sites to find out people’s opinions on crime.
Comment [J19]: AC 1.1 Each aim
addressed explicitly and in detail and
objectives are focused and developed.
Aim 3
(a) Use the questionnaire I will create as well to ask people close to me what crimes they would
and would not report. In addition, I will look at local newspaper article and based on the crime that
is being reported, and work out what is the most popular.
(b) Use textbooks and American news articles to gather information about what crime is being
reported and what the most popular type of crime is.
Aim 4
(a) Use my questionnaire to ask people whether they feel safe in their area and, if they have visited
New York, whether they felt less safe/safer
(b) Perhaps develop a theory about what crimes are going to be prevalent in the next few years.
Rationale
I have chosen my secondary sources as they are relevant to my aim and objectives, all of my
sources are recent documents, these will be useful as they will give me an accurate representation
of crime in todays’ society. I have chosen articles from newspaper reports as they will be able to
give statistics and can also contribute to personal opinions that will be essential in my second and
fourth aims, when looking at the publics’ opinions on convictions and how much they fear crime. I
have also chosen a blog post in my research, hopefully adding to the personal opinion. I have
included quantitative date in my secondary research, including a table of statistics and graphs. This
will help me with my first and third aims, as it will make my research easier to understand.
I have chosen to create a questionnaire containing open and closed questions as my primary
method as it gives me a chance to gain a personal perspective with views of those who live in
Wales through questions that I want to find out. I will choose appropriate questions relating to how
safe they feel in their area and also their reaction to convictions given. I will make sure that my
questions are not too ethical as I do not want the respondent to feel uncomfortable.
My questions are appropriate because they will hopefully be extra evidence to back up my points
made in my secondary research. I will address aim 1 by finding out if the respondents have ever
been a victim of crime and if so what? I will use examples such as vandalism and burglary. I will
not use more serious crimes such as murder or rape as some may be sensitive to it. I will address
aims and objective 2 by asking them if they think convictions are too lenient, I will rely on this as it
truly their opinion and it will be hard to find that sort of information through secondary research. I
will ask them if they report the crime they were a victim of, which will address aim 3 and I will ask
them questions such as ‘how safe do you feel in your area in the day/night?”. This will address aim
4 as it showing and representing how fearful the public is of crime.
I will distribute my questionnaire to both genders and a variety of ages as they will hopefully have a
variety of opinions which will be useful when looking at how different people feel in regard to crime.
I will give my questionnaire 30 people, and ensure a representative sample by including 15 males
and 15 females. I have chosen an equal number of males to women to avoid gender bias. I have
made sure that I gave my questionnaire to a variety of ages, as younger people may not see crime
as a big an issue as older people. My questionnaire was given out to people in the counties of
Monmouthshire, Newport and Cardiff. I made sure not to just focus on one area, as it would not be
a true representation of crime in Wales.
Comment [J20]: AC 1.1 Detailed,
logical and realistic. Linked to aims
throughout. These aims and objectives w
clearly ensure a balanced and effective
focus to the Investigation. Distinction.
Comment [J21]: AC 1.2 Describes, w
detailed justification, appropriate resear
methods which directly address aims.
Comment [J22]: AC 1.2 detailed
justification and explanation of appropr
research methods.
Comment [J23]: AC 1.2 further
detailed justification and explanation of
appropriate research methods.
Comment [J24]: AC 1.2 This is a
detailed rationale with a clear justificatio
of effective research methods. The
methods and reasoning address the aim
explicitly throughout. A key strength is t
the rationale describes in detail a logica
design which will enable the candidate t
actually achieve the aims and objectives
the Investigation. Distinction.
Advanced Graded Investigation exemplar material
Learning Outcome 2 - Sources
Learning Outcome 3 – Main body
LO2
AC2.1
AC2.2
LO3
AC3.1
AC3.2
Be able to identify, select, reference, obtain and evaluate the usefulness of a
range of relevant primary and secondary information including from a
local/Wales perspective and one other country or region.
Identify, select and reference relevant secondary information and demonstrate
the use of appropriate methods to obtain relevant primary information, including
a range of sources from a local/Wales perspective and one other country or
region.
Evaluate the usefulness of a range of sources including from a local/Wales
perspective and one other country or region.
Know how to synthesise, analyse and present the findings of an investigation
ensuring a balanced coverage of a local/Wales perspective and one other
country or region.
Synthesise and analyse findings in an appropriate and effective manner
including a balanced coverage of a local/Wales perspective and one other
country or region.
Presents findings demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the topic
investigated and includes a balanced coverage of a local/Wales perspective and
one other country or region.
AC2.1 PASS
AC2.2 PASS
AC3.1 PASS
AC3.2 PASS
Section 2: Secondary Research
The Welsh Perspective
I have chosen to look at the ‘Time to change’ website. http://www.time-tochange.org.uk/news/time-change-Wales-innovative-%C2%A319-million-partnership-endmental-health-discrimination-Wales . I do believe this website is reliable because all the facts
are true having done research on then and I have found it is one of the most popular websites on
this topic. Using this website for the Welsh perspective it shows me how much Wales has spent on
a campaign encouraging positive attitudes towards to mentally ill by using the information and
statistics. Three leading mental health charities in Wales have been given a grant of nearly £2
million. These charities are challenging and improving the stigma and discrimination possibly
present surrounding mental health problems. The Big Lottery, Comic Relief and the Welsh
Government all have funded this as they believe it will achieve real and lasting change. In order to
do this the charities aim to raise awareness of mental health problems through national social
marketing and media work. People in Wales with lived experience of mental health issues have
been delivering anti-discrimination training to employers and community leaders. Those either with
or without mental health problems are also given the chance to come together in community
activities. These activities aim to encourage people to fight back when facing discrimination on a
daily basis. This website was very useful to my investigation as it provided me information on how
much money is put into psychological provision and to improve attitudes on the subject, as well as
this what actions have been taken by these charities in order to achieve this.
I will use the information from the NHS website when supporting the Welsh perspective
http://www.Wales.nhs.uk/documents/websiteenglishnsfandactionplan.pdf . This is a reliable
source because it’s from the NHS website which is a very well-known reliable website. The
information I have chosen to use shows the policy and strategy set by the NHS to raise the
standards of the mental health services provided in Wales. Dr Brian Gibbons the Minister for
Health and Social Services put forward this National Service Framework and Action Plan to raise
the standards of adult mental health services in Wales. The Adult Mental Health Strategy,
published in 2001, established 4 key principles. These principles underpin the standards and the
key actions set out. Firstly, they aim to make the mental health services equal to everyone. Mental
health services should be available to all and allocated according to individual need, irrespective of
where someone lives, their ethnic origin, gender, culture, religion or sexuality or any physical
disability. As well as this Informed choice for all users is central to the empowerment principle.
Those detained under mental health legislation should be encouraged to participate actively and
willingly in their own care. The mental health services are also being improved in their
effectiveness, in providing interventions that improve the quality of life and reduce potential harm.
Lastly, training is provided to ensure the services use the resources efficiently and be accountable
for the way public money is spent. This
The next website I researched was the official NHS website.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/types-of-therapy.aspx. I
used this website to take a look at the different therapies available in the UK to those who have a
psychological problem. There is counselling which is well known as the talking therapy and is
readily available at your GP surgery. This therapy usually consists of 6 to 12 sessions, each an
hour long with your counsellor supporting you through it and offering practical advice. This therapy
Comment [J25]: Analysis of findings
linked to aims of Investigation. 3.1
Comment [J26]: Limited evaluation
usefulness and coverage of subject matt
Shows awareness of use of relevance of
the information to the Investigation. 2.2
Comment [J27]: Aware of reliability
origin of information. 2.2
is often used to help those with anger, relationship, redundancy or bereavement issues. There is
also the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which aims to help you cope better with the situations you
may face and to think more positively. The therapist will discuss events in your past to gain a better
understand. From this your therapist will have a better idea of what goals to set and what tasks to
carry out future sessions. CBT can help those that have depression, anxiety, phobias, OCD and
many more. There is also Couples Therapy, Family Therapy and Psychotherapy. There are many
different types of therapy in order to match and will be best for your specific situation. In the UK
you can talk to your GP about these therapies and all are on offer to the public.
I will use the information from this website when supporting the Welsh perspective.
http://www.Wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/866/page/40506. This is a reliable source to use as it is a
part of the official NHS website. Using this website I can gather information on what provisions my
local mental health hospital provides .The St.David’s mental health hospital in Caerleon offers
child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, they provide an assessment and therapeutic
treatment services for children from infancy to 16 years old. The service is offered to emotionally
disturbed and mentally ill children in Newport along with their families. As well as this the Adult
Mental Health Services are provided by 3 Community Mental Health Teams in the hospital that’s
aimed for people between 16 and 64 years. A variety of services are provided which include
inpatient treatment, outpatient clinics, group work and day care etc. Lastly the St. David’s hospital
offers Elderly Mental Health Services provides assessment and treatment of organic illnesses,
e.g. Alzheimer's disease; functional illnesses, such as depression and schizophrenia; support care
and respite care to people aged 65 and over. Services also include inpatient treatment, outpatient
clinics, domiciliary visits, group work and day care.
I then looked at how the public can go about seeking advice through an NHS link.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/mental-healthhelplines.aspx I will use this information from this to support the Welsh perspective. The
information provides me with a list of hotlines anyone can call for advice whether you're concerned
about yourself or a loved one, these helplines can offer expert advice. Support and advice for
people living with mental illness is provided by ‘Rethink Mental Illness’ either by their website or by
telephone. Depression Alliance is also a charity for sufferers of depression and had as a network of
self-help group can go to their website or contact them by telephone. There are many other
numbers and websites to go that with the links provided on this website either for general advice or
for a specific situation. As well as this there are charities that promote the views and needs of
people with mental health problems in order to better the attitudes towards the mentally ill in the
UK e.g. a charity called ‘Mind’. This website has been extremely helpful for my investigation
because it has allowed me to gain an insight into the degree of help available around the issue of
mental health in the UK.
Comment [J28]: Limited awareness
reliability of source. 2.2
Comment [J29]: Refers to use for
coverage of Investigation. 2.2
Comment [J30]: Further
straightforward comment on usefulness
regarding coverage of subject matter. 2.
Comment [J31]: The two sources
referenced are from the NHS website an
two from the Welsh NHS website. This is
limited, however, these are vast website
and the candidate has selected appropr
and relevant information from them. Th
demonstrates an appropriate level of sk
in selection. All sources are appropriate
referenced. 2.1
Comment [J32]: Each source has be
analysed separately but the information
selected is always linked to the aims.3.1
The Wider perspective: New York.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q=mental+services+in+new+york&fb=1&gl=uk&h
q=mental+services&hnear=0x89c24fa5d33f083
I have used Google maps which I believe is a very
reliable website, it is very well known and used
because of its high degree of accuracy. I have used
this website to gain an idea of how many mental
health services are available to the public in the
centre of New York. The blue tags indicate the
psychotherapists in New York that provide
psychotherapy, pharmacology and addiction
treatment. The red tags are psychiatric centres and
the red dots represent more mental health services.
From this I can see that due to the high number of
mental health services present dotted all over the
state and within a short distance of each other,
mental health problems in New York may be a more
common problem in the population of New York than Wales.
http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/adults/
This source may not be reliable as it’s not a very well-known website. I will use the information for
the wider perspective (New York); it shows the information given to those suffering from mental
health problems. Firstly I noticed there is a 24 hour service provided for emergency specific to
metal health problems for the public to use. This website also provides a link to help individuals,
friends and families making decisions
about which mental health services to
use. This website contains a search
engine to help individuals find services
are close to them, as well as this there
is an advanced search so that anyone
can include what they are looking for
in the service and what’s right for
them. There is also a list of
organizations such as health and
mental clinics with numbers and
addresses to contact. By looking at
the range of different organizations
offered there seems support provided
for every area of mental health.
Comment [J33]: Comment limited b
illustrates some awareness of the issue
reliability
http://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/mediaContact/public/view.cfm?parm=B9C8362C-5056-9D0B1A3EF3F4BF4708B8. This source may not be reliable as it’s not a very well-known website.
However the information I have collected and used is from the link provided.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/safety-plan/id695122998?ls=1&mt=8 I believe this website is
reliable as Apple are a popular and successful company. The New York State Office of Mental
Health have designed an app called ‘Safety Plan’ for those with or without mental health issues, in
the long run this is hoped to reduce suicide rates in New York. By encouraging the public to
independently look out for early symptoms for mental health issue, as well as helping individuals
already with a diagnosis to learn coping strategies in private if they don’t wish to express these
issues to anyone else or for those who may need it in an emergency. However, there were
technical difficulties with the app. Although the idea was great in terms of another method of
reaching out to those with issues, a lot of people couldn’t download and receive the app which
could have the reverse effect on these people than the New York State Office of Mental health
implied for example it may cause more distress for these people.
Comment [J34]: Comments remain
limited but makes an attempt to comme
on several sources. 2.2
Comment [J35]: Limited evaluative
comment. 2.2
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/mhp/mhclic.htm. This source may not be reliable as it’s not a very
well-known website. However it provides detailed information of the New York Mental Health
Counseling License Requirements. 3,000 clock hours of supervised experience must be obtained
after completion of the master’s or doctorate degree in counseling is required and then you must
also pass the ‘National Clinical Health Counselor Examination’ for licensure. This shows me that
the New York State Office Of Mental Health have exceedingly high training and educational
standards for individuals to become a counseling therapist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/health/21patient.html?_r=0. This source is reliable as it’s from
a very popular New York newspaper. The website shows a survey in 2009 by the federal
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds that the main reason why many
will not seek professional help for a mental health issue is due to the cost. A psychologist John
Draper quotes that this is because “there’s a misperception that care is always expensive”. As well
as this, when looking for low-cost care you might face longer waits than when you are paying full
fare. This may deter you from completing the treatment and untreated mental health issues may
lead to serious and even more costly medical problems. This shows me the difficulties New
Yorkers may face when experiencing mental health issues.
Comparison of the sources from both perspectives
After researching the psychological help provided in the two areas I have chosen, I have come to a
number of conclusions. Firstly in Wales there is now an increase in the public’s confidence to seek
help thanks to the grant of 2 million pound given to mental health charities towards improving our
attitudes towards the mentally ill. As well as this there is a new strategy set by the NSF to raise the
standards of the mental health services provided in Wales again proving that the mental provision
in Wales are improving. In conclusion, Despite New York’s greater population I believe that the
psychological help in Wales has improved to the same standards as New York. I have seen that
there are far more mental health services available in New York than New York; however I do not
see this as a weakness due to Wales’ smaller population. I have also learnt that there is an extra
worry for mental health sufferers in New York than Wales which can have serious implications. The
thought of paying expensive fees for seeking out mental health support increases the numbers of
individuals that suffer in silence. This is not the case in Wales.
Comment [J36]: Conclusions
demonstrate appropriate synthesis of th
information and the candidate remains
clearly focused on the aims of the resea
3.1
Section 3: Primary Research
For my investigation I needed to find out more information, I did this by asking further questions in
my primary research. I created a questionnaire including 11 questions, 7 of which were closed
questions and 4 of which were open questions. I distributed my questionnaire to 25 people of a
range of ages and an equal number of males and females. All of my questions were personal and
so I ensured all participants the data would be presented anonymously.
Analysis
My first question was to see how many males and females were included. After aiming to include
an equal distribution of males and females there is a fairly equal number. However I must take into
account my results will ever so slightly lean towards a female’s perspective.
What Gender are you?
48%
52%
Females
Males
My second was to find out how many people could attempt to identify symptoms of a mental
disorder.
How many common symptoms can you
list?
15
10
5
0
Listed 0
Listed 1/2
Listed 3+
From my results I can clearly see that more than half of the participants could identify one or two
common symptoms. As well as this a more shocking result shows that many participants couldn’t
identify one common symptoms of a mental health disorder. This worrying statistic could possibly
suggest that perhaps a great number of people in Wales are completely unaware of what a mental
disorder is.
Comment [J37]: Questions asked in
primary research are focused on aims. 2
1)
I also asked participants ‘If you know anyone who has had or still has a mental illness give a
rating of 10 for the provisions provided from your local government. 1 being poor and 10
being excellent’
This bar chart shows me that most people rated the provision provided in Wales for mental health
9
8
7
Number of
people.
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Rating scale (1 being poo and 10
being excellent).
issues an average 5. More people rated higher than this number than number. However, no one
rated the support given in Wales above an 8. This proves that many do believe the psychological
help in Wales can be improved and only gives an average satisfaction rate.
I also asked participants further into the question ‘Who would you feel most comfortable talking to
about your issues?’
Family/Friends
Local GP
7
11
Helplines
None of the above
2
5
From my results I found out that the majority of people prefer to talk to close relatives or friends
rather than a profession. I can also see that the majority of people would not use a helpline for
advice and support. This may because they may be unaware of the contact number or don’t wish
to speak to someone they aren’t familiar with or over the phone about such a sensitive topic.
Another figure I found shocking was that 7 out of 25 participants chose not to seek advice from any
of the above. This is worrying is it may be the case that this may be the case with many individuals
in Wales that choose to suffer in silence rather than seek support which could lead to a mental
health issue becoming worse.
Comment [J38]: Use of primary
information is limited but remains focus
on the central issues under investigation
and adds to the Investigation and covera
of the topic.
Comment [J39]: The standard of
evaluation of sources remains constant
with limited comments on several sourc
but some awareness of their usefulness
and reliability is demonstrated. 2.2
Comment [J40]: The research carrie
out is appropriate, several sources from
both perspectives are used and
information obtained is relevant and
focused. Primary information is limited b
again focused and relevant. 2.1
Comment [J41]: Synthesis and analy
is limited but appropriate and as with th
other assessment criteria, a key strength
that everything is linked clearly to the ai
3.1
Comment [J42]: Findings are
presented clearly. It is easy to follow and
the coverage of perspectives is balanced
Relevant knowledge and understanding
demonstrated. The knowledge is genera
appropriate. This is a complex topic and
the candidate’s credit, whilst the level o
skill is limited to a pass, they remain
generally focused on the aims building t
Investigation through the selection and
analysis of appropriate information.
AC2.1 MERIT
AC3.1 MERIT
AC3.2 MERIT
Firstly, I need to define cyber-crime, as it can have many possible definitions, so deciding on one
definition will allow me to do more focused research on the topic of cyber-crime, as it has many
definitions, for example, some might say a Distributed Denial of Service attack is not strictly
hacking, therefore may not be considered a cyber-crime. Whilst some people may argue that
anything that can be a crime such as denial of service, and is done digitally, is a cyber-crime.
Next, I will research the risks that cyber-crime can pose, especially as the occurrence of cybercrime is increasing globally, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that advances are happening
more rapidly in the sophistication of cyber-crime than in security, possibly due to the increasing
wealth and political exposure that can be gained by cyber-crime. I will expand this by then
researching internet access, speeds and government attitudes in order to judge the dangers that
cyber-crime could pose.
Aim 1
One definition of cyber-crime is, illegal activity that is carried out using a computer, including
activities such as storing evidence, network intrusions, the use of computer viruses and existing
social crimes such as theft, stalking, bullying and terrorism. (Margaret Rouse, techtarget.com,
2010, What is cybercrime?)
Comment [J43]: Appropriate
referencing 2.1
This is a fairly all-encompassing definition as it includes both crimes that are only able to be
committed using computers – such as hacking, and also crimes that are able to be committed both
with and without computers, such as harassment and bullying. This shows a fairly consistent
definition, which is helped as it is unambiguous as it lists a number of common crimes, which also
act as general terms, allowing for an easy understanding of cyber-crime.
The definition from the Oxford English Dictionary is; “criminal activities carried out by means of
computers or the Internet”. This definition is considerably more ambiguous about specific crimes,
but makes it clear that if it is considered illegal without the use of a computer, and is carried out
using computers or the internet, then it is a cyber-crime.
The official Chinese definition of cyber-crime was expanded in 2009 Amendment 7 to Article 258,
“Intruding into a computer information system or using other technical means to obtain the data
stored, processed or transmitted in the computer information system or exercise illegal control over
the computer information system. Providing special programs or tools specially used for intruding
into or illegally controlling a compute information system.” (Michela Menting, www.academia.edu,
Cybercrime in China.) (Amendment 7 to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China. 2009)
This definition if very close to the ones I have found for the UK, especially to the one in the Oxford
Dictionary. Earlier revisions of the law also include vague examples of cyber-crime such as; “Illegal
Access” “Sabotaging Computer Information Systems” and “Computer Related Forgery/Fraud”.
These are in parallel to the techtarget.com definition, as these are all covered, except for possibly
stalking, bullying and terrorism. This may show a cultural difference between Wales and China as
these 3 social issues are not clearly defined.
Furthermore, in the actual wording of the legislation it states, “If the circumstances are serious, be
sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment not more than three years or criminal detention, and/or be
Comment [J44]: Coverage of both
perspectives for each aim is balanced an
detailed. Relevant detailed knowledge a
understanding. 3.2
fined”. These are fairly substantial jail times leading me to believe that China takes cyber-crime
very seriously, though there is no definition of a serious circumstance, so it is hard to determine if
any particular crimes are worthy of such jail times, and there did not appear to be a fixed fine, so it
is hard to determine just how extreme the punishments can be.
Aim 2
In 2009/2010, e-Crime Wales reported there had been a 67% increase in cyber-attacks in Wales,
costing businesses a combined £373 million, which rose to approximately £974 million the
following year. (ecrimeWales.com, 2011, Cost of e-Crime in Wales heads towards billion). Whilst
this data is a few years old, it does show that there are sharp increases in the rates of and costs of
cyber-crime to businesses. There is also thought to be increasing rates of cyber-crime across the
world, so it can be assumed this is the case for Wales, so the costs could be well over £1 billion in
2013/2014.
Comment [J45]: Referencing is secu
and consistent throughout
This could be attributed to the ease of being able to carry out a basic cyber-attack, designed to
shut servers down called a Distributed Denial of Service attack. This has become increasingly easy
as time has progressed and now it can be done by; “most anyone with an Internet connection who
knows how to use Google (and the vast majority of Internet users at least knows that) can figure
out how to conduct a DDoS in 10 minutes or less.” (http://www.secpoint.com, How Easy Is It to
DDoS?)
There is also evidence to suggest that businesses are suffering from cyber-attacks, specifically in
South Wales, with individual attacks reaching £1million (southWalesargus.co.uk, 2013, Cyber
attacks hit more businesses). This also includes an increase in cases of data loss as Welsh cybercrime is on the rise, for example in 2009 cyber-crime in Wales doubled and there was a 67%
increase in businesses getting hacked in terms of data loss. (bbc.co.uk, 2010, E-crime in Wales
‘more than doubled’)
There have also been recent instances of cyber-attacks with a more politically minded goal,
specifically around the NATO summit, in the build up to which the Gwent police had to improve
security. (southWalesargus.co.uk, 2014, Cyber attacks on Gwent websites ‘inevitable ahead of
NATO summit says chief constable.)
However, cyber-crime in China does seem to be more rampant than in Wales, for example, the
number of cyber-attacks has gone up 340 times between 1998 and 2009, with an estimated 60%
of ministerial level websites faced security threats in 2010. However, there is effective combat
against hacking as well with a 21.5% decrease in website tampering by hackers. (Liu Xiaoming,
2011, China's Perspective on Cybersecurity.). As an official government speech, it can be
assumed this has a direct correlation to the attitudes taken by the government as a whole, as such
much of the speech is focused on talking about how combat cyber-crime and how effective China
has been at doing so. The Ambassador also stated that 480 thousand Trojan IP addresses, which
221 thousand originating from outside China were making attempts to hack government websites,
showing that there are significant attempts from both within and outside of China to take control of
said websites. China is also trying to distance itself from the stereotypical claim that it is the source
of a large number of cyber-crimes, as shown by money government reports from China with
countries such as India also having a large presence in cyber-crime (Dean Wilson, 2011, China
claims it was the victim of half a million cyber attacks in 2010). As a result of this effort to reduce
global prejudice towards China in its role in cyber-crimes does show that China consider cybercrime a serious issue and wish to be dissociated from it as they are aware of the stereotypes linked
Comment [J46]: All information is
directly relevant and a range of sources
used. The information is specific and add
to the argument/ Investigation
to them. (Thor Olavsrud, 2013, Chinese Government’s Link to Cyber Espionage is Clearer Than
Ever)
Aim 3
As was mentioned earlier, I believe China is taking a very serious approach in its attempts to curb
cyber-crime, with giving out lengthy prison sentences and large fines to anyone found attempting to
commit cyber-crimes. With an annual global cost of cyber-crime approximated to be $110 billion,
with China being the biggest victim with a massive $46 billion per year lost alone, and Wales barely
reaching $1 billion, it is obvious that China has to take more serious measures than most to reduce
the cost of cyber-crimes. (Eric Sinrod, 2012. The Cost of Cybercrime: 1.5 Million Victims Every
Day). However, recent data has shown that the population of china is around 1.3 billion people,
and Wales has a population of roughly 3 million. As a result, the cost per person for cyber-crime in
China is $34 per person, and in Wales it is approximately £333 per person per year. Though this is
due to the much lower population, it is still quite staggering that individually, we contribute more
than 10 times as much to the total cost of cyber-crime in Wales. I believe the Welsh do have quite
a significant amount of work to do in order to reduce the cost of cyber-crime to the country. Though
there is progress on this front, as Wales is beginning to join in the fight against cyber-crime in a
major way. (ecrimeWales.com, 2011, European cyber crime fight strengthened thanks to Walesled network.) .
Aim 4
In Wales, the average internet speed is 6.5 MB/s (BBC, 2011, Ofcom map shows Wales’ poor
broadband provision). This is surprisingly higher than that of China which has an average of just 3.45
MB/s. However, the speeds in China do vary from 5.4MB/s in Shanghai to just 2.61 in Qinghai as
shown above. This large discrepancy is quite shocking, as one would think that China, which is
thought to be a very industrial country, actually has a lower average internet connection speed.
Though, in the more industrial and high population areas in China, the connection is still lower than
Wales, though this could be because there is a low provision of internet in total, so it may only be
that the rural areas do not have any internet, which would push the national average up.
The total number of internet users in China is 34.3% of the population (Liu Xiaoming, 2011, China's
Perspective on Cybersecurity.).So this is roughly 380 million people, this huge amount of traffic
could cause the internet to slow down, contributing to these low averages.
(Josh Horwitz, 2014. China’s average internet speed jumped 33 percent in 2013, but it’s still pretty slow.)
Comment [J47]: Pattern of balanced
coverage and presentation being clear a
effective is continued for each aim. A
successful way of approaching the
Investigation. Knowledge and
understanding is detailed and relevant
throughout. 3.2
Comment [J48]: Synthesis of
information collected is effective and
enables focus on aims and discussion of
specific issue rather than a descriptive
account of information collected. 3.1
Comment [J49]: Referencing remain
secure. 2.1
When compared to internet uptake of roughly 45% in the UK (Ofcom, Take-up of digital TV and
broadband has slowed in Wales.) This is roughly 1,350,000 people, which is vastly lower than
China, so the infrastructure would face a lot less stress, leading to higher speeds.
Primary Research
Question 1: How fast is your internet download speed?
Speed of Internet
0-5 MB/s
6-10MB/s
11-15MB/s
20+ MB/s
This shows that the average speed of 6.5MB/s is fairly accurate, at least in southern Wales, as the
majority of participants (60%) have a 0-5MB/s connection, and a 20% have a connection of 610MB/s with a further 20% with 11-20+ MB/s connections. This actually has an average higher
than 6.5 MB/s; however southern Wales is a less rural part, so the greater internet speeds are to
be expected. With the increase in uptake of fibre optic broadband, the average internet speed is
likely to go up in the coming years as superfast broadband becomes more available.
Question 2: What speed was your internet advertised at by your provider.
Advertised internet speed
0-5 MB/s
6-10 MB/s
11-15 MB/s
20+ MB/s
This shows that the providers advertised speeds, famous for the ‘up to…’ advertisements, are
exaggerations of the actual speed, however they are closer to the actual speeds than one might
expect, with the ranges of 0-5 and 6-10 being the highest, and 11-15 and 20+ being in the minority.
The biggest discrepancy is in the 11-15 section, as would be expected, as many providers, in my
experience, advertise a up to 15MB/s connection, however these are more likely to be around 5-7
MB/s which has almost come to be expected. Personally, I have very fibre optic internet, which is
advertised at up to 80 MB/s, however on a wireless connection I get between 25 and 30 MB/s,
which is more than fast enough but does show the differences between advertised and actual
speeds
Question 3: Are you satisfied with your internet speed?
Satisfaction with internet speed
Yes
No
This shows that the majority of people are indeed satisfied with their internet, this is probably due
to the different amounts of use people get from their internet, as people who just use it to watch
videos and download music are going to require slower speeds than those who wish to play online
games or stream very high quality videos. However, the lower age range that participated in my
survey would lead me to believe that more would be dissatisfied as they are more likely to require
high speed internet for what they want to do.
Question 4: Have you ever been a victim of a cyber-crime?
Have you been a victim of a cybercrime?
Yes
No
This clearly shows that many people are not personally affected by cyber-crimes; this could be
because most cyber-attacks are done against corporations and because many corporations are
reluctant to release reports when their networks are compromised. However, I only found a limited
age range to participate in my survey so this could be indicative that younger people are less likely
to notice or less likely to be victims of cyber-crime, possibly due to being more tech savvy or
because they have fewer accounts which could be compromised as they are less likely to have
credit or debit cards.
Question 6: Has a cyber-crime caused losses for you financially? For example, having an online
account hacked which contained credit or debit card details.
Financial Losses due to cyber-crime
Yes
No
Once again, the number of people who have had financial losses caused by cyber-crime is very
low, while it is around 5% lower than the rate of cyber-crime itself, this may be because some
people have accounts hacked, such as emails or online forum accounts, which would accrue
minimal financial losses. I would expect that if the age demographic was more top heavy, for
example more 25-35 year olds, then the number of ‘Yes’ replies may have been higher.
Question 7: Do you think China is the source of, and victim of, more cyber-crime than Wales per
person.
All stated yes, this is to be expected, as China is stereotypically a country which is very involved in
developments in technology including cyber-crime, so it makes sense that the majority of people
are of the opinion that China is victim of and source of more cyber-crime.
Question 8: Do you think internet access and internet speeds in China are better than Wales’
Sales
Yes
No
I found this surprising as I expected most people to be of the opinion that China had better internet,
however it is surprisingly close to 50/50. This is closer to the truth than I expected it to be before I
started this investigation as I assumed China had better access/speeds, however Wales’ internet is
actually faster on average.
Comment [J50]: All question are
directly linked to the aims of the
Investigation. Research is appropriate an
effective use of research methods is ma
to ensure the data collected and collate
enhances the Investigation and is releva
Comment [J51]: This candidate is
deserving of a Merit for AC 2.1 due to th
use of the information collected and
the effective use of primary research. A
suitable range of sources is used to ensu
the detail and balance required.
Referencing is secure throughout.
Comment [J52]: The information is
effectively synthesised rather than mere
recounted and again remains focused on
the aims. Therefore, is deserving of a M
for AC 3.1
Comment [J53]: Presentation is
successful and clear. There is detailed an
balanced coverage of the perspectives
linked directly to each aim. This is a very
successful approach to ensuing balance
and relevance. The knowledge is detaile
and understating clear. AC 3.2 therefore
awarded Merit.
Comment [J54]: The breadth of
coverage and comprehensiveness preve
is attaining a Distinction.
AC2.1, AC2.2 DISTINCTION
AC3.1, AC3.2 DISTINCTION
Objective 1 - I will research the rates of infant mortality, the quality of paediatrics health
care and other factors that affect infant mortality rates in Wales
I will be examining my first objective first. From my research I have discovered that in Wales there
is just 4.1 infant deaths per thousand births in 2012 (1) considering the majority of places are a lot
higher, this is exceptionally good. The question is, why are these rates so good compared to
somewhere like Liberia? The research I did and from my questionnaire I have seen that the quality
of health care in Wales is remarkable with it improving all the time.
One major factor for why the quality of paediatrics is respectable is because of the Welsh
Assembly Government. From looking at a news article published by the Guardian (2) it states that
the reason for Wales improving health care is system is because the Welsh government have
integrated the health care system and social work system and this has saved money for the Welsh
Government. This integrated system has seen a drop in emergency hospital admissions for people
with chronic conditions and readmissions have seen a 30% decrease. Now personally, I believe
this has had a major impact on infant mortality rates. This is because, with a decrease in hospital
admissions, more care can be focused on ill infants and they can be helped to make a full
recovery. The integrated system, also allows parents to have support from the social work aspect
of it. Hopefully, this will cause them to feel less distressed and will allow them to support their child
more, which could help their child to make a recovery as many medical professionals say infants
can feel their parents stress and when such a young infant is ill, this could cause them to
deteriorate further.
Another reason for the low infant mortality rates in Wales is the free health care system. This is
because, if parents had to pay for just a consultation, they may take their child to see a doctor if
they were showing minor symptoms of illness and if this illness was something more severe than
say just a ‘cold’, it could lead to serious consequences. If sadly this was happening often, it would
cause an increase in infant mortality rates. Also, if Wales did not have a free health care system,
parents who have low income would not be able to afford the health care, and so any health care
issues with their infants would have to be left again causing infant mortality rates. This is why it is
so vital that health care in Wales is free.
The training that doctors receive to be able to treat infants is also vital in order to keep mortality
rates low. A recent assessment was done in Cardiff University to see the knowledge and the
confidence medical students had paediatric basic life support (3). 58 fourth year medical students
took part and of the 58, 10 received further training in paediatric basic life support (PBLS). After the
questionnaire, it was seen that those who did not receive further training only had 41% knowledge
and confidence in PBLS but those who did, scored 93.6% in the assessment. 12 days later, the
assessment was repeated on the same 10 students, and although the score was less, they’re
average score was 79.29% which was significantly higher than the 46 students who had received
no formal training. The assessment came to the conclusion, that the knowledge and confidence of
medical students being able to perform PBLS can be improved with a short and efficient training
session. This information shows that if the training of medical students improves, then infant
mortality rates could be decreased even further as just basic training could mean the difference
between losing an infant and one surviving. The training a doctor receives is exceptionally
important as if they do not receive the correct or efficient training and if it happened continually it
could cause infant mortality rates to rise. However, doctors in Wales come from far and wide, and
Comment [J55]: Detailed and comp
relevant information. 2.1
Comment [J56]: Effective synthesis
and analysis linked to aims. 3.1
Comment [J57]: Effective synthesis
and analysis linked to aims is consistent
3.1
Comment [J58]: Effective research,
detailed and complex, directly relevant.
Very effective use of research. 2.1
will have been trained at top universities such as Cambridge and Oxford, meaning that they have
received fantastic teaching, had lots of experience meaning they know how to treat an infant
accurately and efficiently which is another reason for why the health care is good.
However, there are some problems with paediatric health care in Wales which could cause infant
mortality rates to rise if the issues are not addressed. For example, Glan Llwyd hospital in North
Wales is currently in the process of having their long term neo-natal ward being transferred to
Wirral's Arrowe Park Hospital, which for parents in in rural areas of North Wales, could be a major
issue (4). Not having the support of a parent, could affect a premature baby’s chance of survival.
Also if a pre-mature baby was born in Bangor or Glan Llwyd hospital, being transferred could be a
very traumatic and stressful experience for the infant which could cause their condition to
deteriorate further which could lead to dire consequences.
The group ‘cuddles’ which works with premature babies in the neo-natal ward, recently released a
statement, and a quotation from it ‘Should the move go ahead, babies lives will be at risk and some
of these critically ill babies WILL die’ (5) shows how drastic the consequences could be if the ward
was too shut. However, it could be said that this statement is bias because it is from a charity who
dedicate their lives to help premature babies recover and they may be overdramatizing the
situation in order to get more people to support the prevention of the move of the ward.
Nevertheless, these people are experts in what they do, so they know what they are talking about.
Comment [J59]: Further example of
effective synthesis 3.1
Comment [J60]: Critical evaluation o
bias. 2.2
Comment [J61]: Further analysis of
possible bias. 2.2
The budget cuts which are currently affecting the whole of Wales could also affect infant mortality
rates. In 2012, Six of Wales Seven local health boards had a deficit of £230million (6). This could
affect the paediatric health care quality because as there are masses amount of debts, budget cuts
will be made which could mean less doctors/nurses on hand to help. The quality could also
decrease because it might mean that not all services will be available which could help save young
infants.
With the 18% of the population of Wales being over 65, it is clear that there are a high percentage
of elderly people who live in Wales (7). From this information, the government have said that they
are making it their priority to improve health care for the elderly. This could affect infant mortality
rates, as if the health care is being more directed to the elderly population, what about the young
infants? Health care quality for infants may decrease and so may the quality of the doctors/nurses
as health boards will be looking at hiring medical professionals who are skilled in working with
elderly patients – not those who are skilled in working with premature and ill babies/toddlers.
Objective 2 - Research rates of infant mortality, the quality of paediatric medicine and other
factors that affect infant mortality rates in Liberia
Next I will be looking at the paediatric health care in Liberia. As it currently stands, the infant
mortality rates in Liberia are 58.20 per 1000 infants (8) – considering what the infant mortality rate
was like once, this has improved dramatically. Liberia is one of the countries with the highest infant
mortality rates and it has already reached MG4 which aims to reduce Under 5 infant mortality rates
by two thirds by 2015(9). Gupta has stated that the reason for this decrease in infant mortality rates
is ‘due to the increased availability and affordability of effective treatment, innovative ways to
deliver critical interventions to the poor and the excluded, and sustained political commitment’.
However, according to Unicef Liberia has the fifth highest infant mortality rate in the world, they say
that 15% of infant die before reaching their first birthday. The diseases that cause this are
preventable diseases such as malaria and measles, a simple jab is needed to prevent these
diseases, but this is costly and with over half the population living on one dollar a day, many
cannot afford it (10). Infant mortality rates are one of the biggest health, social and economic issue
Comment [J62]: Comprehensive
synthesis linked to aims. 2.2
Comment [J63]: Ensures balanced
coverage of both perspectives is detaile
3.2
in Liberia. In a survey in 2007, it was recorded
that only 39% of under twos had received their
recommended vaccinations and 20% were
suffering with severe diarrhoea.
One factor that causes infant mortality rates to
be high is the cost of health care. Families in
Liberia have to pay for doctors’ visits, hospital
stays, non-prescription medicine and medical
insurance (11) (although government health
clinics are free, the quality of health care is not
Hospital
in Liberia
efficient). With the average family living on 50 pence a day, Redemption
paying for health
care
is the (14)
last of
many families’ agendas. Because of the health costs, very few infants are given vital vaccinations
which could protect them against diseases and so they are more susceptible to these diseases,
and often they do suffer from things such as polio and it often results in death. Also, any minor
injuries or cuts they may have are not examined by doctors as it is expensive for this, and these
injuries could get affected and they infant could again die, causing infant mortality rates to die.
The fact that the majority of families in Liberia are living in such poverty also means that families
cannot afford to feed their infants a nutritious diet. The effect of this is that many suffer from severe
malnutrition which causes them to suffer from a lack of vitamins, which can cause diabetes, kidney
failure, comas etc. which will ultimately result in death – again causing infant mortality rates to be
high as 41.8% of infants in Liberia suffer from this awful illness.
Another factor that causes infant mortality rates to be high is the distance to hospitals. For
example, in a place called Saclepea in Liberia which has a population of an estimated 17,000
people there is no hospital (although there is multiple clinics) (13). However, these clinics do not
have vital medical equipment such as X-Rays nor do they have specialist paediatric
doctors/nurses. The nearest hospital is in Ganta which around 45km, this means that if an infant
needs urgent medical attention from a specialist, they will have to take a long journey which cause
them to become distressed causing their condition to deteriorate further and the long distance may
mean that sometimes the child dies on the journey. For some rural areas, a two day walk is
needed to reach medical centres(13) even here they might not get the health care that an infant
requires. Sadly, this happens regularly and is one of the factors to why infant mortality rates are
still high in Liberia.
Clearly, in Liberia the quality of health care is not as hygienic or efficient as Wales. From this
picture, we can see that there isn’t the basic health care equipment such as IV drips, heart rate
monitors and it seems to be anunhygienic environment. If a young infant was in these conditions,
and was not being given nutrients was in unhygienic conditions, it could be even more susceptible
to illness or could worsen the condition they were currently in.
Also, if the basic ops weren’t being monitored, no change could be detected if there was one, it
could mean that their condition could worsen and they might not be given the right medicine, which
could result in them making a full recovery. A nurse named Denise Walch, (this information
sourced from the same picture located above) arrived in Redemption hospital which at that point
was just recovering from the brutal civil war that Liberia had been involved in for many years. She
describes that how in the maternity ward; women were giving birth without water which I would
believe would cause the mother to become dehydrated which could also affect the health of the
baby. The blood stained sheets also gives the indication that this hospital had appalling hygienic
conditions. This indicates to me that if the majority of hospitals in Liberia are like this, then no
wonder infant mortality rates are as high as they are, as poor hygiene conditions will mean disease
can spread more easily. If disease can spread more quickly, then clearly new born infants will be
affected, as they do not have the same bodily defences against disease as a grown adult does.
Also, it is mentioned in this article that there was no mosquito defences in the hospitals. With
Liberia having mosquitos such as the Anopheles mosquito, malaria can spread quickly and with
few people being protected against the dreadful disease, it is one of the killers in Liberia. 32% of
infants in Liberia suffer from malaria and with the average cost of health care in Liberia being 162
dollars to treat it (15), many cannot afford for their infant to receive the medical attention they need.
This shows how appalling the quality of health care can be in Liberia, as although its widely known
how many infants suffer from malaria and how dangerous the disease can be (15% die of infants
die before they reach their first birthday), it would be thought that hospitals tried to prevent this
disease from spreading with mosquito nets protecting the infants which would prevent new born
infants and already ill infants from catching the disease, which would prevent infant mortality rates.
However, many hospitals are not funded well (although this is slowly improving) so they cannot
afford mosquito nets, which can easily break, most of the money used is spent on medical drugs
(which will also help infants to make a recovery) and paying for health care workers who can
obviously help infants to get better.
With Liberia only having 5,000 medical staff to cater to a population of 3.8 million, there clearly is a
struggle for good and affective health care. Many of the 5000 medical staff, are only health care
workers and not fully medically trained doctors, as of 2006 there was only 51 full qualified doctors
in Liberia, meaning that the majority of health works cannot provide help for complex conditions an
infant may be suffering from, such as malaria, measles and malnutrition.
There may also be long waiting times due to the high demand that medical staff face, meaning
parents do not want to wait and leave the hospital before getting their infant looked at. This could
result in an infant’s condition deteriorating further, and if a parent did not realise, it could result
again in an infant dying – once again this would contribute to infant mortality rates if it was
happening often. Understaffed hospitals may also mean that an infant does not get the full
attention from the medical staff as they will be rushed and stressed, meaning the infants needs
may get neglected and therefore once again if their condition was getting worse, it could be missed
and sadly, they could die.
The health care system has started improved over the recent years, mainly due to charity funding
from charities such as Unicef who have been working in Liberia to help improve infant mortality
rates further. Due to the brutal 14 year civil war in Liberia, many people were forced to move into
refugee camps. Due to the amount of people living in close proximities, any diseases spread
quickly and as children have not had vaccinations, they were more susceptible to the diseases,
and this caused a surge in infant mortality rates. Nearly 40% of infants currently suffer from
stunting as a result of malnutrition nor do they have a safe drinking water or have access to
adequate sanitation(16)
However, Unicef have been working with medical professionals and the Liberian government to try
and improve this. They have continued to provide health care in refugee camps so that infants can
be helped even if they are only showing minor symptoms of illness. Approximately 1million children
have also been vaccinated against polio and 185 health facilities in Liberia now offer routine
immunizations for infants (and measles vaccinations are now offered as well). This has caused
infant mortality rates to decrease because now infants are protected against diseases which would
have dire consequences. Unicef along with The World Food Programme have treated more than
100,000 malnourished children and this has helped improve infant mortality rates because now
parents know the correct food to feed their children without running the risk of causing them
become malnourished which could cause them to die.
The re-opening of many health care institutions after the civil war has also improved the quality of
paediatric health care, approximately 250 facilities have either been rehabilitated or reconstructed
(17). This obviously helps improve infant mortality rates because there is now places for infants to
be treated if they are ill, instead of them being treated by under trained people in unhygienic
conditions – the unhygienic conditions could have caused other infections and diseases. In 2012, it
was seen that there was signs of improvement in the health care system in Liberia. There are now
training facilities, for nurses, midwives (so babies can be delivered safely) and physicians are up
and running. Many infants (approximately 64%) have now had their immunizations against
whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria(18). Clearly this will help reduce infant mortality rates due
to many being immunized against illnesses which could result in death and having well trained
medical professionals will help reduce infant mortality rates because infants can be treated
efficiently.
The World Bank recently pledged $50million to Liberia’s government and 45million of this will be
help the new Liberian’s plan to improve child health care. $5million came from the Health Results
Innovation Trust Fund. The Liberia health systems plan plans to improve the quality of child health
care are selected hospital, using a plan which Rwanda recently used which dramatically improve
their paediatrics health care system. This plan will ensure that the less privileged will have ‘access
to qualified specialist physicians and skilled health workers who can provide lifesaving obstetric,
paediatric and surgical care and greatly improved infectious disease services’ (19). This will
obviously help keep improving infant mortality rate because infants will have a more effective
health care which will allow them to be treated better and make a full recovery.
Objective 3 - I will hold a questionnaire to ask people what they believe is the difference for
the big difference in infant mortality rates in Wales and Liberia and what factors they
believe affect the rates.
Where do you think has the highest infant
mortality rates, Wales or Liberia?
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Liberia
Wales
This was the first question asked on the
questionnaire. I asked this question, just to
get a general overview of whether people
had any idea which country had worse
infant mortality rates. We can see from the
graph that 19 out of 30 people believed
Liberia had higher rates than Wales,
whereas 11 out of 30 people believed
Wales had higher. This shows to me that
many people did not realise the problems
in Liberia which cause infant mortality
rates to be high there.
Comment [J64]: The range of
secondary sources is comprehensive. It
ensures a balanced and detailed coverag
of both perspectives. Information select
is complex and referencing throughout i
secure. The comprehensiveness,
complexity and relevance of the
information obtained and collated ensu
Distinction for 2.1
What do you think the quality of health care in
Wales is like?
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Very good
Good
Okay but needs
improvement
Appalling
What do you think the quality of health care in
Liberia is like?
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Very Good
Good
Okay but needs
improvement
Appalling
We can see from the results of these two questions, that 6.7% of people believe that health care
in Wales is appalling but for Liberia, 36.7% of people believe that the quality of health care is
appalling. This information contradicts the previous question about infant mortality rates in Wales
and Liberia, as it suggests that even without any previous information given to the participants;
they still have an idea that Liberia has a worse quality of health care. Nevertheless, 10/30 of the
participants recognised that Wales had a good quality of health care, whereas 9/30 of the
participants believed that Liberia also had a good quality of health care, indicating to me that
more awareness needs to be made about their poor quality of health care, in order for more
people to donate to charity so the health care can be improved, thus improving infant mortality
rates.
Which factors, out of the following listed, do you believe
is the one that affects infant mortality rates in both
countries?
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Distance to
hospital
A&E Waiting
Times
Quality of health
Quality and
care
professionalism
of medical staff
I believe that this question has been accurately answered by those who participated in it. This is
because, out of all the factors that I listed, the majority believed that the quality of health care was
the one factor that affected infant mortality rates than any other factor.
From my own personal knowledge and the research I have completed, I have found that the quality
of health care if one of the factors that can affect infant mortality rates more than the others listed.
The quality of health care involves things such as the quality of care delivered by staff, the
efficiency of staff and the ward the infant is present on. For example, if staff neglect patients (such
as the recent scandal at Staffordshire hospital where between 400 -1200 patients died due to
being neglected and not receiving the correct treatment 20), this can lead to deteriorating infant
mortality rates if infants do not receive effective treatment, their condition could deteriorate which
would therefore mean it could be too late to help them recover, and sadly they could die. However,
if patient care is excellent, it could help speed up recovery because infants would feel safe and
would be receiving the correct treatment.
As a follow up answer to ‘Which factors, out of the following listed, do you believe is the one that
affects infant mortality rates in both countries?’ I asked ‘Why do you believe this factor affected
infant mortality rates?’ and I had a variety responses. For somebody who had answered the
previous question as ‘quality of care’, they responded saying that ‘quality of health care will help to
maintain a child’s health to a good standard’ showing that they believe quality of health care
improves mortality rates because the infant can be treated accordingly. For an answer for
somebody who had previously answered ‘quality and professionalism of medical staff’, their
response was ‘without medical staff acting professionally, infants can be affected because they
aren’t given the write levels of care and mistakes could be, and therefore the quality won’t be as
efficient. It’s also important that doctors have received a good standard of training so that they
know what they’re doing’ which also corresponds with the research I discussed previously about
how if doctors do not offer effective treatment with compassionate care, then a infants life could be
in danger as they are not being treated attentively.
Another question that I asked was ‘are there any other factors which you think might affect infant
mortality rates?’ and again I had an assortment of responses. One person replied with ‘poverty in
Liberia will affect mortality rates as they may not able to travel to hospitals’ which is one option for
infant mortality rates being low that I had not previously considered, although I have acknowledged
that poverty affected people being able to afford health care. Upon further research, I believe that
this was an accurate response, as in Liberia the average wage is $6 a day for unskilled labourers
(21) but yet for a taxi travelling a distance of 1km it is $2.50(22), and as seen earlier, the distance to a
hospital or medical centre can be long distances of up to 45km (or possibly more). So for a family
on minimum wage, they would have to stay at home and not be treated efficiently as even
travelling to the hospital would be unthinkable, never mind the worry of the cost of health care.
Objective 4 - Interview a medical professional on their personal opinion on why they believe
there is such a difference in infant mortality rates in Liberia and Wales and could affect
mortality rates
To gain a further insight into what affects infant mortality rates in Liberia and Wales I decided to
email paediatric doctors in Liberia and Wales. However, after much research, I discovered that
finding an email address for a doctor in Liberia was exceptionally hard, as with so little doctors and
technology that is not as efficient as ours, many did not have emails or they just simply weren’t
advertised, so sadly I was unable to ask a medical professional or doctor in Liberia to contact.
Finding a paediatric doctor in Wales proved much simpler though and I managed to obtain an
email address for a gentleman called Dr Duncan Cameron. Here you can see our email
conversation:
This is the email I sent too Dr Duncan
Cameron, I felt that if I asked the
questions straight away then I could
obtain a faster response.
Comment [J65]: Comprehensive and
effective synthesis and analysis of findin
of primary research maintains the stand
set in the analysis of the secondary
material. Throughout, the candidate
remains securely focused on the aims. A
Distinction for 3.1 is deserved.
I was exceptionally grateful too Dr Cameron responding too much with such detailed information
considering he must be exceptionally busy because of the line of work that he is in. He provided
me with answers that allowed me to comprehend new ideas too why infant mortality rates may be
so good in Wales and the factors that affect them. For example, beforehand I had not considered
that it may be the diet of the mother before the infant is born which may cause them to die. Upon
further research, I discovered that Wales is considered to have the ‘highest number of women
smoking during pregnancy’ (23) with 16% of Welsh mothers smoking throughout their pregnancy
compared to 12% with the rest of the UK (24). It is highly known that smoking in pregnancy can
cause premature babies (which puts them at risk of not surviving), defects such as the heart, low
weight at birth (causing them to be more prone to infection) (25) and sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS) also known as cot death. All these could allow an infant to die, which thus contributes to
infant mortality rates. This idea also applies to Liberia where many mothers have a diet which
prohibits the infant from developing correctly in the womb due to a lack of nutrition, and due to the
lack of efficient health care in Liberia it means it’s very hard to treat infants accurately, and
therefore they can quite easily die, contributing to infant mortality rates.
It was also highly fascinating to see why a medical professional who has years of experience,
opinion on why he believed there is such low infant mortality Wales and how those rates can be
maintained. It was interesting to me though that he believed good health care provisions (quality of
health care) help keep infant mortality rates low because that obviously is what I’m investigating.
However, he did mention other factors that affected infant mortality rates as we see how in the
email he mentions that the quality of the staff, quality of equipment also affect the rates, which is
something that I agree with from the further research I have done which is what I talked about
earlier on in my investigation.
However, this was not a completely useful email. This is because a lot of the answers that he gave
me was information that I had already obtained from my earlier research, apart from the
information about the nutrition of the mothers affecting infant mortality rates, it did not give me
anything further to research or consider. Also, towards the end of the email, I felt that he was not
providing with sufficient information and that it was just formed from his own opinion, not from his
medical experience over the years.
Comment [J66]: Further primary
research is analysed effectively. 3.1
Comment [J67]: The candidate
critically evaluates a key piece of
information for validity and coverage of
subject matter. Such attention to detail
and understanding of the use of sources
illustrates what is expected for a
Distinction for AC 2.2.
Objective 5 - I will compare my research for Liberia and Wales to see if different factors
affect the rates in different countries and to establish why there is a difference.
In this part of my investigation, I am comparing my research so that I am able to see if the same
factors or different factors affect the infant mortality rates in both countries. Clearly we can see that
there is a major difference in the rates, with Liberia having a considerably high infant mortality rate
compared to Wales. From my research, I can see that both countries are affected by the quality of
health care. For instance, in Wales we have excellent health care with the government constantly
trying to improve it, making it one of the most efficient health care systems in the world. It is based
on making sure that each health care establishment is patient focus based whilst providing them
with effective treatment and treating each patient equally. They also make sure that it is safe, with
medical staff keeping waiting times for A&E at a minimum as well as the time people have to wait
for a operation, or an important clinical appointment (26). All these things, allow the quality of health
care to be fantastic and allows ill infants to have effective treatment quickly and efficiently, which
allows the infant mortality rates to be so low in Wales.
Whereas in Liberia, due to the civil war that raged in the country for many years, 100s of health
care establishments where destroyed and due to the huge loss of life, there were few highly trained
medical staff and few highly equipped. It was often seen that ‘functional facilities were struggling to
perform at an acceptable level due the severe shortage of qualified staff and frequent stock-out of
drugs and other inputs.’(27) Which shows that clearly the health care system is nowhere near as
efficient as ours, nor can it provide effective treatment for young infants which is a reason for the
high rates infant mortality rates in Liberia. This shows that the quality of health care affects both
Wales and Liberia.
However, different factors affect infant mortality rates in both Wales and Liberia. In Liberia, as we
saw before, not all infants are vaccinated against diseases such as polio, tetanus, diphtheria and
meningitis, all of which can lead to death, fewer than 30% where vaccinated after the civil war (28)
Whereas in Wales, it is a necessity for children to be vaccinated, there is even a timetable (29)
which parents are recommended to follow to ensure that infants are protected against any
diseases which would pose a high risk to the child dying. Parents are advised from an infant’s birth
to get them vaccinated, and once their birth has been registered with the NHS, they will receive
letters of their local GP to get their infant vaccinated (I spoke to my parents about this to find out
that the system). Due to the Vaccinations have been considered a modern medicine miracle,
allowing diseases such as small pox being wiped out which once caused thousands of deaths
every year. This shows how vital have a vaccination is, and due to the lack of vaccinations in
Liberia, it results in a higher number of infants dying compared to Wales where infants are highly
protected.
In Wales there is a high number of doctors, there are currently approximately 10,018 (30) doctors in
the UK. With a population of 3.064million, this averages out that for 303 people there is one doctor.
Whereas in Liberia, there is currently around 0.016 physicians for every 1000 people (31) showing
that this may be one of the reasons for such a difference in the rate. In Wales, if an infant needed
treating, they would be treated near enough to immediately which would be provided by highly
trained medical staff, but in Liberia with such a few highly trained doctors, it is clear that it is hard to
get an ill infant treated accurately and efficiently, meaning that sadly a high majority of infants die
because they cannot get the treatment they desperately need. This shows once again why there is
such a difference in the infant mortality rates.
Clearly, what I can see is that Liberia has a low quality health care and are not well equipped
compared to Wales, meaning that there is a high infant mortality rate in Liberia compared to Wales.
From my previous research, I have also established that the nutrition of the mother, distance to
hospital, cost of health care and whether an infant is vaccinated, affects the infant mortality rates in
both countries.
Evaluation of Sources
In this part of my investigation, I will look at whether the sources I have been using are a reliable
source of information. One of the sources I used was the Welsh Government’ s national statistics
website which allowed me to see the infant mortality rate for the whole of Wales and from this I
could see that it was exceptionally good compared to other places. The website I used was
‘http://Wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/2014/140227-births-infant-mortality-2012-en.pdf’and I believe
that this was an exceptionally reliable source. This is because it is a government document and if
they were to lie with their information, they would be giving false information and due to the
freedom of information act, governments are obliged to true statistics about things such as infant
mortality rates. It’s important to publish correct information as if something needed to change as if
a statistic was tampered with so that the government looked better, it would pose a risk because
the thing that the statistic represents may not be changed so it will therefore not improve. This why
I believe it is a reliable and unbiased source. I also believe that this was a highly useful source
because it allowed me to find out the information which forms the main basis for my question.
Another website that I sourced information from was
http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_lbr_en.pdf and from this I managed
to establish what is being done in Liberia to help improve infant mortality rates there. I believe that
once again this was a highly reliable source. This is because it was developed by the world health
organisation (WHO) who is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters. They
assess health trends (such as infant mortality rates) in order to see what can be done to improve or
maintain standards. They wish to help people and improve their standard of health care so they
can receive the best possible treatment which is why this document (which is about how they are
improving health care standards in Liberia) would be reliable and unbiased, and so any information
that I sourced from it was accurate. This was a highly useful source because I was able to see
what factors have been affecting the quality of health care in Liberia and any other factors that
affect the infant mortality rates. Not only did this source provide answers for me, but it allowed me
to research further information which allowed my investigation to develop.
As seen earlier on, I also conducted a questionnaire as one of my sources. Although many people
say it is a highly reliable way of obtaining information, I don’t believe that my questionnaire was.
This is because many of my candidates did not understand what infant mortality rates where or
even where Liberia was, showing to me that many of the questions they answered where guessed
meaning they were not answered accurately. Also, many people do not like answering
questionnaires and do it in a rushed manner, meaning that they do not answer their questions with
thought. I also found that it was incredibly unhelpful because it did not allow me to establish why
the rates in Liberia and Wales are so different which was my goal, and I did not receive any new
factors that affect infant mortality rates which would have allowed me too research and find out
new information. It’s also highly biased because I am not able to ask people from Liberia and see
what their opinion is, as everyday they experience infants dying and they will have great
knowledge into why the infant mortality rates there are so high.
Comment [J68]: The synthesis of
information collected here is
comprehensive and effective and linked
directly to the aims. Distinction for AC3.
Comment [J69]: AC 2.2 - Some
candidates may present a separate sect
for their evaluation of sources, ideally th
best candidates will evaluate their sourc
as they develop and discuss the
information collected (as the e-mail
demonstrates previously).
Comment [J70]: 2.2 reliability and b
addressed in detail. Usefulness clearly
justified with relevance to aims.
Comment [J71]: Clear justification fo
judgement made on usefulness, bias and
reliability of source.
Comment [J72]: Primary data also
assessed critically for comprehensivenes
and validity although the concepts are
implicit in the analysis. Distinction 2.2.
Comment [J73]: Presentation (AC 3.
throughout is logical, coherent and
effective. There is balanced coverage of
perspectives. Knowledge is very detailed
and comprehensive and consistently
focused on the aims of the Investigation
clear Distinction for this criterion.
Advanced Graded Investigation exemplar material
Learning Outcome 4 - Conclusion
LO4
AC4.1
Be able to make balanced judgements and draw conclusions based on the
findings of an investigation, from a local/Wales perspective and one other
country or region
. Make balanced judgements and draw conclusions with reference to a
local/Wales perspective and one other country or region.
AC4.1 PASS
Section 4A - Conclusion
My first aim was to look for expert views and opinions, and I feel as though I have completed this
aim. I have created a section for each country while looking in to the title of my individual
investigation, which includes opinions of the general public as well as those of people with
knowledge in the subject. There are also statistics gathered from people’s opinions which help to
display arguments, whether they support a case or are against it. I have also created, and got
others to complete a questionnaire, which contained open, closed questions that are a very
effective way of putting together an overall opinion of what people think. This has really enabled
me to answer my first aim.
My second aim was to evaluate how effective the strategies put in place are. I think I did this well
by looking at different websites that have evaluations of their own on there, so this helped me
enormously. I did this by looking at the opinions of (people as previously mentioned), to see if they
thought whether or not a certain strategy had been a success. I have also taken into account,
effectiveness to date of the chosen strategy, which also enables me to make the decision of
whether it has been successful or not.
Comment [J74]: Conclusions directly
addresses each aim in turn.
Comment [J75]: More descriptive th
concluding.
Comment [J76]: Continues the
description
My third aim was to see whether these strategies are a sustainable solution or not, because there
is no real point in having solutions that are only going to further damage the environment in the
years to come. I also did this aim by looking at the opinions of the public and experts to see what
them thought, and I also took into account the fact files of the strategies, which give us the
foundations on which to work with so we can decide whether they will be sustainable or not. Public
opinion and fact files together give us the overall view.
The title of my investigation is ‘What strategies have been used to deal with global warming in
Wales and Australia?’, and now I can finally answer it. There have been many strategies put in
place to combat climate change in both Wales and Australia, and I feel that my aims have enabled
me to answer this question. Forests have been protected, there have been wildlife preserves to
prevent species from becoming extinct, there are sea walls to help fight the consequences of rising
sea levels, and there are also aquifers under the ground to help hydration around areas with low
water levels. I have researched deeply into both countries of what strategies are being used, and
as there is a difference in population size and country size. However, Wales are part of the United
Kingdom though, so wealth and power are probably even between the two countries. This means
that they will have similar schemes to help fight global warming and keep our planet healthy, and
with a similar level of technology available to the two of them, this only reinforces my point. Both
countries are big fans of renewable energy, so these types of ‘clean’ energy are very popular here.
Other solutions that both countries use are hydro-electric power, seeing as they both have a lot of
Comment [J77]: Now begins to add
the findings.
water, with them both being islands. This means that tidal power and wave power are also very
good prospects with a lot of potential. Seeing as fossil fuels are running out rapidly, the use of
renewable energy is becoming bigger and more popular. These two countries have foreseen that
renewable energy is the next big thing, so are putting a lot of investment into it. Since they are in
different parts of the world though, there are obviously some differences. Australia can use solar
panels as the sun is a lot more reliable down there than it is in Wales. Wales have invested more in
wind farms as their source of renewable energy and to try and reduce their carbon footprint. This is
because Wales gets the majority of its wind from the jet stream, and this is quite a reliable source,
so even though the wind farms are quite inefficient, the amount of wind that the country gets
makes up for it. Despite opposition to this, the government has managed to put some wind farm in
place, even putting some off the coast in the sea.
We will have to wait and see if these strategies are really working, or if they are just something to
keep the public quiet and prevent riots. Only time will tell.
Comment [J78]: Addresses first two
aims with straightforward judgements.
Evidence referred to is limited but does
relate to both perspectives. AC 4 Pass.
AC4.1 MERIT
Conclusion
There are several conclusions that I can draw from this investigation. My first aim was to find out
whether boys or girls are achieving better in the education system. By examining official statistics
for both perspectives, I found out that statistically girls are more likely to achieve higher grades and
go on to study in higher education. However, my primary research did not show recognition to
experiencing these gender differences.
Comment [J79]: Addresses each aim
turn and does offer conclusions based o
evidence collated.
My second aim was then to find out why there may be gender differences in the education system.
Research using the British Journal of Educational Studies and an article from the Telegraph
newspaper explained that boys may be underachieving in Wales due to traditional male traits not
being fulfilled within education in terms of teaching and the construction of the National Curriculum.
However in the USA, ethnicity was also thought to be a contributing factor to inequality within the
education system. As well as this, my primary research stated that teachers may actually treat
students fairly within the education system as nobody claimed to be treated unfairly themselves.
Comment [J80]: Continues to focus
aim in turn to offer specific conclusions.
My third aim was to discover what methods (if any) are being used in order to close a gender gap
in education. Here, I found that methods are being used from both areas. My research found that
in 2008, the Welsh Assembly Government launched a campaign to improve literacy in boys by
encouraging them to read more at home and in school meaning that the government are getting
involved specifically in order to improve the reading and writing of boys. In addition, in the USA it
seems even more of an effort is being made to close the gender gap in education. My research
found that Title IX was implemented in order to close the gender gap in education, and in New
York suggested practices are school staff members having an explicit focus on college readiness
in their communications to black and Latino males. So, therefore, methods are being developed in
both areas in order to promote gender equality within education.
My last aim was to develop a conclusion of what actually needs to be suggested in order to
improve gender inequality within the education system. My primary research provided suggestions
such as “making lessons more fun” and “preventing subjects specifically gendered towards boys”. I
agree with this myself as I believe certain subjects such as science are geared more towards boys,
and arts more towards girls. This needs to be prevented so that both genders succeed in all areas
of the curriculum, and I feel that it is down to teachers to eliminate ideas of gender stereotypes in
certain subjects. As well as this, my secondary research showed programmes being aimed
towards boys in the New York State and Wales; I feel that this is necessary in order for gender
equality to be promoted within the education system if it is believed to be a real problem within
society.
I feel that I have fulfilled my individual investigation title by looking at differences in gender
attainment in Wales and New York State and why they might be so. Overall I have found that
statistically boys are underachieving in both areas, although methods are being put forward in
order to promote gender equality within education. There are possibly more methods being put
forward in the USA to address this, with more of a focus on ethnical factors as opposed to gender.
The gender differences in the UK were said to be caused by the National Curriculum not
addressing the needs of boys. However, my primary data showed little acknowledgement of
experience of gender inequality within education and the people it was distributed to did not
experience this themselves. It did although; reflect possible ideas that certain subjects may be
gendered within the education system such as science towards boys and more literary subjects
Comment [J81]: Links in primary
findings with secondary research.
Comment [J82]: Conclusions are
clearly based on evidence and are valid
directly relevant to aims.
Comment [J83]: Both perspectives
referred to throughout.
toward girls. Overall, I have found that differences in gender attainment between Wales and New
York State are marginally similar.
Comment [J84]: Addresses each aim
turn and offers an overall conclusions
addressing research question directly.
Conclusions are therefore directly releva
and based on a range of evidence from
both perspectives.
Comment [J85]: The format of
addressing each aim in turn is successfu
ensuring conclusions are directly relevan
to the aims. It is good practice to offer a
overall conclusion to the research
question. Some candidates may offer
further evidence of conclusions drawn
throughout the body of the Investigatio
particularly when presenting the primar
research. These incidences must also be
credited. AC 4 Merit.
AC4.1 DISTINCTION
Conclusion:
Aim 1: Define alcoholism.
Comment [J86]: Each aim addressed
turn so conclusions are directly relevant
I feel I was able to meet this aim in my individual investigation. I looked up in both an online
medical dictionary and a normal dictionary and defined alcoholism. I also used medical websites
like the NHS to gather as much information as I could in order to define alcoholism fully.
Aim 2: Rates of alcoholism in Wales.
In order to meet this aim I used statistical websites and newspaper articles in order to find
numerous statistics about the rate of alcoholism in Wales. I found out that 1 in 13 people suffer
from alcoholism in Wales. I also found that males were more likely to die from alcohol than
females. I found this quite normal as my research around the topic has shown clear indication that
as males drink more than females and are more likely to suffer from alcoholism that the alcohol
related mortality rate is higher. Whilst I was not shocked by these statistics I did not expect the
female trend to be as it was. The female trend is a slow increase but drastically increases and
decreases from each year. I found this surprising as I was unsure of the explanation for these
findings. I also found out that the areas in Wales that have the highest rate of alcoholism are the
south. I learnt that the health boards such as Cardiff and Vale, Cwm Taf, Abertawe Bro
Morgannwg and Aneurin Bevan had the highest rate of alcohol related mortality. I found this
surprising but I think an explanation for this could be that the south is an affluent area where
people have the money to spend on alcohol so therefore that could be a potential reason for the
higher rates.
Aim 3: Rates of alcoholism in America.
I feel that I met this aim quite well. I learnt that alcohol is the number one drug problem in America
and there are more than 12 million people suffering from this disease. I also found that annually
there are more than 100,000 deaths in America alone that are caused by excessive alcohol
consumption. Whilst I expected the majority of the statistics there are some that were quite
shocking. One statistic that I did not expect was that teenagers who begin drinking before the age
of 15 are four times more likely to suffer from alcoholism than those who do not drink until the age
of 21. I found this rather alarming as I did not realise that the age you start drinking has such an
impact on the likelihood of suffering from this disease. I was also shocked that over 6.6 million
children under the age of 18 live in households where at least one parent suffers from alcoholism.
This alarmed me as the amount of people was much larger than I initially thought.
Aim 4: How do Wales deal with this problem.
I learnt that treatments in Wales for alcoholism were mostly medical based. I found out that one
treatment for alcoholism in Wales is through the NHS and General Practitioners. I also found out
that there are various medications that help with alcoholism and the withdrawal symptoms you get
when suffering from this disease. There are two types of medication used when treating
alcoholism, the first being medication that treats withdrawal symptoms such as anti-anxiety and the
second being medication that reduces any pleasure a person gets out of drinking and provoked
nausea, vomiting, confusion and breathing difficulties. I also found out that there are not only
treatments for the person suffering with alcoholism but also the person’s family and friends. I
thought that this was very good and seemed to be beneficial to have further support for everyone
dealing with the problem, not only the alcoholic.
Comment [J87]: Detailed account of
findings and well-reasoned judgements
offered.
Comment [J88]: Detailed account of
findings and well-reasoned judgements
offered on both perspectives.
Aim 5: How does America deal with this problem.
America treats alcoholism in a different way to Wales and tends to focus on the psychotherapies
instead of medication. There are various psychotherapies such as Cognitive Behavioural
Treatment that can work alongside medication. I thought this was good as it targets all problems to
do with alcoholism and can be used to treat patients who do not respond to certain treatments as
well as others.
I feel I have answered my individual investigation title. I feel I have successfully stated the rates of
alcoholism in Wales and America and I feel I have been able to state some of the treatments
provided in both countries. One similarity with both perspectives is that in both Wales and America
more males suffer from alcoholism than females. I also found that the statistic for how many people
suffer from alcoholism is 1 in every 13 adults was the same in both countries. However between
countries there were some differences. One difference is the way in which they treat alcoholism.
Wales use more conventional methods such as medication and support through General
Practitioners whereas America uses more psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behaviour
Interventions and hypnosis.
Comment [J89]: Considers different
opinion and approaches and comes to w
reasoned, evidence based, detailed
conclusions directly relevant to the aims
AC 4 Distinction.
Advanced Graded Investigation exemplar material
Learning Outcome 5 – Evaluation
LO5
AC5.1
Be able to evaluate own performance when carrying out and completing an
investigation on a contemporary topic, from a local/Wales perspective and one
other country or region.
Evaluate own performance when carrying out and completing an investigation
from a local/Wales perspective and one other country or region.
AC5.1 PASS
Evaluation
On the whole I believe my investigation went well, and displayed quite surprising results. I feel my
work is presented in an organised way and I was happy with the research I made and the primary
and secondary methods I used. Using the internet made it much easier to be able to come across
a much wider variety of information and government websites, which gave me far more information
than I would have needed. Also the sites chosen were reliable. From my investigation I have learnt
much more about poverty and how not only less developed countries suffer from it, even we do
here and most of the time we do not realise it. I am glad my investigation has had an effect on how
I will view subjects such as poverty.
My strong points I think were gathering the information off the websites and then picking the
information I thought would be most beneficial to my investigation as a whole. Many of the sites,
especially the government sites, provided me with a very wide range of information, results and
facts. I think I chose the most beneficial information that would be most helpful in answering my
research question. Also I believe I spoke relatively equally about both countries and didn’t favour
one over the other. I think I didn’t put too much of my own opinion into the investigation, and
considered the information equally.
Comment [J90]: Comments on
implementation of Investigation.
Comment [J91]: Further comments
implementation. Limited in depth and
detail.
My weaker points I think were concluding my results. I found it difficult to summarise all of the
information that I’d gathered together in a short paragraph. Also I think that I could have spent
more time checking over my work and possibly taken the time to find more detailed information on
the general state of poverty in both countries. I believe that I could have found more accurate
results for both countries if I had researched more.
I managed to achieve to answer the aims set at the beginning of the investigation. I found it difficult
to compare the views society had on both poverty in Wales and in China, and could barely find
anything on that. On the whole I am happy with the aims and objectives I had, as they were very
useful in answering my question. If I were to do this investigation again in the future, I probably
would have compared Wales to a country of a more similar population size to avoid confusion of
how to present the information. I possibly wouldn’t have chosen the topic of poverty either, as I
didn’t know as much on the topic as I originally thought I did.
Comment [J92]: Several comments
reflect on the candidate’s own
performance but this has much descript
and those comments that do address
performance of the candidate are limite
lacking detail an depth. Sufficient for a P
for AC 5
AC5.1 MERIT
Evaluation
I feel that I have led this investigation successfully. I believe that I analysed my secondary sources
in extreme detail, reading into implicit messages within them and using them in order to develop
my own conclusions. As well as this, I feel that the fact I distributed my questionnaire to equal
genders means it is representative to experiences of treatment in the education system for both
genders in my area. However, some things did not go so well. I found it extremely difficult to find
sources that were directly relevant to the whole of New York State and not the whole of the USA;
therefore many of my sources are also applicable to the USA. There may be many differences in
gender attainment and teaching throughout the USA that are not able to be generalised directly to
New York State. In addition to this, I only managed to distribute questionnaires within my area
because I believed it would be more convenient to get them back, so therefore, the primary data I
gathered may not be representative of the whole of Wales, but just my area. I feel that a massive
fault in my research is that I chose to use Wikipedia as a source in order to gather a picture of
gender attainment in New York State; I do not think it was overly reliable as anyone has the ability
to use Wikipedia and therefore should not be relied on. I felt my strengths were the ability to
analyse the data I gathered, comparing and developing an accurate picture of the two areas. But,
my weaknesses were actually locating the appropriate sources for the two areas, so I could have
gone into more depth and research when it came to actually finding the sources. If I had to do this
research again I would travel to my local library and invest more time into actually locating
appropriate and detailed sources for Wales and New York State. As well as this, I only sent my
questionnaire to 30 people, which is a small number. If I had to lead this investigation again, I
would distribute my questionnaire to 100 people or more, from different ages throughout Wales,
that way, I would be able to gain more of an accurate picture of gender attainment and treatment
throughout education in Wales.
Comment [J93]: Detailed evaluation
performance.
Comment [J94]: Several detailed an
specific comments made on own
performance and shows clear awarenes
weaknesses.
Comment [J95]: Whilst this is of sim
length to the previous example which
achieved a Pass for AC 5, this evaluation
more specific and offers several detailed
example to reflect on the candidate’s ow
performance. It is far less descriptive in
nature and offers valid reasoning for
comments made. Such as this one on
representativeness. AC 5 Merit.
AC5.1 DISTINCTION
Evaluation
I chose the topic of ‘How are mental health disorders dealt with and treated in Wales compared to
the German federal state of Saxony?’ as it relates to my AS studies in psychology and I am
interested in the treatment of mental illnesses in Wales. There was a high availability of sources on
mental health in Saxony and this is why I chose to research into this country as well as Wales. I
chose to write my individual investigation in essay format as this will allowed me to show my
findings in the best way. My findings included a lot of written facts and statistics and not many
visual aids meaning that the best way to present my individual investigation was to write an essay.
I aimed to find out how mental disorders are dealt with in Wales compared with Saxony. I wanted
to explore how different and similar each country’s policies were. I also wanted to look into how
aware people are of mental health facilities in their area in Wales to see if local awareness could
be improved. During my individual investigation I used a range of different sources. This included
text books, websites, PDF files, the Encyclopaedia and questionnaires. If I were to complete the
investigation again I would use a wider range of source. This would include the use of newspaper
articles, documentaries and interviews.
I need to still develop my planning and organisation skills as this was essential to the completion of
the individual investigation. It is important to spend enough time researching each topic that you
plan to write about and this is one of the skills that I still need to develop. I organised my individual
investigation through Welsh Baccalaureate lessons and through workshops that were held during
this time. I also organised it during psychology lessons where I could collect information that would
be relevant to the individual investigation. I wanted to improve my extended writing, time
management, organisation and resource locating skills during my individual investigation. I also
wanted to improve my own learning performance. I was successful in learning new skills as I now
understand how to write and present an extended piece of writing successfully. I also now have
improved time management and organisation skills as I had to plan how I was going to research
and complete my individual investigation so that I was sure I would complete it on time and to a
high standard. As well as this, I have improved my resource locating skills as I have found many
sources of information that are relevant to my investigation topic. Finally through completing all of
this I have improved my own learning performance. Developing these skills helped me to complete
my individual investigation as they made me aware of what was expected of me and allowed me to
complete the task to a high standard. Also improving these skills helped my complete my
investigation as it encouraged me to stick to my plan and meet deadlines. I managed my time quite
effectively through this process. I kept to deadlines that I had set myself to achieve different goals.
My time was effectively allocated to each task I needed to complete and I made sure that I had
enough time to complete other homework to a high standard as well as completing the individual
investigation. I mainly worked independently throughout the investigation finding my own resources
and creating my own essay plan and evaluation. I had some help from my learning coach to find
some resources. The support of my learning coach and other teachers was very important as I
looked to them for guidance if I became stuck or could not find a resource. The head of sixth form
was also an important figure during this process as he could help me if I was unsure of anything
when I was completing my investigation.
I accessed other sources of support well. I accessed the LRC as I understood how to use it
after completing the Welsh Baccalaureate workshop on this subject. I also had access to the local
library as it is not far from the school so I was able to access the resources here easily. I also used
the internet as a form of support as this is where a number of my resources were found. Family
Comment [J96]: Explicitly states asp
of own performance to be evaluated.
Comment [J97]: Comments on
completion of Investigation.
Comment [J98]: Detailed comments
candidate’s performance in planning of
Investigation.
members helped me to complete my individual investigation as they read through my work to
check for grammatical errors as I worked through each point. This was useful support as I knew
that they would complete this task to a high standard so that my work was also of a high standard.
I also had support from friends who had completed some parts of the investigation that I had not
completed yet, this was useful as if I was unsure they could help me with the experience that they
had already had. I changed my title from “How is mental health treated in Wales and Germany?” to
“How are mental health disorders dealt with and treated in Wales compared with the German
federal state of Saxony?” as Germany’s population is far greater than that of Wales so it would not
have been a realistic comparison. I also did not use all of the resources I said I was going to use
because I could not find relevant information in the form of a documentary or newspaper article.
Finally I changed the sub-headings I used for my investigation as the ones I had written in my plan
were not relevant to the information I had found.
The biggest challenge in finding sources was finding ones that were relevant to Saxony. I
overcame this by using a more detailed search on the internet for websites and PDF files so that I
could locate ones that were relevant to Saxony. I also looked in a number of libraries to find books
and articles relevant to my question. Some sources were difficult to understand as they used
medical jargon. I used the online medical dictionary to define some of the words that I did not
understand. If I could not find them here I used the Oxford dictionary to try and locate the words I
reflected on my own learning performance and found that if I were to complete the individual
investigation again I would do some things differently. I would use a wider range of sources and
ensure that I knew where to find relevant sources on Saxony. I would also ensure that I was
confident in being able to reference sources correctly. I tried to improve my own learning
performance by attending the Welsh baccalaureate workshops that were relevant to the individual
investigation to try and improve my skills. I also continued to proof read and read do work that I
was completing. I asked family members and friends to help my understanding grow of certain
subjects within the individual investigation. I was successful in improving my own learning
performance as I now understand and possess skills that I did not have before such as the
extended writing skill and the referencing skill.
Comment [J99]: Detailed comments
candidate’s own performance in
implementing Investigation.
Comment [J100]: This is an exempla
evaluation offering comments on the
candidate’s own performance in the
planning, implementation and completio
of their Investigation. Comprehensive
justification for comments is made and
reasoning is valid. A suggested format fo
the evaluation might be to address each
the elements of planning, implementati
and completion explicitly in separate
sections. AC 5 Distinction.