Independent Investigation

Start with a focused question

A useful investigation question should be open enough to require analysis but narrow enough to answer within the time and length available.

Too broad: How does technology affect society?

More focused: How has generative AI changed the way upper-secondary students approach written assignments?

Define the scope

Decide what your investigation will and will not cover.

Possible boundaries include:

• time period
• age group
• country or context
• type of source
• particular aspect of the topic

Search strategically

Use several search terms and adjust them as your understanding develops.

A useful source is not simply one that mentions your topic. It should contribute evidence, background, a perspective or a method relevant to your question.

Evaluate sources

For each source, ask:

• Who produced it?
• What is its purpose?
• What evidence does it use?
• How current and relevant is it?
• What population or context does it cover?
• What limitations matter for my question?

Build a source map

Do not organise your notes only as Source A, Source B and Source C.

Create themes or sub-questions and place evidence from different sources under them.

This prepares you to synthesise rather than write separate source summaries.

Develop a conclusion from the evidence

A conclusion should answer the question as far as the evidence allows.

It may be qualified:

The available evidence suggests..., particularly in..., although...

A qualified conclusion is often stronger than an absolute claim that ignores uncertainty.

Choose an appropriate final form

Depending on the task, the investigation could be presented as an essay, report, presentation or another formal format.

The format changes, but the underlying requirements remain: clear question, relevant evidence, source transparency and a supported conclusion.

Question

How does short-form video influence the way young people discover news?

Possible source roles

• A survey provides data about where young people encounter news.
• A research article examines attention and short-form media.
• A journalism organisation explains how it adapts news for video platforms.
• A source-critical article discusses misinformation risks.

Possible synthesis

The sources might collectively suggest that short-form video increases incidental exposure to news while also changing how much context users receive. The conclusion would need to distinguish between discovering news, understanding it and evaluating its reliability.

1. Choose a topic and turn it into a focused investigation question.
2. Define the scope and key terms.
3. Plan several search terms and possible source types.
4. Select sources for relevance and quality, not simply because they agree with each other.
5. Record source details immediately.
6. Take notes by theme or sub-question.
7. Compare claims, evidence, scope and limitations.
8. Draft a structure based on ideas rather than source order.
9. Integrate and reference evidence clearly.
10. Write a conclusion that answers the question at an appropriate level of certainty.
11. Review whether your evidence actually supports the conclusion.

Choosing the answer before researching

If you search only for evidence supporting your original opinion, the investigation becomes confirmation rather than inquiry.

Question too broad

A broad topic often produces a shallow final text. Narrow the population, context, time period or aspect.

Collecting sources without a plan

More sources do not automatically create a stronger investigation. Each source should have a clear role.

Source-by-source structure

Three separate source summaries do not show synthesis. Organise the investigation around themes and relationships.

Conclusion stronger than evidence

Do not turn limited or context-specific evidence into a universal claim.

Which investigation question is most workable for a short source-based project?

• A. Is technology good or bad?
• B. How has social media changed everything?
• C. How do two major news organisations adapt the same international news story for short-form video?
• D. What is the internet?

Answer: C. It is focused, comparative and narrow enough to investigate with a manageable set of sources.

• Begin with a focused question, not a fixed conclusion.
• Define the scope before collecting large amounts of material.
• Select sources for relevance, evidence and perspective.
• Organise notes by ideas rather than by source.
• Synthesis explains relationships between sources.
• Your conclusion should reflect the scope and limitations of the evidence.
• Reference source material consistently and transparently.