Question about sources on your EPQ

Hi, my teacher has told me that for every referenced source you put on your EPQ, you have to evaluate it. So if I say for example: "studies suggest that eating sunflower seeds lower the risk of cancer" and add a footnote with a source, I have to then dedicate a paragraph evaluating the study...? Like talking about it's strengths and weaknesses in design?

I really hope this isn't the case. Being as 5000 words is needed, I'll have a loooooot of references. Evaluating every single one is like doing another friggin EPQ.

Reply 1

username2088165

20

Original post by serculis

Hi, my teacher has told me that for every referenced source you put on your EPQ, you have to evaluate it. So if I say for example: "studies suggest that eating sunflower seeds lower the risk of cancer" and add a footnote with a source, I have to then dedicate a paragraph evaluating the study...? Like talking about it's strengths and weaknesses in design?

I really hope this isn't the case. Being as 5000 words is needed, I'll have a loooooot of references. Evaluating every single one is like doing another friggin EPQ.

When I did my EPQ, I was told that we had to evaluate the actual quote that we used, not the source. An example from my EPQ is a quote saying "fossil teeth have been found from dinosaurs that lived long after this cataclysmic event. It’s just such evidence that makes some scientists believe that the dinosaurs’ decline was more gradual". I then went on to explain what the quote meant and how the evidence related to my original title question (whether the asteroid impact theory is the best explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs). So we had to talk about each quote we used, to prove that we understood what it meant and demonstrate that it was relevant to the point we were making.

Admittedly I didn't write about each quote, but I still got a good grade (A), so as long as you write a sentence or two about most of the quotes you add to your essay, you should be fine.

If you have any more questions about the EPQ, feel free to ask me :smile:

Reply 2

serculis

OP

8

Thanks for the replies.

If you don't have to evaluate all of them, how many evaluated sources are acceptable? E.g. 60%? And could I perhaps see an extract on what it's supposed to look like?

I also got told about the log book a few days ago. It really put me off doing an EPQ. Having to review and plan the whole thing step by step in precise detail. I saw someone's log book online and he had written a whole diary entry each time he used it. Is this something you have to do with a lot of quality and quantity? Has anyone done it after they completed the report? (just like how some people paste in the references after they finish their coursework and write the plan afterwards)

Sorry but I have to learn about the backbones of the EPQ without a teacher.

Reply 3

username2088165

20

Original post by serculis

Thanks for the replies.

If you don't have to evaluate all of them, how many evaluated sources are acceptable? E.g. 60%? And could I perhaps see an extract on what it's supposed to look like?

I also got told about the log book a few days ago. It really put me off doing an EPQ. Having to review and plan the whole thing step by step in precise detail. I saw someone's log book online and he had written a whole diary entry each time he used it. Is this something you have to do with a lot of quality and quantity? Has anyone done it after they completed the report? (just like how some people paste in the references after they finish their coursework and write the plan afterwards)

Sorry but I have to learn about the backbones of the EPQ without a teacher.

I can PM you with some examples from my EPQ if you like :smile:

No, you don't need to do a diary entry every time you use the log book (I didn't anyway). You fill it in at the start, middle and end of your project (planning review, mid-project review and end of project review). You also fill it in when you do the presentation, describing how you'll present it, what you'll include etc. Then at the end you fill in the Reflection section, where you talk about what went well, what didn't, whether you would recommend doing the EPQ to others etc.

Filling in the log book is tedious and repetitive, but it's important you do it thoroughly as it's what gets you most of the marks. I recommend filling it in as you go along as it will be easier to write about your project and changes you make etc as you're making them, instead of trying to remember everything at the end.

It seems like the EPQ is something that lots of people struggle with. I've seen so many threads on TSR asking how to complete it as there seem to be few teachers who are good at explaining it/other resources to help EPQ students :smile:

Reply 4

serculis

OP

8

Please PM me some examples, that would be great!

It's good it doesn't have to be detailed as a diary entry...

Thank you very much for the advice. It is true that not a lot of teachers are good at explaining it and the only resource to help me is the hard-to-follow AQA specification :frown:

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