Word Count in AH Investigations??

Okay so I've just about finished my AH Physics investigation but it's at around 4500 words and don't think I'll be able to cut it down much more. This is including tables and stuff so it's probably around 3500 in reality. Does anyone know what the exact penalty is for going over 3300 words? Also, do you have to put the word count on a flyleaf or something? If so I'm really not sure what is actually part of the word count... Are equations part of it?? What about references that are included in the main body of the report? Thanks for any help!

That's a lot! From the SQA Coursework Specification: "The project–report should be between 2000 and 3000 words in length excludingthe title page, contents page, tables, graphs, diagrams, calculations,references, acknowledgements and any appendices. The word count should besubmitted with the project–report. If the word count exceeds the maximum by10%, a penalty will be applied. It should be written in the past tense and theimpersonal voice should be used."
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/GAInfoAHPhysics.pdf

Thanks for your reply! Almost everyone I know doing AH investigations has gone over that limit though I've read that document before but it doesn't specify whether equations are part of the word count or not. I have a lot of equation derivations in my underlying physics and Microsoft Word is counting every equation as one word but I'm not sure whether that's right?

Really hope we don't have to put the word count on a flyleaf or something. Would take ages trying to work it out considering Word is adding things that shouldn't be part of the word count.

Thanks for your reply! Almost everyone I know doing AH investigations has gone over that limit though I've read that document before but it doesn't specify whether equations are part of the word count or not. I have a lot of equation derivations in my underlying physics and Microsoft Word is counting every equation as one word but I'm not sure whether that's right?

Really hope we don't have to put the word count on a flyleaf or something. Would take ages trying to work it out considering Word is adding things that shouldn't be part of the word count.

I know many people as well who have went over that word count. My head of physics actually marks these for the SQA and has said to us that he won't bother even looking at the word count in the New Adv Physics as in the old one no one marker did either. I would just put in a false word count as no marker is going to count every single word, I can assure you!

Edit: You do have to put the word count on a flyleaf and sign it saying that all information is correct. They've just introduced the word count box on the flyleaf.(My school has already took our investigations in!)

LMAO you think that's a lot? My project was about 8500 words in total but in the cover page I put something like '3125' words or something. I really doubt they will manually count the words.
Plus, if you think that's bad, I know a guy who has about 16000 words!

Thanks for your reply! Almost everyone I know doing AH investigations has gone over that limit though I've read that document before but it doesn't specify whether equations are part of the word count or not. I have a lot of equation derivations in my underlying physics and Microsoft Word is counting every equation as one word but I'm not sure whether that's right?

Really hope we don't have to put the word count on a flyleaf or something. Would take ages trying to work it out considering Word is adding things that shouldn't be part of the word count.

Calculations don't count in Bio and Chem. Dw about it anyway, unlikely to take the mark off and even then its just a mark. I was told not to touch my bio one as cutting it could have ruined it so I would prefer not to cut and keep more marks in the long run.

I started cutting my chem one and got it at 3297 from about 4000 (minusing everything of course, sitting at approx 6500 without the minuses) and although I couldn't see that I'd actually cut anything major I'm total paranoid now and think I've kinda ruined it haha. limit isn't 3000 btw its a 10% leeway to its 3300

And yes you put the word count on the flyleaf, and considering you knew what the flyleaf was AND I know what teacher you're talking about you probably already knew that anyway eh :P

Working out the count isn't hard, just save it as a separate document titled word count or something and cut away everything that doesn't count.

Yeah exactly, definitely worth the risk of losing a mark.

That's impressive haha, I've been trying to cut mine down for the past hour and only managed like a hundred words I'm just minusing things like the abstract now lool... You'll still have another saved copy right?? Could just go back to the 4000 word version but tbh the 3297 word one might be better since it's more concise.

Hahaha yeah Well I'd heard about a flyleaf for chemistry so assumed there'd be one for physics too. This whole word count penalty is so pointless anyway, doesn't look like markers are even gonna look at it. Gonna be some buzz when this investigation is finished btw Actual can't imagine what it would have been like doing 2...

Loool yeah I guess it's not that bad then. Tbh I've been really trying to make things brief cause of the word count thing but kinda wished I'd just put in everything I wanted to say. Wtf 16000 words is crazyyy, would not like to be that marker!

To be honest, half of my classmates have word counts over 12k, 50+ page monsters lol

To be honest, half of my classmates have word counts over 12k, 50+ page monsters lol