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EPQ primary sources help!

I'm currently doing my EPQ which is analysis of E.M Forster's 'A Passage to India' (as I want to do English at university). Obviously if you are familiar with the book it is about British colonialism in India, and all the conflicts that come with it. I was planning on doing a questionnaire for my primary source but realistically I don't think it would work as not everyone is going to have the historical knowledge to be able to complete it. I am going to use secondary sources such as books, documentaries and articles and I was wondering I would still be able to get an A/A* without primary sources?
Many thanks for any advice! :smile:
I did my EPQ with AQA, and I got an A for it even though I didn't use any primary sources of information (I only used books, websites, documentaries etc). It's good to use primary sources if you can, but it's not essential :smile:
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existential
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Original post by Leviathan1741
I did my EPQ with AQA, and I got an A for it even though I didn't use any primary sources of information (I only used books, websites, documentaries etc). It's good to use primary sources if you can, but it's not essential :smile:

I am with AQA too :smile: thank you very much!
Original post by existential
I am with AQA too :smile: thank you very much!


No problem :h:
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AGBF
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Original post by Leviathan1741
I did my EPQ with AQA, and I got an A for it even though I didn't use any primary sources of information (I only used books, websites, documentaries etc). It's good to use primary sources if you can, but it's not essential :smile:


What's a primary source
Original post by AGBF
What's a primary source


A primary source is anything which you create or do yourself, such as composing a questionnaire or doing an experiment, where you produce the information yourself. Secondary sources are things like books, journals and websites, where someone else has done research and produced the information :smile:
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existential
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Original post by Leviathan1741
No problem :h:

If you don't mind me asking, how much evaluation do you have to do for each source and where do you do this? Could you do it in your bibliography or in the plan or somewhere separate? Thanks
Original post by existential
If you don't mind me asking, how much evaluation do you have to do for each source and where do you do this? Could you do it in your bibliography or in the plan or somewhere separate? Thanks


I didn't really do much source evaluation, I only commented on the reliability of my sources briefly (in one or two paragraphs) at the end of my conclusion :smile:
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existential
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Original post by Leviathan1741
I didn't really do much source evaluation, I only commented on the reliability of my sources briefly (in one or two paragraphs) at the end of my conclusion :smile:


Ah okay :smile: did you do a lot of evaluation on the changes you made throughout the process? Sorry to ask aha but did you do a 5,000 word essay?
Original post by existential
Ah okay :smile: did you do a lot of evaluation on the changes you made throughout the process? Sorry to ask aha but did you do a 5,000 word essay?


I didn't actually make many changes honestly, the most major change I made was slightly altering the format of my essay, due to the fact that some of the less significant topics I was researching had very little information about them. I explained why the change was necessary, but I didn't go into great detail about it.

Yes I did :smile:
Original post by Leviathan1741
I didn't actually make many changes honestly, the most major change I made was slightly altering the format of my essay, due to the fact that some of the less significant topics I was researching had very little information about them. I explained why the change was necessary, but I didn't go into great detail about it.

Yes I did :smile:

Okay :smile: final question haha (sorry for all of these!) how many sources did you use?
Original post by existential
Okay :smile: final question haha (sorry for all of these!) how many sources did you use?


Don't worry about it, I get messages asking about EPQs all the time :tongue:

Books: 2
Websites: 11
TV programmes: 2

Sources for images and maps: 8

Other sources not directly referenced in the essay: 2
Original post by Leviathan1741
Don't worry about it, I get messages asking about EPQs all the time :tongue:

Books: 2
Websites: 11
TV programmes: 2

Sources for images and maps: 8

Other sources not directly referenced in the essay: 2

Thank you! You have been very helpful :smile:
Original post by existential
Thank you! You have been very helpful :smile:


You're welcome, if you think of any other questions just ask :smile:
Reply 14
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AGBF
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Original post by Leviathan1741
You're welcome, if you think of any other questions just ask :smile:


Thanks

Btw can the EPQ essay extent beyond 5k words?Or must it be in 5000 words and below
Original post by AGBF
Thanks

Btw can the EPQ essay extent beyond 5k words?Or must it be in 5000 words and below


Generally your EPQ should be somewhere between 4500 and 5500 words, but try not to go above 5500 because your EPQ should be fairly concise and stick to the topic, not waffly :smile:
Reply 16
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AGBF
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Original post by Leviathan1741
Generally your EPQ should be somewhere between 4500 and 5500 words, but try not to go above 5500 because your EPQ should be fairly concise and stick to the topic, not waffly :smile:


Thanks!
Original post by AGBF
Thanks!


No problem :smile:

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