Geographical Skills: Key Terms (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography): Revision Note

Geographical Skills: Key Terms

Cartographic skills

Grid references & direction

• 4-figure grid reference – Locates a specific square on a map using two eastings and two northings.

• 6-figure grid reference – Pinpoints an exact location within a grid square using three eastings and three northings.

• Compass bearing – A direction measured in degrees from north (0° to 360°).

Measuring & scale

• Area – The space a feature takes up, measured in square units using map scale.

• Curved route – A winding line measured by segmenting and adding distances.

• Scale – The ratio of distance on a map to the real world (e.g., 1:25,000).

Relief & topography

• Contour line – A line on a map joining points of equal height.

• Cross-section – A side view or slice through the landscape using contour data.

• Spot height – A point on the map marked with an exact height.

• Topography – The shape and features of the land surface.

Map types & interpretation

• Choropleth map – A map shaded to show data ranges like population or rainfall.

• Isoline map – A map using lines to show places of equal value (e.g. temperature, height).

• OS map – Ordnance Survey map with detailed topographic data.

• Thematic map – A map focused on a specific topic or theme.

Graphs

• Bar chart – A graph with rectangular bars showing discrete data.

• Climate graph – Shows average monthly temperature (line) and rainfall (bars) over a year.

• Dispersion graph – A graph that shows the spread of data around a central value.

• Doughnut graph – A pie chart with the centre removed, used to show proportions.

• Kite diagram – A graph showing the distribution and abundance of species along a transect.

• Line graph – A graph showing continuous data using points joined by lines.

• Radial graph – A graph using spokes radiating from a central point to show direction and frequency.

• Scatter graph – A graph showing relationships between two variables.

• Triangular graph – A graph used for three-part data that adds up to 100%.

Charts & diagrams

• Compound bar chart – A bar divided into segments showing multiple categories.

• Histogram – A bar graph for continuous data, with no gaps between bars.

• Pie chart – A circular chart showing proportions of a whole using segments.

• Population pyramid – A graph showing age and gender structure of a population.

• Rose diagram – A circular graph showing directional data, such as wind patterns.

Visual tools

• Flow diagram – Shows movement, such as traffic or people, using arrows.

• Pictogram – Uses pictures or symbols to represent data.

• Proportional symbol map – A map where the size of a symbol shows the quantity of a variable.

• Venn diagram – Overlapping circles used to compare and contrast sets of data.

Fieldwork skills

Aims, hypotheses & planning

• Aim – A clear statement describing what the fieldwork investigation is trying to find out.

• Bradshaw model – A theoretical model that describes how river characteristics change from source to mouth.

• Hypothesis – A testable statement predicting a relationship or pattern that the fieldwork will investigate.

Health & safety

• Risk assessment – Identifying potential hazards during fieldwork and planning how to avoid them.

• Rendezvous point – A pre-arranged location where group members meet in case of emergency.

Data types

• Primary data – Information collected first-hand by students during fieldwork, such as questionnaires or river measurements.

• Secondary data – Existing data collected by others, such as census data or old photographs.

• Quantitative data – Numerical data that can be measured and counted.

• Qualitative data – Descriptive data based on opinions or observations.

Fieldwork methods

• Closed question – A question with a fixed set of possible answers.

• Environmental quality survey (EQS) – A method of judging environmental quality using a scoring system or scale.

• Interview – An in-depth discussion used to gather detailed views.

• Open question – A question allowing any response, used to gather more detailed data.

• Questionnaire – A set of questions used to collect data from people.

Data analysis & conclusion

• Analysis – The process of identifying patterns, relationships or trends in data.

• Conclusion – A summary of findings which states whether the hypothesis is supported.

• Evaluation – Judging how reliable and valid the methods, data, and conclusions are.

• Limitations – Weaknesses in the data or methods used that may affect the results.

• Unforeseen issues – Unexpected problems, such as bad weather or access restrictions, that may impact fieldwork.