§-Investigating Science Q&A
NSW · NESA← Investigating Science
Investigating Science Q&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every NSW Investigating Science syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Module 5: Scientific Investigations
Process, analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data, including identifying and accounting for sources of error and uncertainty
Develop and evaluate questions and hypotheses for scientific investigation
Communicate scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology, including the role of peer review and replication in confirming scientific findings
Plan, source and acknowledge primary and secondary data appropriate to the investigation
Evaluate scientific investigations and findings in terms of reliability, validity, accuracy and precision of data
Conduct risk assessments and consider ethical issues, including the use of animals, plants and humans, in planning a scientific investigation
Plan investigations to ensure that they are valid and reliable, including the use of an appropriate experimental design with consideration of independent, dependent and controlled variables
Module 6: Technologies
Investigate how scientific knowledge has led to the development of a technology, including a medical implant or assistive device
Investigate how the development of a technology, for example wireless networking, has affected society and changed scientific practice
Investigate how technology has met a specifically Australian challenge, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service and its descendant telehealth
Investigate how scientific knowledge has led to the development of a vaccine or therapeutic, including the contribution of Australian researchers
Investigate limitations of current scientific instrumentation and how these have constrained scientific inquiry, with reference to a specific field such as genetics or astronomy
Investigate how technological developments have enhanced scientific research, including a research facility such as a nuclear reactor or synchrotron
Investigate how technology has influenced the development and acceptance of scientific ideas, including a case study of polymer banknotes or another Australian innovation
Module 7: Fact or Fallacy?
Investigate how scientific consensus is established and how it has been challenged, using climate change as a case study
Distinguish correlation from causation, identifying confounding variables and the criteria for establishing causation
Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific claims, identifying characteristics of each
Evaluate the validity, reliability and accuracy of scientific evidence presented in claims, considering the hierarchy of evidence in medical research
Investigate a pseudoscientific belief and evaluate the evidence for and against, including a complementary or alternative therapy
Identify common logical fallacies and cognitive biases that distort scientific claims, including ad hominem, appeals to authority and confirmation bias
Investigate a case where a scientific claim has been retracted, including the role of media in disseminating discredited claims
Module 8: Science and Society
Investigate the role of conflicts of interest in scientific research, including industry funding and the responsibilities of scientists to disclose
Investigate how scientific evidence has shaped public policy in Australia, using case studies such as plain packaging, COVID-19 response, gun control or seatbelt laws
Investigate how international scientific bodies such as the IPCC translate science into policy advice, including the role of Australian contributions
Investigate the relationship between Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science, including how they can complement each other
Investigate how research ethics and the role of regulatory bodies, including the NHMRC, shape what scientific research can be conducted
Investigate how scientific knowledge is communicated to the public, including the role of mass media, science journalists and expert bodies