Back to NSW Investigating Science
NSW · NESAQ&A
Investigating ScienceQ&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 uncertainty15Q&A pairs
- Develop and evaluate questions and hypotheses for scientific investigation8Q&A pairs
- Communicate scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology, including the role of peer review and replication in confirming scientific findings12Q&A pairs
- Plan, source and acknowledge primary and secondary data appropriate to the investigation12Q&A pairs
- Evaluate scientific investigations and findings in terms of reliability, validity, accuracy and precision of data12Q&A pairs
- Conduct risk assessments and consider ethical issues, including the use of animals, plants and humans, in planning a scientific investigation15Q&A pairs
- 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 variables13Q&A pairs
Module 6: Technologies
- Investigate how scientific knowledge has led to the development of a technology, including a medical implant or assistive device10Q&A pairs
- Investigate how the development of a technology, for example wireless networking, has affected society and changed scientific practice8Q&A pairs
- Investigate how technology has met a specifically Australian challenge, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service and its descendant telehealth12Q&A pairs
- Investigate how scientific knowledge has led to the development of a vaccine or therapeutic, including the contribution of Australian researchers10Q&A pairs
- Investigate limitations of current scientific instrumentation and how these have constrained scientific inquiry, with reference to a specific field such as genetics or astronomy15Q&A pairs
- Investigate how technological developments have enhanced scientific research, including a research facility such as a nuclear reactor or synchrotron12Q&A pairs
- Investigate how technology has influenced the development and acceptance of scientific ideas, including a case study of polymer banknotes or another Australian innovation15Q&A pairs
Module 7: Fact or Fallacy?
- Investigate how scientific consensus is established and how it has been challenged, using climate change as a case study13Q&A pairs
- Distinguish correlation from causation, identifying confounding variables and the criteria for establishing causation13Q&A pairs
- Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific claims, identifying characteristics of each15Q&A pairs
- Evaluate the validity, reliability and accuracy of scientific evidence presented in claims, considering the hierarchy of evidence in medical research13Q&A pairs
- Investigate a pseudoscientific belief and evaluate the evidence for and against, including a complementary or alternative therapy15Q&A pairs
- Identify common logical fallacies and cognitive biases that distort scientific claims, including ad hominem, appeals to authority and confirmation bias15Q&A pairs
- Investigate a case where a scientific claim has been retracted, including the role of media in disseminating discredited claims15Q&A pairs
Module 8: Science and Society
- Investigate the role of conflicts of interest in scientific research, including industry funding and the responsibilities of scientists to disclose15Q&A pairs
- Investigate how scientific evidence has shaped public policy in Australia, using case studies such as plain packaging, COVID-19 response, gun control or seatbelt laws15Q&A pairs
- Investigate how international scientific bodies such as the IPCC translate science into policy advice, including the role of Australian contributions15Q&A pairs
- Investigate the relationship between Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science, including how they can complement each other15Q&A pairs
- Investigate how research ethics and the role of regulatory bodies, including the NHMRC, shape what scientific research can be conducted15Q&A pairs
- Investigate how scientific knowledge is communicated to the public, including the role of mass media, science journalists and expert bodies15Q&A pairs