Explain the requirements of the external investigation and how to plan, research and present an independent study of a contemporary social or cultural issue.

What this dot point is asking

You must explain what the external investigation requires and how to plan, research and present it effectively, drawing on the inquiry skills from the previous dot point.

What the investigation is

The investigation is an independent, focused study of a contemporary social or cultural issue that you negotiate with your teacher. It is the single external assessment in the subject and is marked by the SACE Board, which makes it 30 percent of your final result. For a 20-credit subject the report is a maximum of 2000 words; for a 10-credit subject it is a maximum of 1000 words. Because it is independent, it tests your own ability to inquire, analyse and communicate.

Choosing and framing the issue

The choice of issue shapes everything. A strong topic is contemporary, contestable, researchable and narrow enough to handle in the word limit. Issues such as the impact of social media on youth wellbeing, responses to housing affordability, or community attitudes to First Nations recognition work well because they have current evidence and competing perspectives. You then convert the topic into a precise focus question that the report sets out to answer.

Researching and using evidence

The investigation applies the social inquiry process. You gather a range of sources, ideally combining secondary research such as statistics and reports with, where appropriate, primary research such as a survey or interview. You must evaluate the reliability of sources and triangulate claims across more than one source. Evidence should be integrated to support analysis, not dropped in as decoration, and it should be referenced.

Structuring the report

A clear structure helps the marker follow your reasoning.

• Introduction that states the issue, its significance and your focus question.
• Body that analyses the issue through competing perspectives, each supported by evidence, and that examines stakeholders and the values behind their views.
• Conclusion that answers the focus question with a justified position and acknowledges the strongest opposing points.

Every section must earn its place, because the word limit is strict.

Meeting the assessment standards

The investigation is judged on how well you investigate and analyse the issue, apply social and cultural concepts, evaluate sources and perspectives, and communicate clearly with appropriate evidence. Demonstrating the concepts from across the course, such as power, culture, globalisation and social change, lifts the analysis from description to genuine social and cultural understanding.

Connection to the rest of the course

The investigation is where the whole subject comes together. It applies the issue-analysis method from Module 2 and the social inquiry process from the previous dot point, and it draws on the concepts of culture, power, globalisation and social change developed across every module. It is the clearest demonstration of the skills Society and Culture is designed to build.