Instructions for candidates

This assessment applies to the assignment for Higher Modern Studies.

This assignment is worth 30 marks. This is 27% of the overall marks for the course
assessment.

It assesses the following skills, knowledge and understanding:

 identifying a modern studies issue about which there are alternative views
 researching a modern studies issue, using a range of sources of information
 analysing and synthesising information from a range of sources
 evaluating the usefulness and reliability of a range of sources of information
 reaching a decision on the issue studied
 showing detailed knowledge and understanding of the issue to support the decision
reached
 showing an awareness of alternatives to the decision
 communicating information using the conventions of a report

When doing your research and when producing your evidence, you can demonstrate these
skills in any way that you think makes sense for the issue you have chosen. You do not
need to demonstrate them in any set order.

The assignment has two stages:

 research
 production of evidence: writing a report of your findings (under supervision, within
1 hour and 30 minutes, and in one sitting)

Your teacher or lecturer will let you know if there are any specific conditions for doing this
assessment.

In the research stage you should choose a topic or issue which allows you to analyse a
contemporary modern studies issue about which there are alternative views. This may be
related to areas you have studied in class, or you may choose to research any relevant
topic or issue.

In the research stage you complete the Modern Studies research sheet to help you during
the next stage — writing a report of your findings. Your research sheet must consist of no
more than two single sides of A4 paper.

In the production of evidence stage you complete your report. You will have the Modern
Studies research sheet with you when you write your report under controlled conditions.

You will not gain any marks for information which is simply copied from your Modern
Studies research sheet and not used to demonstrate your skills, knowledge and
understanding.

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Your research sheet must be submitted with your report to SQA. The research sheet is not
marked.

Examples of what you may include on your research sheet:

 evidence and/or data from primary or secondary research

 statistical, graphical or numerical data
 survey results
 interview questions and/or answers
 questionnaires and/or results
 newspaper articles or extracts
 notes taken from a visit, talk, or a written or audio-visual source

Working with others

While you should choose your own topic to research, others in your class may have chosen
a similar topic. You might want to work with others for part of the time, when you are
collecting information.

If you choose to do this, it is important that you are able to show what you have
contributed to this part of your assignment, and that the research sheet is your own work.

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In this assessment How you can do this
you will:
 identify a You should choose a modern studies issue that allows you to:
modern studies
issue about  carry out research on a contemporary issue
which there  show your knowledge and understanding of the issue
are alternative  use your modern studies skills to analyse the issue
views  make a decision about the issue
 show your awareness of alternative decisions or courses of action

You can choose any modern studies issue and can research further
something you have studied in class, or an issue you are interested in
finding out more about. Your issue may be a political or social issue;
Scottish, UK or international.

The issue you choose must be one on which there are a range of views
which you can consider and reach a decision. For example, you could
make a decision about whether or not the United Nations should:

 send in a peacekeeping force to a troubled area or not send in a

peacekeeping force Or
 send in a peacekeeping force or impose sanctions Or
 send in a peacekeeping force, impose sanctions or authorise
military intervention

You must have a clear idea of the background to the issue you are
going to research, in order to focus your research. This can include:

 a clear description of the issue

 an understanding of the different views on the issue
 why this is an important issue
 questions or aims which help you to focus your research by finding
answers

Your teacher or lecturer may support you by commenting on the

suitability of the issue you have chosen and providing advice on the
likely availability of resources.

 research a You should collect information from a range of different sources using
modern studies a range of different research methods. Your research methods can
issue, using a include:
range of
sources of  primary research where the evidence you collect is original
information
to you
 secondary research where the information you use has been
produced by someone else

You should keep notes on the sources of the information you use and
how useful and reliable they were.

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In this assessment How you can do this
you will:
The sorts of methods you can use include:

 carrying out interviews

 conducting surveys or questionnaires
 sending letters or emails
 reading official reports or research from think-tanks or pressure
groups
 internet website searches
 searching libraries for newspapers, magazines and books (print or
electronic)
 going on visits or field trips
 taking notes on television programmes, videos, DVDs, digital
streaming radio and podcasts

 analyse and You will collect a wide range of evidence and data on your issue. You
synthesise can use this information by:
information
from a range of  selecting the most important information to address the issue you
sources are researching
 deciding which is the most useful and reliable information
 combining information from different sources to make a stronger
argument
 linking information together which shows different views about
the issue, or an aspect of the issue
 establishing similarities and contradictions between different
views or aspects of the issue
 showing where evidence or views are consistent or inconsistent
 contrasting the possible consequences or implications of decisions
 weighing up the different arguments on the issue
 considering the strengths and weaknesses of the different
decisions which could be made, or courses of action which could
be taken

You may, for example:

 Establish links between components, for example:

— This factor is linked to that factor; evidence X and evidence Y
both support the factor.
 Establish contradictions or inconsistencies, for example:
— While there were political reasons for this policy, it had
negative social and/or economic consequences.
 Explore different views and interpretations, for example:
— Political party A says this, while political party B says this;
evidence from D disagrees with evidence from E.
 Establish possible consequences and/or implications, for example:
— If policy X is introduced, Y is likely to occur; doing Z may
result in …

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In this assessment How you can do this
you will:
After considering the information and different views, you should be
in a position to make a decision on the issue. You may end up making
a decision or recommending a course of action different from the one
you thought you might make. It is important that your decision or the
course of action you recommend is based on the evidence and shows
you considered alternative views and evidence.

 evaluate the You must provide a clear evaluation, making a judgement about the
usefulness and usefulness and reliability of at least two sources of evidence used in
reliability of a making your decision.
range of
sources of
Examples of factors that affect how useful and reliable sources of
information
information you have used are:

 how up-to-date the information is

 the size of the sample in a survey
 whether the source of the information is likely to be biased
 whether the data was collected over a period of time or as a
‘one-off’
 the extent of the expertise of the person being interviewed or
writing an article

Some information will be more useful than others, for example,

official data, or a survey which gathered a large sample of the
public’s opinions on an issue over a period of time, may be more
reliable than the views gathered from one member of a particular
political party from an interview.

 reach a Your decision may be in the form of:

decision on the
issue studied  deciding to do something or to not do something
 recommending a particular decision or course of action rather
than one or more alternatives
 suggesting that a particular policy should be carried out

Any decision you make must be based on your evidence and must show
you have considered other options as well as your decision.

You need to:

 support your decision with detailed evidence

 say why you prefer your decision over alternatives
 evaluate the strengths or weaknesses or consequences of your
decision compared to other possible decisions

Any decision you make which is not supported by evidence and which
ignores other viewpoints will not gain any marks.

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In this assessment How you can do this
you will:
 show detailed In your assignment report you must:
knowledge and
understanding  describe the background to the issue
of the issue to  explain the impact or significance of the issue, for example,
support the political, social, economic, legal or international
decision
 explain the causes, consequences or implications of the issue, for
reached
example, political, social, economic, legal or international
 explain different viewpoints on the issue
 explain the different decisions which could be made or courses of
action which could be taken

 communicate Your report should include:

information
using the  a title
conventions of  section headings breaking up the information, evidence, and
a report arguments you are using into a clear and logical structure
 references to the evidence you have used and, in particular, the
sources on your research sheet
 a formal style which refers to evidence rather than just your own
opinions
 language and terminology appropriate to the issue
 a clear statement of the decision you have reached

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