At-A-Glance
The individual investigation is an open-ended task in which the student gathers and analyses data to answer their own formulated research question. The outcome of the Individual investigation will be assessed through the form of a written report. The maximum overall word count for the report is between 1500 - 2250 words.
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ProCon.org is a non-profit website that presents pros and cons on various controversial topics to promote critical thinking. It provides well-researched arguments for both sides of issues, backed by sources, statistics, and expert opinions.
1. Google Scholar
Use for: Accessing academic articles, reports, and theses.
Features: Google Scholar provides a vast range of academic papers across many disciplines. While not all are freely accessible, many articles, particularly older ones, can be found in full text.
Link: Google Scholar
2. JSTOR (Must have HCC email to access)
Use for: Peer-reviewed journals and academic papers.
Features: While JSTOR is subscription-based, many schools have access to it. It offers a wide range of environmental science papers, including historical and current data on various ecosystems and environmental issues.
Link: JSTOR
3. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Use for: Environmental reports, sustainability data, climate change impacts.
Features: UNEP provides excellent reports and data sets on environmental health, biodiversity, climate action, and pollution.
Link: UNEP
4. World Bank Open Data
Use for: Global data on environmental and socioeconomic indicators.
Features: The World Bank offers a wealth of downloadable data on topics like air and water quality, renewable energy use, land use, and sustainable development.
Link: World Bank Open Data
5. NASA Earth Data
Use for: Climate change, air quality, land use, and remote sensing data.
Features: NASA provides satellite data and tools to explore environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric conditions.
Link: NASA Earth Data
6. Our World in Data
Use for: Comprehensive, visually presented global data.
Features: This platform offers interactive graphs and data sets on a variety of environmental topics like climate change, deforestation, energy consumption, and pollution. It’s very user-friendly for students.
Link: Our World in Data
7. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Reports
Use for: Climate change data, projections, and impacts.
Features: IPCC reports are comprehensive and scientifically robust. Although the reports are complex, summaries and specific data sets are accessible and provide excellent references for environmental studies.
Link: IPCC
8. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Climate Change Resources
Use for: Data on carbon emissions, ice loss, sea levels, and global temperatures.
Features: NASA Climate Change offers data sets, visuals, and tools for students to analyze climate trends, which are ideal for project-based research.
Link: NASA Climate Change
9. World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Use for: Conservation, biodiversity, and sustainability research.
Features: WWF provides useful reports, infographics, and articles on a variety of environmental issues, such as deforestation, species extinction, and freshwater depletion.
Link: WWF
10. Global Footprint Network
Use for: Ecological footprint, sustainability metrics.
Features: This resource provides data on ecological footprints of nations, offering excellent student-friendly tools to assess sustainability and resource consumption on both global and local scales.
Link: Global Footprint Network
11. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Use for: U.S. environmental regulations, pollution, and climate data.
Features: The EPA offers databases and research tools for tracking environmental trends, pollution data, and regulatory standards.
Link: EPA Data
12. European Environment Agency (EEA)
Use for: Data on European environmental policies, air and water quality, biodiversity.
Features: EEA provides reports, statistics, and maps on various environmental issues, particularly relevant for European data.
Link: EEA
13. ScienceDirect
Use for: Peer-reviewed journals on environmental and biological sciences.
Features: Like JSTOR, ScienceDirect offers access to a wide range of academic articles, but many schools may offer free access through subscriptions.
Link: ScienceDirect
14. National Geographic
Use for: Articles on environmental science, geography, and conservation.
Features: While less data-heavy, National Geographic is great for understanding complex issues through storytelling and visuals. Their website often includes data-driven insights on environmental topics.
Link: National Geographic
15. CIA World Factbook
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