Introduction: The "Reflection" Stage

You have finished your research, collected your data, and written your report. You might think you are done, but there is one final, crucial step: evaluating the process and results. This is where you look back at your journey and ask, "How did I do, and how much can I trust my findings?"

In the MYP, this falls under Criterion B: Investigating. Evaluation is not just about saying "I did a good job." It is about being an honest "investigative critic" of your own work. It helps you understand the quality of your research and prepares you for even better investigations in the future.

Note: For more on how to start an investigation, see the chapters on "Research questions" and "Action plans."

Part 1: Evaluating the Process (The "How")

When you evaluate the process, you are looking at the steps you took to get your information. Think of this like reviewing a recipe after you have finished cooking.

Was your Action Plan followed?

Look back at your original plan. Did you stick to your deadlines? Did you find the sources you expected? If you had to change your plan (for example, if a website was blocked or an interview was cancelled), explain why you changed it and how that affected your work.

Were your Research Methods effective?

Consider the tools you used to gather information (like surveys, maps, or database searches).
• Example: If you used a survey to find out about local traffic, did enough people answer? If only \( 5 \) people answered out of a school of \( 500 \), your process might have been limited.

Key Takeaway:

Evaluating the process is about looking at efficiency and methodology. Don't be afraid to admit if something didn't work—identifying a problem is a sign of a high-level student!

Part 2: Evaluating the Results (The "What")

Evaluating the results means looking at the "answer" you found for your research question. You need to decide how reliable and valid your findings are.

To evaluate your results, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Did I answer the Research Question? Sometimes we find interesting facts, but they don't actually answer our original question.
  2. Is the data reliable? If you did the same investigation again, would you get the same result?
  3. Is there bias? Did your sources have a specific "point of view" that might have hidden the full truth?

Analogy: Imagine you are a judge in a talent show. Evaluating the process is like checking if the stage was set up correctly. Evaluating the results is deciding if the performance was actually good enough to win.

Part 3: Identifying Strengths and Limitations

A great evaluation balances the "good" and the "bad." In your MYP work, you should use the terms strengths and limitations.

Strengths

These are the parts of your investigation that worked perfectly.
• "I used a wide variety of sources, including both primary and secondary data, which gave me a balanced view."
• "My research question was very focused, which made it easy to find specific data."

Limitations

These are the "weak spots" or "gaps" in your investigation.
• "I only looked at sources written in English, so I might have missed local perspectives from other countries."
• "The data I found was from \( 2010 \), so it might be outdated for a study on modern technology."

Quick Review Box:
• Strength: Something that makes your conclusion stronger.
• Limitation: Something that makes your conclusion weaker or less certain.

Part 4: Suggestions for Improvement

The final part of evaluation is looking forward. Based on what you learned about your mistakes or limitations, how would you do it better next time?

Your suggestions should be specific. Avoid saying "I would work harder." Instead, try:
• "Next time, I would increase my sample size to at least \( 50 \) participants to get a more representative view of the community."
• "To avoid bias, I would compare a government report with an independent news article to see different perspectives."

Step-by-Step Evaluation Guide

If you are struggling to write your evaluation, follow these steps:

Step 1: State what went well (Strengths of the process).

Step 2: State what was difficult or went wrong (Limitations of the process).

Step 3: Explain how these issues affected your final answer (Evaluating the results).

Step 4: Give \( 2-3 \) specific "pro-tips" for your future self (Improvements).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Being too brief: Just saying "It was good" won't get you many marks. Use because to explain your judgments.
  • Confusing "Results" with "Evaluation": Don't just repeat your findings. Tell us why those findings are trustworthy or not.
  • Only mentioning the "Bad": Even if the investigation was difficult, you definitely did something right! Highlight your strengths too.
  • Forgetting the "Why": If you suggest an improvement, explain how it would make the investigation better.

Checklist for Success

Year 1-3 Students: Focus on describing what you did and whether it worked. Use guidance from your teacher to identify what a "limitation" looks like.

Year 4-5 Students: You must evaluate. This means making a justified judgment. Use subject-specific terminology and show a deep understanding of how your methods impacted your results.