Data and Evidence » Reading Sources, Tables, Charts and Graphs

Evidence does not explain itself

Sociologists collect a lot of evidence, but evidence is only useful if you can read it properly. In Paper 1, Question 1 gives you a source: a short, made-up summary of a study, often with a table, chart or graph. Your job is to read it carefully, use it, and judge how far it can be trusted. You already know quantitative data (numbers) and qualitative data (words, opinions and meanings), so here you learn to handle both.

Key terms:

• Source: a piece of evidence given to you to use, such as a summary of a study, a table or a graph.
• Table: numbers set out in rows and columns, with headings.
• Bar chart: bars of different heights, one for each group or category. The taller the bar, the bigger the value.
• Pie chart: a circle cut into slices. Each slice is a share of the whole, and all the slices add up to 100%.
• Line graph: points joined by a line, usually showing how something changes over time.
• Diagram: a labelled drawing or flow chart that shows how parts of something are linked.
• Percentage: a number out of 100, written with the % sign.

Reading a table

Read a table in the same order every time. First read the title, so you know what is being measured. Next read the headings and units (is it a number of people, or a percentage?). Then check the date and sample. Only then look at the values.

Table 1: Percentage of adults who read a printed newspaper at least once a week, by age group (made-up survey of 800 adults, 2025; 200 in each age group)

Age group	% who read a printed newspaper weekly
18 to 29	8%
30 to 49	17%
50 to 69	34%
70 and over	51%

Comparing groups means using figures from two groups together. Only 8% of 18 to 29 year olds read a printed newspaper weekly, compared with 51% of those aged 70 and over. The older group is more than six times as likely to read one.

Charts and graphs

A chart shows the same kind of information as a table, but the shape does the work for you.

• Bar chart: use it to compare groups. Table 1 as a bar chart would show four bars rising from left to right. Check the numbers on the side (the axis) so you read each bar correctly.
• Pie chart: use it to see how a whole is shared out. Find the biggest and smallest slices, and remember that a slice is a share, not a number of people.
• Line graph: use it to see a trend over time. Remember, a trend is a pattern over time. Suppose a line graph shows the percentage of adults in the same made-up country who read a printed newspaper weekly: 60% in 2005, 41% in 2015 and 26% in 2025. The line falls all the way across, so the trend is a steady fall.

A diagram works differently: read the title, then the labels, then follow any arrows to see how the parts connect. For example, a flow chart might show the stages a student passes through from applying for a place to finishing school.

When you describe a graph, give the direction (rise, fall or stay the same), use real figures from it, and name the dates.

Simple percentages

You will not need a calculator for most exam questions. To turn a number into a percentage, divide by the total and multiply by 100.

Percentages are fair for comparing groups of different sizes. If one group has 50 people and another has 500, the raw numbers are misleading, but percentages let you compare them fairly.

Reading a summary of a study

Qualitative evidence often comes as a short written summary. Look for the same four things each time:

• Who was studied (the sample)
• How the researcher collected the evidence (the method)
• When the study was done
• What was found, including any quotations from respondents

For example: "In 2018 a researcher interviewed 12 retired people in one village about how they spend their day. One said, 'The newspaper and a walk are my morning.'" You can pick out the method (interviews), the sample (12 retired people in one village), the date (2018) and a finding in the respondent's own words. Quotations show people's own meanings, but they do not give you numbers.

Spotting problems with the evidence

Good sociologists ask whether evidence can be trusted. Check three things, and use what you know about representativeness and bias from Judging Research: Bias, Researcher Effects and Representativeness.

In Table 1, for instance, the figures only show what people do. They do not explain why older people read newspapers more, and the survey does not say how the 800 adults were chosen.

How this is tested in Paper 1, Question 1(a)

Question 1 starts with a source. Part (a) usually has parts that follow the pattern below, all using "Source A".

• Identify (2 marks): pick out two facts from the source. Short answers are fine.
• Explain two reasons (4 marks): use information from the source and say why. Each reason needs a point from the source and a "because".
• Explain three reasons (6 marks): the same, with three developed points.

The reasons can be about the research itself, such as why the researcher chose a method, or about problems with the evidence. Each reason needs its own point.

Exam-style question

Source A: In 2009 a researcher gave a questionnaire to 100 members of one tennis club in a large town. She asked whether they had done any volunteering in the last year. The results are shown below.

Age group	People asked	Volunteered in the last year
16 to 24	40	28
25 to 44	36	18
45 and over	24	6

(a)(i) From Source A, identify two facts about how the study was carried out. [2 marks]

(a)(ii) Using information in Source A, explain two reasons why the findings may not be representative of all adults in the town. [4 marks]