S1.2.1—Data collection technology

Choose technology for the data needed

Name the variable, required range, resolution and sampling interval before choosing a tool. The technology must produce data that can answer the investigation question; a convenient output is not automatically suitable.

Collection technology	What it provides	Essential check
Sensor/data logger	Repeated numerical measurements, often at fixed intervals	Calibration, range, resolution and sampling rate
Database	Existing observations selected from stored records	Field definitions, units, provenance and selection criteria
Model or simulation	Generated results under chosen rules and parameters	Assumptions and parameter range; output is model data, not direct observation
Video/image analysis	Position, time, angle or intensity extracted frame/pixel by frame/pixel	Scale, frame rate, viewpoint, tracking reference and pixel resolution

Example — image sensing

A CCD converts light arriving at pixels into electrical signals and then numerical pixel values. Smaller pixels can improve spatial resolution, while quantum efficiency limits the fraction of incident photons detected. Record these limits before interpreting intensity or position.

Keep observation and model separate

Sensors, databases and images record or encode observations; simulations generate consequences of assumptions. Either can be useful, but they are not interchangeable evidence.

How it is assessed

Questions describe how CCD pixels create a digital image or how signals are multiplexed along a channel.

Command terms

Describe / Outline

What earns marks

Describe a sequence: charge/signal at pixels is read and encoded, or data are divided into time slots, transmitted sequentially and recombined.

Watch for

Saying the image is stored without explaining pixel readout or describing multiplexing as simultaneous transmission.

Collect and encode

Choose a suitable sensor or image/video method, sample the signal and record its resolution and limits.

Process transparently

Keep raw data, calculated columns and model assumptions visible; use graphs and simulations to test relationships, not to hide uncertainty.

S1.2.1—Data collection technology

Choose Data Collection Tools

S1.2.1 Exam Analysis

Assessment in practice

Retrieve Data Technology