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Study Skills

Data Response

Data response papers aim to test the ability of candidates to apply their knowledge to unseen data. Each examination board tends to have its own style of paper with questions presented in two main ways: statistical data, displayed as graphs, tables, charts or diagrams and textual data, such as extracts from newspapers or journals.

Examiners report that many candidates underperform on this paper primarily because they tend to launch into writing answers without taking sufficient time to interpret the information provided first.

How to improve your technique: some general principles

• Read the title of the data carefully and note the source
  • Be on the look out for selective or biased evidence
• Spend some time 'getting a feel' for the data
  • units used? £millions; thousands of workers;real or nominal
  • headings to columns? percentages; index numbers
  • identify the highest and lowest values; rank the data
  • note the time trends; cyclical; seasonal
  • note relationships between variables; causal; lagged
• Look at the mark allocation carefully
  • the questions set by many boards require only brief answers e.g. 'In which country is.........?' one word!
  • do not write 'essay style' answers completely unrelated to the data
• Note the key directive words
  • 'describe' requires a less detailed answer than 'analyse'
  • 'evaluate' requires you to weigh up both sides of an argument and to give a judgement
• Aim for a balanced answer
  • the skill is to extract from the data not to reproduce it
  • use the data to support a point made in your own words, written evidence should be indicated by quotation marks
• Don't forget the economics!
  • look for the economic concepts involved or inherent in a set of data or economic information, e.g. multiplier
  • relate relevant theories like theory of the firm to the information given
  • diagrams should be used if appropriate

A strategy for success

Sources of data for practice

It is important to gain confidence in handling and interpreting data by familiarising yourself with typical examples. Much of the statistical data used comes from official statistics issued by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Literary data response questions are frequently taken from a major broad sheet daily newspaper or a journal like The Economist. It is important to get used to their style of writing.

Data is a fundamental tool - don't be afraid of this type of question!