Research and Investigation

Please note: this module follows the 2026 project brief, whose theme was forests. The State Examinations Commission publishes a new brief each year, with its own theme and its own dates. These lessons will be updated once this year's brief is published. Check the current brief on the SEC website before you begin. In this lesson, you will understand the Investigation section's requirements (400 words, 10 marks), learn SEC referencing and plagiarism rules (including AI use), find and save five reliable sources on your forest theme, write notes on their influence, start a formatted References list, and draft your section using a template.

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1 Objectives
2 What the Brief Says About Investigation
3 Why Proper Referencing Matters
4 Types of Sources You Should Look For
5 How to Reference Correctly (Harvard Style Example)
6 Practical Research Activity
7 Writing Your 400-Word Investigation Section (Template)
8 Checklist Before Next Lesson
Quiz

1 - Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will have:

Understood exactly what the Investigation section of the report requires (approximately 400 words, 10 marks)
Learned the SEC rules on referencing and plagiarism (including AI use)
Found and saved at least five reliable sources connected to your chosen forest theme (as suggested in the brief's page 6 links)
Written short notes on how each source helps shape your project decisions
Started a properly formatted References list

2 - What the Brief Says About Investigation

The official brief states:

“In this section of the report you should show evidence of your own research on the brief, including research on existing solutions, systems or ideas that are aligned to the brief. You should consider your research and explain what decisions you make regarding your project.”

You must also fully reference every source (including AI use) following Appendices 1 and 2 of the SEC Coursework Rules and Procedures. Failure to reference correctly is treated as plagiarism.

3 - Why Proper Referencing Matters

The SEC rules are very clear:

Any text, image, idea, or code you did not create yourself must be referenced
Using AI (ChatGPT, Grok, etc.) without declaring it is plagiarism
Plagiarism is a breach of the SEC's rules and will be investigated by the SEC

References carry no marks of their own, but they are required: material you use without a reference is plagiarism.

4 - Types of Sources You Should Look For

Background on forests & Irish context

Coillte, NPWS, Teagasc websites
Ireland’s Forest Strategy 2023–2030
Climate change reports

Existing technical solutions

Raspberry Pi forest monitoring projects
Early wildfire detection sensors
Soil moisture networks (ISMON)
Chainsaw sound detectors

The brief itself contains a full list of suggested links on page 6 – start there!

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This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2026. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.