Investigative Approaches and Interviewing

Pupils are welcome to take an investigative angle in their essay, particularly when it helps them answer a focused question rather than simply describe a topic. Investigative writing, at its best, begins with curiosity and then applies discipline: a pupil identifies a specific claim, trend, or controversy and asks, “What is actually known here?” and “How do we know?” This approach often produces clearer, more compelling science writing because it encourages pupils to move beyond opinion and towards evidence, explanation, and careful reasoning.

Interviewing can be a valuable part of that process, especially when pupils want to include real-world perspectives from people who work with the science in practice. If pupils choose to interview someone, it should always be done safely and appropriately, in line with your school’s safeguarding policies. Suitable interviewees might include a local researcher, clinician, engineer, librarian, museum educator, or another community expert. The purpose of an interview in this context is not to replace research, but to enrich it, helping pupils understand how evidence is used, what uncertainties remain, and how scientific ideas translate into decisions.

To get meaningful value from an interview, pupils should be encouraged to do some background research first. This helps them ask sharper questions and avoids relying on the interviewee for basic facts that should be checked independently. They should also learn the difference between closed questions (“Is X true?”) and open questions that invite explanation (“What does the evidence suggest about X, and what are the main limitations?”). During the interview, pupils should practise active listening - following up on what is said, asking for clarification, and requesting examples. Most importantly, they should understand that an interview is a source like any other: useful, but not automatically definitive. If an interviewee makes a factual claim, pupils should treat it as something to verify against independent, reputable sources.

A short note on ethics is also important. Even at 14–16, pupils can learn the core principles that professional journalists use to keep reporting fair and responsible: prioritising accuracy, being transparent about what they know and how they know it, avoiding harm (for example, by not pressuring people to share personal details), and being accountable for how information is represented. These principles help pupils conduct interviews respectfully and use quotes in context, while still maintaining the critical distance needed to produce evidence-led writing.