Inquiry process — AS91890 / AS91900

What is an inquiry?

An inquiry is an organised, evidence-based investigation into a question or problem. For AS91890 / AS91900 you will plan and carry out a focused investigation, gather and analyse evidence, and communicate findings and conclusions in ways that meet the assessment criteria.

How to choose an inquiry focus

Choose a focus that is meaningful, feasible, aligned to assessment evidence, and ethically appropriate.

Interest and relevance: choose a topic you care about to keep motivation high.
Scope: keep it narrow enough to investigate within the time available.
Feasibility: check access, resources, safety, and permissions early.
Assessment alignment: confirm the focus can generate observations, logs, tests, reports, or presentations for AS91890 / AS91900.
Ethics and privacy: avoid sensitive personal data unless you have consent and approvals.

Developing inquiry questions

Good inquiry questions guide what you do and what evidence you collect. Aim for questions that are:

Open but focused so they allow investigation, not just yes/no answers.
Researchable with the methods and resources you have.
Measurable or analysable so findings are supported by evidence.

Common inquiry patterns include:

How does X affect Y under Z conditions?
What is the relationship between A and B when ...?
Which method produces the most reliable outcome for ...?

Societal problems & opportunities

Societal inquiries work best when they connect to real community needs and evidence you can access.

🧠 Teen mental wellbeing: factors that affect stress and sleep among students.
📱 Online behaviour: prevalence and effects of cyberbullying within the school community.
🔥 Climate action at school: reducing energy use or food waste in the cafeteria.
🚲 Active transport: barriers and incentives for students walking or cycling to school.
🌿 Local environmental change: measuring microclimate (heat, flooding risk) around school grounds.
🔒 Digital privacy: how much personal data do popular student apps collect?
♿ Accessibility and inclusion: how accessible are school services and websites to students with disabilities?
🌐 Community resilience: mapping local resources and readiness for extreme weather events.

Sample inquiry questions (societal)

Sample questions show how to turn a topic into an investigable focus.

How does screen time before bed affect sleep duration among Year 11 students at our school?
What proportion of students have experienced or witnessed cyberbullying on school platforms in the past term?
How much food waste is generated in the school cafeteria each day, and which interventions reduce it most effectively?
Does providing secure bicycle parking increase the number of students who cycle to school?
How much hotter are paved areas around the school compared with planted areas during midday in summer?
What personal data do the top five free apps used by students collect, and how transparent are they about it?
Which website changes most improve task completion time for a student using a screen reader?

Planning your inquiry

A short plan helps you stay on track and shows assessors you can manage an investigation.

🏆 Goal: restate the focus and primary question(s).
🛠️ Methods: list how you will collect evidence (experiments, observations, surveys, tests, logs, prototypes).
💰 Materials and resources: equipment, software, datasets, people to contact.
📆 Timeline: break the work into steps with dates.
⚖️ Risks and ethics: identify hazards and manage consent or privacy.

Collecting evidence

Collect a variety of evidence so your conclusions are credible:

📚 Research from trustworthy sources such as academic journals or official reports.
🎥 Direct observations or recordings.
📊 Measurement data, test results, or logs.
📸 Photographs, screenshots, or diagrams.
📝 Surveys or interview notes with consent.
💻 Annotated source code, prototypes, or worked examples.

Analysing and evaluating

Analyse your evidence to answer the inquiry question and show how confident you are in the results:

📈 Patterns and trends in your data.
⚠️ Limitations in methods and their impact on confidence.
💡 Alternative explanations and how you tested them.
📋 How results map to assessment criteria.

Reporting and presenting findings

Your final report or presentation should show the inquiry steps and the evidence that supports your conclusions.

Introduction: context, purpose, and questions.
Method: what you did and why.
Results: present data clearly with tables, charts, or annotated screenshots.
Analysis: interpret results and link them to the question.
Conclusion: answer the question and state confidence or limitations.
Reflection: what you learned and how the inquiry could be improved.

Assessment evidence for AS91890 / AS91900

Check the specific standard for required evidence, but typical items often include:

Annotated notes showing planning and method choices.
Raw and processed data, logs, or test outputs.
Photographs, screenshots, or prototypes.
A written or oral report that links evidence to conclusions.
Teacher observations or witness statements if required.

Examples of inquiry focuses

Focuses can target usability, performance, accessibility, or security.

Evaluating the usability of two interface designs for a small app.
Comparing algorithm performance on different data sets.
Investigating the effect of network latency on multiplayer game responsiveness.
Testing accessibility improvements for a website.
Analysing the effectiveness of a security control in blocking a simple attack.

Tips for success

Successful inquiries show clear, repeatable evidence and honest reflection.

Keep clear, dated evidence so assessors can see the process.
Use small, repeatable tests to build reliable data.
Discuss your plan with your teacher early for feedback and alignment to the standard.
Reflect honestly, as acknowledging limitations strengthens your evaluation.