Welcome to the second edition of Dealing with Data – A Students’ Guide to the Data-Based Questions (DBQ) in Leaving Cert Politics and Society.
Why has this book been written? It’s simple really. It’s the kind of book that I would want to have in my own classroom to help my own students’ exploration of this major component of the course. As a subject with a short pedigree (the first exam only took place in 2018), this part of the course has proved more problematic for students and teachers than virtually any other section – both in terms of the types of questions that could be asked, and the level of depth expected in the answers.
Worth 150 out of 400 marks in the written exam, this element of the exam is both the most time-consuming for teachers to prepare materials and the area where the materials prepared become “dated/obsolete” most quickly Many of the sample DBQs in the first edition (2022) are already defunct – hence the need for this new edition! It is hope that this book will continue to be updated on a “rolling basis” – with new sample questions replacing older material (with older questions available digitally for the ambitious students).
The key data concept of ‘Sample Size’ becomes a looming issue at this point, with only a seven sets of past Leaving Cert Questions available upon which to base the sample content and questions below. As any datacentric student should quickly realize, extrapolating patterns based on a limited sample is potentially disastrous. While some of the issues arising here will, hopefully, be addressed in subsequent iterations of the workbook, the general maxim by which the author abides is: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” In other words, the content, sample questions, worked exemplars, and sample datasets provided here represent my best attempt to quantify a constantly evolving subject. How it is being taught by teachers, studied by students, and examined by the SEC will inform how this workbook itself evolves in years to come.
Nothing within is designed to be prescriptive or definitive, but rather should be thought of as a useful guide to a subject, which has already changed a lot since its inception in 2016 and which will continue to evolve in the years ahead. The author welcomes any constructive feedback on the text with open ears!
Rather than seeing this as a book that should be proceeded through mechanically from page 1 to 96, it is useful for teachers and students to think about dipping in and out of the text as and when it is needed. Where possible, it is suggested that teachers should integrate the data concepts and sample questions into the study of any given topic. When covering the Electoral System’ in Learning Outcome 2.5 “evidence about the effectiveness of representation” in Ireland, for example, a teacher might cover the opening ground themselves in class before assigning the students the Ordinary Level Sample Question 1 on “Women in Politics”. This will expose students to some of the key data they might need for a formative essay assignment that they might then prepare, while simultaneously introducing them to many key aspects of interrogating and evaluating data itself. Later in that scheme of work, students might be asked to engage with Higher Level Sample Question 4 on Electoral Integrity and the proposed Electoral Commission (available in the “Previous DBQs” digital pack on the website). This will provide insights into the kinds of reforms that might be deemed necessary by the student in their own evolving understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of our system, but now understood with a more data-informed position!
A key concept to grasp for this purpose is this:
Any Data-Based Question that has been completed becomes a Case Study for future reference.
The data that students engage with here is specifically chosen to supplement and reinforce the key concepts outlined in the four, interweaving strand of the course. It should become clear that while some sample questions focus in on one specific “Learning Outcome”, many others touch simultaneously on numerous Learning Outcomes across different Topics and Strands
Ultimately, the goal of this book is to act as a steppingstone for students. Having walked through all of the components necessary in the identification, comprehension, and analysis of data in the controlled environment of the classroom and scaffolded here, they should gradually become more confident in interrogating unseen sources of qualitative and quantitative data of their own – both for the upcoming exam and more importantly in the real exam - LIFE.
By the time the students approach the end of 6th year, it is hoped that they will simply see this book as providing “SLOP” (Shed Loads of Practice!) and a useful point of reference for their exam revision. Like any good Pol-Soc teacher, this book should find itself being almost redundant by the time the students finalize their exam preparation, secure in the knowledge that they have a solid grasp on the key concepts and a high degree of flexibility in using the analytic skills they have developed.
Regardless of how students and teachers end up using the book (and not doubting for a moment that many teachers will have innovative methods of their own to supplement and surpass its content), we hope that the workbook will ease the load of teachers, give some greater sense of certainty to students, and will make the prospective decision of potential Pol Soc students who are considering pursuing the subject seem a little more manageable in the future.
Astute students and teachers will notice that this edition is somewhat slimmed down from the 2022 iteration. Our desire to be more environmentally sustainable means that the sample answer spaces have been removed, though we do provide a photo-copyable page (56) that can be used for sample answers. Hopefully, this will also make it easier for teachers to collect, mark, and return students’ work.
The goal on this ongoing project is not that students become cynical of data, or that they might have “had enough of experts” as the pro-Brexit faction of the UK political establishment so infamously (and depressingly) argued in 2016, but rather that they recognize both the inherent possibilities and limitations of these critical political and sociological tools
Best of Luck in your studies and exams!
Dr Jerome Devitt - April 2025.
An opening question: Why is DATA such a big part of the Politics and Society course in the first place?
Let’s leave it to the 1984 Nobel Prize Economist, Richard Stone to explain!
SAMPLE
“Measuring any economic or social variable is always political. Whether it is counting people, places or things, you need both the authority (to force compliance) and the resources to conduct the count. In ancient times, the purpose of a census was to assess taxation and to get a count of the number of males suitable for the military, necessary for determining the potential size of the army. Some early examples of this are the “Great Survey” ordered by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century (known as the “Domesday Book”) and the “Down Survey” of Ireland carried out by William Petty in the mid-1650s.1 Both were designed to tally up the spoils of conquest. Petty called his work “political arithmetic”, which his contemporary Charles Davenant defined as “the art of reasoning by figures upon things relating to government.”
- Source: Stone, Richard. 1986. “Nobel Memorial Lecture 1984: The Accounts of Society” Journal of Applied Econometrics, Vol. 1, pp. 5-28.
Section 1 – Key Concepts and Terminology
Chapter 1 - The Research Process
At various points throughout this text we will return to the idea of the ‘Research Process’. In order for you to be critical of how data is presented, you will need to have a basic understanding of how that data was gathered, analysed, and presented, but also have some insight into the reasons why various research concepts were examined in the first place. In some ways, the key skill you need to approach your Politics and Society “Data-Based Question” is the ability to ‘reverse engineer’ the way in which the data presented to you in the exam was gathered
The diagram below is one that you should refer back to as you examine each new idea in order to help you understand where that idea fits into the ‘big picture’. The cycle described below is a generalization and follows a relatively straightforward timeline, but with so many different types of investigation and presentation of data possible, students should understand that some sections might overlap, if a major problem arises with a later stage, sometimes researchers will need to return to an earlier point on the cycle, or even scrap what they have done and start from scratch.
SAMPLE
This schematic representation of the ‘Research Process’ is adapted from Dimiter Toshkov, “Research Design” in Lowndes, Marsh, and Stoker, “Theory and Methods in Political Science” 4th Edition. Red Globe Press, 2018. Page 221
Depending on the type of Citizenship Project that you are undertaking, this process may also prove useful, particularly if you are gathering data of your own. But remember, if this is the case, you’ll need to think about the ‘Ethics’ of data gathering (see Chapter 6). For further insights on the structure and content of the Citizenship Project Report, see the “Citizenship Project” tab on the website www.polsocpodcast.com.
1. EXISTING KNOWLEDGE
2. Developing your 'research question' and goal
3. Choice of Research 'Methodology' the "how" question
4. Selection of Cases and "variables" to observe
5.Data Collection
6. Data Analysis
7. Drawing conclusion on the data
8. Presenting the data so as to contribute to the ....
Throughout this workbook, you will see the idea of evaluating or critically evaluating different aspects of data. This means we must identify the Strengths and Weaknesses of a certain way of doing things and then come to a conclusion. Here’s a shorthand version of what to look for.
Type of Data
Quantitative data
Strengths
Precision: Statistical and numerical, clearly outlines measurable data for reader/user.
Engagement: Usually surveys (such as exit polls) are relatively quick. The participants don’t feel it is too onerous on their time to participate. Similarly, anonymous responses can aid authentic replies to questions.
Scale: This is useful for ‘Big Picture’ investigations. Many thousands of people can fill out the same form, where interviewing that number of participants would be impractical.
Replicable: In theory, any researcher undertaking the same investigation of the same group should generate the same findings and same results.
Weaknesses
Lacks Nuance: It can give a numerical account of a situation without accounting for the causes of the issues being examined. This approach can often neglect more meaningful questions.
Survey Fatigue: If the survey itself is too long participants won’t do it, might fail to complete it, or might rush through the final questions without really putting too much thought into the answers. Conversely, if the survey is too short, or if similar surveys are being completed quite frequently, it may not provide enough context to draw meaningful conclusion.
Reliability: Such as unreliable, selective, or partisan gathering & collation of quantitative data. E.g. “X” (Twitter) polls
Quantitative Data can be Shallow, but Broad: This approach gathers ‘a little’ detail from many participants. This could be a ‘strength’ or a ‘weakness’ depending on what you are investigating!
Qualitative data Detail: This approach gathers far more in-depth detail and information and offers more themes and meaning from participants.
Nuance: Because participants can explain exactly what they mean, the researcher can gain far greater insight.
SAMPLE
Depth: Provides far more nuanced detail and allows researchers to follow a specific line or reasoning, sometimes helping to establish a clear sense of ‘causal’ factors – why a participant thinks something happened!
Variation: Because there is more detail being provided, it can be harder to categorize or generalize the responses.
Reliability: This approach can sometimes be susceptible to false data if subjects are insincere. In order to impress or avoid the scorn of the investigator, such as being an outlier in a focus group, some respondents might tell the investigator “What they want to hear!” – invalidating the results. This requires shrewd judgment on the part of the researcher.
Qualitative data can be narrow, but deep: This approach garners a lot of detail from a small number of participants (how representative is that detail?). Lack of anonymity can lead to subject offering inauthentic responses. As with the Quantitative approach, this could also be a ‘strength’ or a ‘weakness’ depending on what you are investigating!
Chapter 2 – Common Data Sources
It’s just not feasible for the SEC to expect you to know the background and reliability of EVERY data source out there. There’s just too much to know. However, the subject specification does specify that you develop “skills in critically assessing information and its sources and in gathering and processing information.” With that in mind consider the relevance, reliability, and usefulness of some of the following sources – the kinds of sources that would be considered a good ‘starting point’ for anybody gathering data. In a broader sense, however, we should look at these data sources from the logical perspective of – “if we want our governments to make good choices, they must have good information. That’s why we should care about the effective working of these institutions.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is Ireland's national “statistical office”. Their purpose is to impartially collect, analyse and make available statistics about Ireland’s people, society, and economy –all of which are highly relevant to our course!
They were established under the 1993 Statistics Act to oversee the "collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State". In other words, it’s their job to provide solid information upon which the government can plan and assess their policies.
At European level they provide an accurate picture of Ireland’s economic and social performance and enable comparisons between Ireland and other countries. The CSO is also responsible for coordinating the official statistics of other public authorities.
Identify 3-4 topic areas from our course, where you think the CSO would be a good place to start gathering relevant data for your essays?
SAMPLE
Based in Luxembourg, Eurostat performs a similar function to the CSO, as it is the official statistical office of the European Union. Like the CSO, its mission statement specifies that it want to “Uphold professional independence” – a concept that should help to inform how you judge their reliability in source material.
Eurostat works by producing European statistics in partnership with National Statistical Institutes and other national authorities in the EU Member States (such as the CSO). This partnership is known as the European Statistical System (ESS). It also includes the statistical authorities of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland.
Run by the European Commission, it provides information upon which many EU policies and laws are formulated.
Identify 3-4 topic areas from our course, where you think Eurostat would be a good place to start gathering relevant data for your essays?
The ESRI – Economic and Social Research Institute of Ireland was established in 1960 by a group of Senior Civil Servants, including T.K. Whitaker (who you may remember from the “First Programme for Economic Expansion” in Junior Cycle History). It performs a similar function to the OECD, but on a national level Its former director, Professor Alan Barrett, describes the role of the ESRI as aiming to provide “independent, high-quality research with the objective of informing policies that support a healthy economy and promote social progress ” They seek to produce “robust, objective evidence that can translate into effective policy solutions.” They produce a wide range of reports of topics relevant to our course that can be downloaded for free on their website: www.esri.ie
Identify 3-4 topic areas from our course, where you think that the ESRI would be a good place to start gathering relevant data for your essays?
SAMPLE
The OECD is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, including Ireland. It was founded in 1961 to “stimulate economic progress and world trade”. Its members, including Ireland, are countries describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy. Its goal is to provide those countries with a way to compare the effectiveness of their policies, find answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as “developed countries” What implications might this have for LDCs (Less-Developed Countries) and global inequality?
Identify 3-4 topic areas from our course, where you think that the OECD would be a good place to start gathering relevant data for your essays?
Hopefully, you’ll begin to see that the four key agencies listed above, all attempt (or at least state that they attempt) to provide objective, high-quality research that aims to help governments and policymakers to make the best decisions possible. This does not, of course, mean that all of their recommendations will be followed, but in theory, it should indicate to a Politics and Society student how seriously governments take the gathering and analysis of the kinds of data upon which they will be basing their policy decisions.
Ireland & the Indices – “Headline Data” 2025
Name of Index
The Human Development Index (2024)
PISA Education Rankings (2022, Issued in Dec 2023)
The Good Country Index (2024)
The Giving Index – (2023) Charities Aid Foundation (10-year aggregate)
The Terrorism Index. (2025) Visions of Humanity data
Global Peace Index -2024 VOH and Institute for Economics and Peace
The World Happiness Report (2025)
Press Freedom Index (2024) Reporters Without Borders
Gender Equality (2024) European Institute for Gender Equality
Global Gender Gap Index (2024) - WEF
The Economist “Democracy Index” (2024)
The Corruption Perception Index (2024)
Rule of Law Index (2024) World Justice Project & World Bank Data
Ireland’s position
8th Overall (of 189) Down from 2nd in 2018!
11th Overall of 81 Countries. 11th in Maths (from 21st), 12th in Science (was 22nd), 2nd in Reading (from 8th)- (Best in EU & OECD!).
Notable: Journalists 27%, Ad Executives 16%, Gov Ministers 15%, Politicians Generally 11%
Top 3: (1) Vanuatu, (2) Sweeden, (3) El Salvador. Bottom 2: Botswana, C.A.R.
Section B Data-Based Questions 150 marks
Document A - Political Attitudes in Northern Ireland in a Period of Transition. K. Hayward and B. Rosher
Source: https://www.ark.ac.uk/ARK/sites/default/files/2021-06/update142.pdf (Adapted for exam purposes)
Methodology - Changed conditions for polling: The 2020 Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey was conducted towards the end of a year of extraordinary upheaval. The Covid19 health crisis began just six weeks into the ‘transition period’ from the UK’s exit from the EU to the implementation of a future UK-EU deal – the very existence of which was in doubt right up to Christmas Eve. It is difficult to imagine more broad-ranging and incalculable social and political disruption.
New mode of interviewing: Public opinion polling can be particularly interesting at times of change. In this case, Oct- Dec 2020, the means by which NILT was conducted had to be adjusted. In contrast to most polling in Northern Ireland, the NILT survey is usually conducted through face-to-face interviews. In 2020, health safety restrictions meant that such interviews were not possible. Of the sample size of 1,292 responses, 95 per cent were completed using an online questionnaire, with 5 per cent by telephone or using Microsoft Teams online interviewing. We acknowledge that the mode of interview may have had an effect on the results.
SAMPLE
Political makeup of this sample: The NILT survey is taken from a randomised sample of the adult population. As a result, as in wider society, our sample includes people who are genuinely not all that interested in politics or feel unrepresented by mainstream political party positions. Almost two-thirds of our sample say that they do not consider themselves a supporter of any party. When asked a slightly different question (parties they voted for in the last election) we see that the sample does not accurately reflect the breakdown of party support. In 2020, as with 2019, Alliance Party voters are overrepresented and Sinn Féin (SF) voters are underrepresented.
Conclusion: The data provide an important record of public opinion, political attitudes and identity in a time of flux. The change in mode of interviewing does not appear to have had a significant impact. Instead, broad trends that we have seen over NILT surveys for several years now appear to be being maintained. Where these may lead, and what political changes they may result in, depends entirely on the political environment and social conditions to come. And these look set to remain less predictable than public opinion in the short to medium term.
WHY HAS THIS BOOK BEEN WRITTEN? IT’S SIMPLE REALLY. IT’S THE KIND OF BOOK THAT I WOULD WANT TO HAVE IN MY OWN CLASSROOM TO HELP MY OWN STUDENTS’ EXPLORATION OF THIS MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE COURSE. AS A SUBJECT WITH A SHORT PEDIGREE (THE FIRST EXAM ONLY TOOK PLACE IN 2018), THIS PART OF THE COURSE HAS PROVED MORE PROBLEMATIC FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THAN VIRTUALLY ANY OTHER SECTION – BOTH IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT COULD BE ASKED, AND THE LEVEL OF DEPTH EXPECTED IN THE ANSWERS.
WORTH 150 OUT OF 400 MARKS IN THE WRITTEN EXAM, THIS ELEMENT OF THE EXAM IS BOTH THE MOST TIME-CONSUMING FOR TEACHERS TO PREPARE MATERIALS AND THE AREA WHERE THE MATERIALS PREPARED BECOME “DATED/OBSOLETE” MOST QUICKLY.
MANY OF THE SAMPLE DBQS IN THE FIRST EDITION (2022) ARE ALREADY DEFUNCT – HENCE THE NEED FOR THIS NEW EDITION! IT IS HOPE THAT THIS BOOK WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED ON A “ROLLING BASIS” –WITH NEW SAMPLE QUESTIONS REPLACING OLDER MATERIAL (WITH OLDER QUESTIONS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY FOR THE AMBITIOUS STUDENTS).
