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In physical geography researchers attempt, from the evidence recorded and measured in the field, to make statements concerning the origins of things and the processes which have and are shaping them. They also compare and contrast how features and processes recognised in Ireland relate to other parts of the world. This is done by keeping in touch with research projects elsewhere, attending conferences and sometimes working abroad.
Topics worked on by physical geographers in Ireland include river and glacial processes which are sometimes applied to solving problems such as the location of groundwater and the prevention of pollution. Such research can take a lifetime of observation, recording, measurement and the final presentation of results.
In the same way human geographers concern themselves with questions relating to their areas of interest. Traditionally in Ireland (remember, geography as we know it is a young subject here) they were interested in establishing the pattern of the human occupation of Ireland and identifying the traces left in town and countryside by our ancestors. That area of research was known as historical geography and had a strong bias towards rural places which is understandable when we realise that, until relatively recently, the majority of Irish people lived in, what are defined as, rural areas. However in latter decades the research pendulum has swung to urban issues and the variety of topics range from changes in land use to suburbanisation and the location of new features of the urban landscape such as shopping centres. In the countryside and towns outside our major cities geographers study the impact of new policies on the landscape, such as incentives for town development in coastal areas and the agricultural policies of the European Union.
The fieldwork project should not necessarily be a class project as that defeats the purpose of getting either small partnerships or individuals to devise, design, research and present their findings in a clear manner. Neither should the geography of regions, such as the Burren in County Clare, be presented by thousands of students as 'their' project. It is difficult for a teacher to assign say 20 different field programmes but perhaps this is a topic, like map and photo interpretation work, which could be completed in fifth year. In as far as it is practicable it should be possible to have students carry out research in the hinterland of their schools which is usually the district of Ireland most familiar to them. But this presumes that teachers are likewise aware of the local geography which in today's world is not always the case because of the separation of work and home.
