04 Jul IB ESS IA Guide: Research Question, Method and Evaluation
This IB ESS IA guide explains how to plan an individual investigation for the course first assessed in 2026. The IA is marked out of 30, contributes 25% at SL and 20% at HL, and has a maximum word count of 3,000. A focused question and credible evidence matter; no topic or template guarantees a grade 7.
1. Choose an issue and a research question
Begin with an environmental issue you can investigate using accessible data and a feasible method. A local setting can help define the scope, but local fieldwork is not the only possible approach. Secondary datasets can also support an investigation.
Specify the variables, location or population and relevant time period. An original planning prompt might compare nitrate concentration at selected upstream and downstream sites on specified dates. This is a starting point, not an official IB question or a graded IA example. A difference between sites does not, by itself, prove that fertilizer runoff caused it. Consider alternative explanations.
2. Address the Strategy criterion
Criterion B concerns a strategy addressing an issue central to your investigation. Explain tensions between relevant perspectives and how they influence environmental or societal outcomes. This is different from evaluating weaknesses in your sampling method.
3. Design a reproducible method
Suitable primary data, secondary data or an appropriate combination may be used. Primary data collection is not mandatory for every ESS IA. Explain how measurements or records are selected, what is controlled or recorded, and why the approach is suitable.
For a database investigation, document the source, variables, units, coverage, selection rules and processing steps. For fieldwork, describe locations, sampling procedures, equipment and relevant uncertainties. Check permissions, consent and safety with your school.
There is no universal requirement for exactly five repeats or a particular statistical test. Choose sampling and data treatment that fit the question and practical constraints.
4. Present and interpret evidence
Keep raw records. Label tables and graph axes with units. Show relevant calculations and justify processing choices. Explain patterns, variability, anomalies and uncertainty, then connect the evidence to the question and environmental issue.
A graph should help answer the question. Do not treat correlation as proof of causation or invent data to produce an expected trend.
5. Conclude and evaluate
State what your evidence supports and what remains uncertain. Identify specific methodological weaknesses or limitations, explain their impact on the conclusion, and propose realistic improvements. “Human error” alone does not explain a problem or its effect.
Check the current six criteria
A Research question and inquiry (4); B Strategy (4); C Method (4); D Treatment of data (6); E Analysis and conclusion (6); F Evaluation (6). Review your own work against these criteria with your teacher rather than following an older template.
Read the current word-limit guidance and IA planning workflow. Your investigation and submitted writing remain your own.
Course reference: Official IB ESS guide, first assessment 2026 and IB course updates. Reviewed 7 October 2026.
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