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Business and Management IA word count and page limit
Still in the process of writing your Business and Management IA? Are you sure that your report follows the formal requirements? Learn about the word limit and get to know our suggestions on how to best allocate words between sections to better meet the assessment criteria.
Business IA is a written commentary that allows students to demonstrate the application of business management tools, techniques, and theories to a business issue or problem. Requirements are now the same for SL and HL students. There is no page limit, but your report can be a maximum of 1,800 words long. The business research project is intended to be a structured piece of well-organized writing that effectively presents findings and conclusions, it has to contain: the introduction, main body, conclusion, and supporting documents.
Introduction
The initial part of your report should provide contextual information regarding the analysed business organization and its background. You should also present the problem under investigation and explain the methodology used to answer the research question. The report has to integrate one of the key concepts: change, creativity, ethics, or sustainability. The suggested word allocation for the introduction is around 250 words.
See this exemplar for inspiration.
Main body
Findings from the supporting documents should be presented here and analysed with the help of business management tools and theories including the key concept. Make sure that the chosen tools are relevant to the topic of your study and will provide useful findings that will help answer the research question. You should pursue an evaluative approach determining the strengths and weaknesses of the various positions on the issue and their implications. Since the main body is the core of your report, devote around 1,300 words for the analysis.
Here you can find a well-structured main body.
Conclusion
Use the remaining 250 words for the conclusion, where you clearly state the results of your investigation. The final findings must be consistent with the evidence presented in the main body. Do not introduce any new arguments here, instead highlight the aspects that might necessitate further investigation.
Read this to get a glimpse of the matter.
Supporting documents
Supporting documents are not included in the word count but you must provide them with your report. Select three to five documents that are relevant, sufficiently in-depth, and provide a range of ideas and views. Highlight the parts that relate directly to your project.
Be careful, other things not included in the word count are the following:
Acknowledgments
Contents page
Tables of statistical data
Diagrams or figures
Equations, formulae and calculations
Citations (which, if used, must be in the body of the project)
References (which, if used, must be in the footnotes/endnotes*)
Bibliography
* Footnotes and endontes may be used for references only. Definitions of business management terms and quotations, if used, myst be in the body of the work and are included in the word count.
We are hoping that you no longer have any doubts regarding the word limit and allocation in this type of investigation. Remember that starting from the May 2024 session Business and Management IA requirements have changed! For more inspiration head to the Clastify website and check other Business IAs.
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