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Geography IA Format and Structure

Roxanne

By Roxanne

•

05 Jan 2024

Geography IA Format and Structure cover image
Get feedback on your Geography IA
Marked only by official IB examiners

Do you need some inspiration on how to write your geography IA? That's what Clastify is here to help you with! In this post, we will give you some key points to remember when writing your Geography IA, based on our experience with IB. The guide below is just an example of how a good IA should be structured, however, keep in mind that many high-scoring IAs may also use other structures. For examples of well-structured IAs, head to the Clastify website where you can read through multiple exemplar IAs!

 

 

Geography IA Format and Structure 

 

 

 

The guide will be broken up by section to help you better understand what is required in each part of the IA and will have examples linked, as follows: 

 

 

Title page: 

  1. Include the title of the essay and the research question.
  2. Include your IB number and the session for which you will submit the IA (eg: May 2024).
  3. Include the word count of the IA, which should be 2500 words or fewer.
  4. Do not include your name, school name, or candidate/student number.
  5. A good example of this can be found here. 

 

 

Table of contents:

  1. Include the following: Introduction, Methods of Data Collection, Data Analysis, Conclusion, Evaluation, and References. 
  2. Number each section with the relevant page numbers.
  3. A good example of this can be found here. 

 

 

Introduction:

  1. Include the aim of the experiment. What is the main purpose of conducting this study? 
  2. Explicitly state the fieldwork question.
  3. Mention which part of the syllabus the IA relates to.
  4. Give an overview of the concept being studied (eg: Bradshaw model, urban heat island effect, etc). 
  5. Provide a map of the chosen region and explain what features of that region make it suitable for analysis using the chosen method (eg: why would you choose a certain city to measure the urban heat island effect?).
  6. Ensure that the map/figure is fully labelled. Provide a legend or key if applicable (eg: colour key showing different population densities in different provinces).
  7. Clearly state the hypotheses used for the experiment and justify why these particular hypotheses have been chosen. 
  8. A good example of this can be found here.

 

 

Methods of data collection:

  1. Include an explanation of the methods you used to collect the data for your IA. 
  2. Such methods may include surveys, polls, sampling etc. Include the type of sampling conducted (eg: random, stratified, etc.) as well as other information as to how the data was collected. 
  3. This may include the time and location that data was collected (eg: river water collected upstream/downstream, in the morning/evening, at regular intervals/at random locations).
  4. If applicable to your study, you may also include demographic information such as age, gender, frequency of visiting that location, why they prefer that location, etc.
  5. A good example of this can be found here. 

 

 

Data analysis:

  1. Include raw and processed data tables. 
  2. Include any statistical calculations that were conducted, if applicable (eg: Pearson and Spearman coefficients).
  3. Provide a sample calculation and put the rest of the data into a table. 
  4. Add graphs of the processed data that are relevant to the analysis. 
  5. Ensure all graphs and tables are properly labelled with a number and brief caption.
  6. Identify patterns from the data (eg: is there a certain location where people tend to visit stores more frequently?) Discuss the possible reasons for these trends. 
  7. Discuss the data and how it relates to each of the proposed hypotheses. 
  8. Good examples of data analysis can be found here in example 1, example 2 and example 3. 

 

 

Conclusion:

  1. Provide a summary of the results of the IA and fieldwork conducted (eg: which location is the most popular, how do the Bradshaw variables change for a river?). 
  2. Explain the results in relation to each of the proposed hypotheses. 
  3. A good example can be found here.

 

 

Evaluation:

  1. Discuss the strengths of the study.
  2. Discuss any potential limitations of the fieldwork conducted (eg: were enough samples taken/people surveyed?).
  3. Suggest ways to improve the experiment in future, or provide solutions to the limitations identified. 
  4. A good example of this can be found here.

 

 

References:

  1. Provide references to all external sources used in the IA. 
  2. This includes both primary and secondary sources of information. 
  3. A good example of this can be found here.

 

 

 

We hope this guide helps guide you in properly formatting and structuring your Geography IA! If you want to read some exemplary IAs before you start writing, we've got you covered too! Simply head to the Clastify website, where you will be able to find numerous Geography IA ideas and examples, so you can look for the ones that are the most relevant to your topic. Good luck!