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Developing a strong research question is one of the most important steps in producing a high-quality Internal Assessment. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to choose a focused and effective IA research question, with clear examples to help illustrate what a strong question looks like.
IA Research Question Guide + Examples
Identify your interests
Before you begin crafting your Internal Assessment (IA) research question, it’s crucial to reflect on what genuinely interests you within the subject you're focusing on. The IA is a significant piece of coursework that requires time, effort, and in-depth understanding – so choosing a topic that excites you will make the entire process much more manageable and engaging.
Start by thinking about which units, concepts, or themes you’ve enjoyed most in class. What intrigued you? What made you curious? Your enthusiasm for the topic will naturally translate into better motivation and, often, better results.
For example, if you’re writing a Geography IA and you're interested in urban settlements, you may decide to investigate how the city varies in different areas.
If you're doing your IA in physics, you might be drawn to mechanics and become curious about how the angle of projection, air resistance, and initial velocity influences the range of a projectile.
Preliminary research
Once you've identified a general area of interest, conduct some background research. This step is essential to see what information is already out there, identify variables or patterns, whether reliable data can be collected, and whether your topic is feasible for investigation.
In geography, if your initial idea revolves around the change in urban areas, after conducting preliminary research and thinking about the type of data you would be able to reliably obtain, you could decide that measuring urban stress (air pollution, noise pollution, crime, green spaces) could be a feasible and interesting topic to delve into.
In physics, your general interest in projectile motion might guide you toward exploring factors that affect range, such as air resistance, initial velocity, or launch angle. Preliminary reading or classroom experiments might suggest narrowing your focus to a single variable – like launch angle – while keeping others constant, allowing for a controlled and measurable investigation.
Formulate a specific research question
Now that you’ve refined your topic through research, it’s time to develop a clear and focused research question. Your question should guide your investigation and define the scope of your IA.
A good IA research question should be:
- Focused: Narrow enough to be explored within the given constraints.
- Specific: Clearly defines what you’re investigating.
- Researchable: Can be answered through data collection, analysis, or critical evaluation.
If your refined geography topic is urban stress, a focused research question might be: “How does urban stress, as measured through noise and air pollution, crime, and amount of green spaces, vary with distance from the CBD in London, along the District Line?” This research question focuses on a specific issue (urban stress – assessed through air and noise pollution, access to green spaces, and crime) in a specific area (along the length of the Disitrict Line in London, United Kingdom). This allows for a manageable fieldwork-based investigation using primary data, and connects your IA to a real-world issue affecting urban residents.
In physics, after narrowing your topic to projectile motion and refining your understanding of influencing factors, your question could become: “How does the angle of projection affect the horizontal range of a projectile launched from a fixed height?” This question enables you to design a clear, measurable experiment where you isolate one variable (angle) and explore its impact on range, aligning well with the scientific method and IA expectations.
Remember, selecting an Internal Assessment topic can be a challenging and sometimes uncertain process, and it’s completely normal to revise your research question – or even change your topic altogether – as you progress. This can understandably feel stressful at times, but it’s a natural part of the IA journey. If you discover that you can’t collect enough data or that your original idea isn’t feasible, don’t be discouraged. Stay flexible, keep an open mind, and continue exploring alternatives.
IA research question examples
To give you a better idea of what a strong IA research question looks like, we've provided a few examples of well-crafted research questions along with explanations.
- Why it's good: This is a strong IA research question because it's clear, focused, and easy to test through a straightforward experiment. It identifies exactly what’s being changed (the KCl concentration) and what’s being measured (the germination rate), which helps keep the investigation controlled and manageable. It also connects well to real-life applications in agriculture, making the topic relevant and interesting. The question allows for meaningful data collection and analysis, all within the scope of what’s realistic for an IA.
- Why it's good: This question is well-structured and invites deep historical analysis. It focuses on a specific group, time period, and issue, while also encouraging the exploration of multiple causes behind the marginalisation of South Korean comfort women. The phrase “to what extent” pushes for a balanced evaluation of different perspectives and factors, rather than a one-sided argument.
''How does water quality in the Silver Mine River change with distance downstream?''
- Why it's good: This is a clear and focused Geography IA question that lends itself well to fieldwork and data collection. It identifies a specific location and variable (water quality) and tracks how it changes over space, which is a key geographic concept. The question is investigative in nature and allows for the use of both primary data (like sampling and testing water at different points) and secondary sources for background context.
- Why it's good: This is a solid Psychology IA question because it explores a well-established psychological phenomenon – the Halo Effect – within a specific and relatable context. The question is relevant to real-life social interactions, especially among adolescents, which makes it engaging and meaningful. It also encourages critical thinking about how cognitive biases influence perception, fitting well within the scope of the IA.
- Why it's good: This is a strong Business Management IA question because it looks at a real, current business strategy with clear financial and strategic implications. The question invites analysis of profitability – not just in terms of revenue, but also costs, market competition, and long-term sustainability. The phrase “to what extent” encourages balanced evaluation and allows for the use of both qualitative and quantitative data, such as financial reports, market trends, and expert opinions. It’s specific, timely, and gives room for a well-structured business analysis within the scope of the IA.
- Why it’s good: This question is focused and well-suited for a Mathematics IA because it involves applying calculus concepts to a practical problem. It combines theoretical understanding with real-world application, allowing for both mathematical exploration and estimation. The investigation can include deriving formulas, working through calculations, and using modeling techniques, which offers plenty of scope for critical thinking and detailed analysis.
We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.
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