Biology IA Research Question Evaluator
Use the tabs below to generate a new Biology IA idea or evaluate your current research question.
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Compare High-Scoring vs. Flawed Biology RQs
Below are examples of evaluated RQs from recent Biology IAs. Review the strengths and weaknesses to understand the scoring criteria, and feel free to evaluate your own RQ using the form above.
What are the effects of Biology on society?
Strengths:
The prompt is a single, coherent sentence that asks a broad question about biology's impact.
Weaknesses:
Define the independent variable with explicit values in brackets (e.g., "CRISPR gene editing in agriculture (CRISPR, conventional breeding)" becomes the explicit IV with two levels).
How does Biology affect things?
Strengths:
It is a complete sentence that starts with a query phrase indicating a relation to investigate.
Weaknesses:
Specify the independent variable with explicit values in brackets after the IV (e.g., light intensity (0, 100, 200 lux)).
How does sucrose concentration (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% w/v) affect the cellular respiration rate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as measured by the volume of CO2 produced (mL min⁻¹) over a 30-minute fermentation period using a gas syringe collection system?
Strengths:
Clear identification of the independent variable with explicit concentration values and units.
Weaknesses:
How does light wavelength (450 nm, 550 nm, 650 nm, 740 nm) affect the photosynthetic rate of Elodea canadensis, as measured by the change in dissolved oxygen concentration (mg L⁻¹ min⁻¹) over a 10-minute exposure using a calibrated dissolved oxygen probe?
Strengths:
Clear link between the IV and DV with named variables.
Weaknesses:
How to Evaluate Your Research Question
Simply choose your subject and enter your research question. Our evaluator will then analyze your question against the IB requirements and return a report with any issues or improvements you can make. Trained on thousands of IB RQs marked by official IB examiners, our evaluator is able to provide accurate and helpful feedback.
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