INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
IB History
Section A: Plan of Investigation
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100-150 words
State the question in bold
Offer a rationale for your choice of topic
Define the scope of investigation – What facets of the topic will
your essay investigate and which will it not?
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What time period will you focus on?
What aspects/factors will you look at?
“This investigation aims to discover/assess/examine, find out, show,
explain, etc.”
DO NOT use words like “describe” or “state”
Explain your method – What types of sources will you use and why?
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Explain why the sources you are using are appropriate and relevant
Structuring Section A
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Begin with a statement that contextualizes the research
and shows why the research is worth investigating
State the research question but do so in the context of a
sentence, not the question or title verbatim
Explain the scope of the investigation: How far will your
investigation go and why?
Explain the methods you used to carry out the investigation
with reference to the types of sources you relied upon.
Explain why this particular methodology is appropriate to
the question and is the best approach
No need to reference your Section C sources, although this
is acceptable.
Section B: Summary of Evidence
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500-600 words
Use ALL of your sources in this section
Every single fact or statement that is not common knowledge
should be cited
Organized thematically or chronologically
DO NOT include any interpretation or analysis of the
evidence – just give the facts
What is a useful fact?
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Helps you with your research
Directly related to your question
Fits the time frame you established for your investigation
Is NOT selected in order to “prove your point”
Pointers for Section B
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All sources should be directly related to your topic
Make 2 or more references to EVERY source you
have used
Show that you’re aware of the breadth of the
material
Show that you understand that facts sometimes
contradict one another
Section C: Evaluation of Sources
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250-400 words
Select two of your sources which differ from or
disagree with one another in a clear way
 Usually
select the two most controversial sources
 Select a source that is important to your investigation
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Devote one paragraph to each of these two sources
Make explicit reference to the origin, purpose, value
and limitations of each source
Pointers for Section C
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It is highly recommended that you research and include
background about the author (provenance)
 Use this information to elaborate on the purpose
Do NOT confuse value and usefulness
 The source’s value should have to do with the unique nature
or perspective of it’s content, not how much information it
contained
Do NOT claim that a source is biased
 Virtually every historical source lacks complete objectivity in
some way – so explain exactly how it is biased
More Pointers for Section C
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When addressing value and limitations…..
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NOT discuss the author’s background
 Do NOT claim that a source is limited because it is a
translation
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When identifying the value of a source consider
what the source is “useful for” – what perspective
does it give you that other’s don’t?
Make sure to give a full bibliographic citation in a
footnote
Section D: Analysis
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500-650 words
Analysis does the following…..
 Considers
evidence, reflects upon it, understands its
meaning and importance, and come to reasoned
conclusions
 Puts the issue in its historical context
 Critically examines the factual evidence from Section B
 Critically evaluates the sources, especially those from
Section C
 Considers different interpretations of the evidence
Pointers for Section D
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Almost every single sentence should have a citation
in a footnote
Do not introduce new factual evidence that was not
already presented in Section B
Divide the analysis into appropriate paragraphs or
sub-sections based upon the nature of your
investigation
Where two sources directly contradict draw
conclusions about which interpretation is more valid
Section E: Conclusion
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150-200 words
Clearly state your conclusion!!!
 Conclusion
must be consistent with the evidence that has
been presented
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Your conclusion should be nuanced – the answer to a
complex historical question is rarely a straight up
yes or no. Don’t be afraid to draw a complex
conclusion.
Do not include any new information in this section.
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is very unlikely that you will need to cite anything in
this section.
Section E Pointers
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Treat the Conclusion as if it were the last paragraph
of the Analysis section (which it pretty much is)
Restate your question in bold somewhere near the
beginning of the Conclusion
Identify unanswered questions related to your topic
that future investigations may pursue
Recognize the limitations of your conclusion
Recognize the significance of your conclusion within
the historical context of the question
Section F: Sources & Word Limit
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Bibliography must use one citation style consistently
and accurately
Any illustrations, documents, or other supporting
evidence must be placed in an appendix that comes
after the bibliography
None of this counts toward the word count
If the word count exceeds 2000 any additional
words past 2000 will not be counted and the IA will
receive no points for Section F
Section F Pointers
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Sources should be appropriate, relevant and high
quality
There should be a good balance of primary and
secondary sources
Everything in the investigation that needs to be cited
has been cited and properly
Format
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Top line: Make a title out of your research question –
something short and catchy
Second line: state your research question verbatim
Third line: state your name
Fourth line: state your candidate number
Fifth line: state the word count (including only Sections A
through E)
Make it look classy and professional
Include a table of contents on the second page
Throughout the paper use a header that includes your
name, your candidate number, and the page number