IB Business IA Step-by-Step Guide
The Internal Assessment (IA) is a comprehensive business research project that challenges students
to delve into a genuine business issue or problem afflicting a specific organization. By employing
one of the key conceptual lenses, namely creativity, ethics, sustainability, or change, students are
tasked with scrutinizing the situation through a specialized perspective.
The IA has a length of 1800 words.
Furthermore, the IA necessitates students to apply their acquired knowledge of essential Business
Management tools and theories. By leveraging these tools and theories, students can offer a
well-informed analysis and propose effective strategies to address the identified issue or problem.
Structure of the Internal Assessment
Title Page
Research Question
Key Concept
Table of Contents
Introduction
Summary of the problem
Key Concept
Research Question
Methodology
Thesis Statement
Main Body
Conclusion(s)
Work Cited
Appendix
5 Supporting Documents
Step 1: Identify a Company of Choice
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Research and explore options: Start by conducting research to identify potential
companies that align with the scope and requirements of your project. Consider factors such
as industry, size, market presence, reputation, financial performance, or any other criteria
that are important for your study.
○ https://www.youtube.com/@InsiderBusiness
○ https://www.youtube.com/@TheEconomist
○ https://www.youtube.com/@Vox
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Consider personal interest: Reflect on your own interests, passions, or career aspirations.
Select a company that captures your curiosity and engages you on a personal level. This will
help you maintain motivation and enthusiasm throughout your research process.
Relevance to the project: Assess the relevance of each potential company to the objectives
of the IA and focus of your project. Ensure that the chosen company has a very clear
problem to analyze. This alignment will allow you to gather meaningful data and insights for
your research.
Availability of information: Check the availability of information about the company.
Ensure that there is sufficient data, reports, articles, or other relevant sources that can
support your research and analysis. Access to information is crucial for conducting a
thorough investigation.
To move forward, check if you agree with the following statements:
The company chosen is interesting and cool.
The company has a newsworthy issue no older than 3 years.
The company is relevant to myself and to the project.
The company has a website in English with available information.
There are enough resources available online about the company and the problem.
Use at least two sources to summarize the company of choice. Include relevant information
such as descriptions of goods and services, organizational structure, leadership style,
mission and vision…
(5 sentences maximum)
Step 2: Define the Problem
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Gather information: Collect relevant information about the company through sources such
as annual reports, financial statements, news articles, industry reports, interviews, or any
available data. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the company's operations, market
position, competitive landscape, and recent developments.
● As a researcher, you will face several problems when seeking previously recorded
historical evidence and data. The main objectives of these are that of:
○ locating and accessing them
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○ authenticating the sources
○ assessing credibility
○ gauging how representative they are
○ selecting methods to interpret them.
Locating data can be an enormous topic. Activities can involve anything from
rummaging through dusty archives in an obscure library to downloading the latest
government statistical data from the Internet or even unearthing city ruins in the
desert. Even current data might be difficult to get hold of.
First, read the Wikipedia/Britannica article for your topic. This will help you get a
general understanding of what you chose. You will not be able to cite this
anywhere. Just get a general idea of it.
Go to: ASF Website
Log in
Click on: Upper School
Top Right Corner→ Learning Centers (Libraries) → Upper School →
RESOURCES
These are the Databases that will be most helpful for you:
● Jstor
● EBSCO Integrated Search
● History Reference Center
● Google Scholar
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Apart from our school’s databases you should also try to do a simple Google Search.
There are some reliable sources you can find that demonstrate some unique
perspectives. Try using the variables (or key words) in your research question.
Some other good sources are:
● The New York Times
● The Guardian
● The Atlantic
● The Economist
● Insider Business
● Milenio
● Politico
● University Websites
List 30 sources that are directly related to your research project.
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Identify key challenges: Analyze the information gathered to identify the key challenges or
issues that the company is currently facing. Look for patterns, trends, or significant events
that indicate areas of concern. These challenges can be related to various aspects of the
business, such as financial performance, market share, customer satisfaction, employee
retention, technological advancements, regulatory compliance, or competitive pressures.
Prioritize the problems: Evaluate the identified challenges and prioritize them based on
their significance and potential impact on the company's overall performance. Consider
factors such as financial implications, long-term sustainability, strategic importance, or
alignment with the research objectives.
Analyze causes and effects: Dive deeper into each identified problem and analyze the
underlying causes and effects. Consider internal factors (e.g., organizational structure,
management practices, operational inefficiencies) and external factors (e.g., market trends,
changing consumer preferences, industry disruptions) that contribute to the problem. This
analysis will help you provide a thorough explanation of the problem and its root causes.
List 3 problems that the company faces in order of importance.
Explain causes and effects.
Explain the impact of the problem on the business.
Provide at least two pieces of supporting evidence and quote it correctly.
Causes
Internal
Problem
Effects
Internal
Impact
Human Resources
Operations
External
External
Finance
Marketing
Supporting Evidence
Internal
Internal
Human Resources
Operations
External
External
Finance
Marketing
Internal
Internal
Human Resources
Operations
External
External
Finance
Marketing
Use evidence to summarize the problem of your choice. Explain causes and effects,
importance, and impact.
(5 sentences maximum)
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Consider alternative perspectives: Acknowledge that different stakeholders may have
different interpretations of the problem. Consider alternative perspectives and viewpoints
to present a well-rounded analysis. This will showcase your ability to critically evaluate
multiple angles and offer a comprehensive understanding of the problem.
Stakeholders In Favor
Stakeholders Against
Stakeholder:
Stakeholder:
Position:
Position:
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Develop a research question: Based on your literature review and refined topic, develop a
research question that serves as the central focus of your project. Your research question
should be clear, concise, and capable of being addressed through research and analysis.
Research Question
Step 3: Develop a Conceptual Lens
Developing a conceptual lens involves creating a framework or perspective that guides your analysis
and understanding of the problem your business is facing. Choose one of the following key concepts
by reflecting on the problem at hand.
Creativity
Ethics
Encouraging creativity within the organization
fosters innovation, problem-solving, and the
development of unique ideas. By nurturing a
culture of creativity, businesses can explore new
opportunities, create competitive advantages, and
adapt to changing market demands. Emphasizing
creativity allows organizations to generate fresh
perspectives and breakthrough solutions to
address existing challenges.
Upholding ethical principles and practices is
paramount for sustainable and responsible
business conduct. Ethical considerations guide
decision-making processes, ensuring that
businesses operate with integrity, transparency,
and respect for stakeholders. By embracing ethical
standards, organizations build trust, enhance their
reputation, and create a positive impact on society
and the environment.
Change
Sustainability
Change is inevitable in the business world, and
organizations must be adaptable to thrive.
Embracing change as a core concept enables
businesses to respond proactively to market
dynamics, technological advancements, and
evolving customer needs. By fostering a
change-oriented mindset, organizations can
identify opportunities, restructure operations, and
remain agile in a highly competitive environment.
Integrating sustainability principles into business
practices ensures the long-term viability of
organizations while minimizing negative impacts
on the environment and society. By considering
economic, social, and environmental factors,
businesses can pursue strategies that balance
profit generation with responsible resource
management, social equity, and environmental
stewardship. Sustainability as a key concept drives
organizations to pursue sustainable development,
reduce waste, promote social responsibility, and
contribute to a better future.
Choose the key concept for your IA.
Creativity
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Determine the scope and boundaries: Define the scope and boundaries of your
conceptual lens. Identify the specific aspects or dimensions of the topic that your lens will
focus on. This step helps narrow down your analysis and provides a clear framework for
examining your research question or issue.
●
Apply the lens to your research or analysis: Use your conceptual lens as a framework for
analyzing and interpreting your data, findings, or case studies. Apply the lens to gain deeper
insights, uncover patterns, or identify relationships within your research area. This step
allows you to explore the topic from a specific perspective and draw meaningful
conclusions.
Explain the relationship between the key concept, your problem and the research question.
Use evidence to justify your response.
(5 sentences maximum)
Step 4: Methodology
Choosing the methodology for your Internal Assessment involves selecting an appropriate
approach to collect, analyze, and interpret data in order to address your research question
effectively.
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Understand the research question: Ensure a clear understanding of your research
question and the specific objectives of your IA. Clarify what kind of information you need to
gather and what insights you aim to derive from your data analysis.
Choose the best IB Business Tool to analyze the problem at hand. Choose a maximum of
two tools/theories only.
○
IB Business Tools & Theories
Define the method(s) you are applying for your research. Explain their importance in
relation to your problem.
(5 sentences maximum)
Step 5: Writing an Introduction
Writing an introduction is an essential step in any research or academic project. It serves as the
opening section of your work, providing an overview of the topic, context, objectives, and scope of
your study. Based on what you have written so far, write your introduction using the following steps.
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Start with a compelling hook: Begin your introduction with an attention-grabbing
statement, anecdote, or statistic that piques the reader's interest and sets the tone for your
work. The hook should be relevant to your topic and create a sense of curiosity. Do not start
with a time reference or a question.
Provide background information: Give a brief overview of the background or context of
your research topic. Explain why it is significant, relevant, or timely. Provide key details,
historical context, or any relevant information that helps the reader understand the broader
context of your study.
State the research problem or objective: Clearly state the research problem, issue, or
objective that your study aims to address. This statement should be concise and focused,
highlighting the specific gap or question that your research seeks to explore or answer. It
sets the direction and purpose of your study.
Explain the relationship between the problem and a key concept: The key concept
provides a lens or framework through which the problem can be examined and approached.
State your research question: The research question specifies the theoretical framework
and main topic of the essay. It helps the reader understand what it is the essay will focus on
and study.
Explain your methodology: The methodology is the process of explaining what methods
you will use to study and develop your topic. This section should therefore be a summary
that discusses how you went about performing your research, what tools you used, in what
order you developed your research, etc.
Develop your thesis statement: A thesis statement that outlines three main points or
arguments that will be discussed or supported in an essay or academic paper. It provides a
clear roadmap for the reader and helps structure the overall organization of the essay. To
develop your thesis think about the three correlations/relationships between the two
variables in your research question. Note that your thesis statement will change as you
continue with your research, but based on logic alone try to come up with those three
points.
Research Question:
Variable 1
Correlations
Variable 2
Definition
Point 1
Definition
Point 2
Point 3
Thesis Statement:
Write your full introduction below.
(12 sentences maximum)
Step 6: Annotated Bibliography
A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for
researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called "References" or "Works Cited" depending
on the style format you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information
(i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).
Before continuing, it is imperative to review the MLA Citation guidelines.
Citing in MLA
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a
summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on the purpose of your bibliography,
some annotations may summarize, some may assess or evaluate a source, and some may reflect on
the source’s possible uses for the project at hand. Your annotated bibliography must address all
three of these steps.
Make a copy of the following document to begin your annotated bibliography. Note that the
format of the document is the same as the format of your essay.
IB Business Summative Assessment: IA Annotated Bibliography
Step 7: Outline Development
Once you have established the relationship between your variables and you know you can support
them with evidence, then you should be able to finalize your thesis statement and develop your
topic sentences. Make sure your thesis statement is a direct answer to your research question.
Research Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
Outline Format:
Intro Paragraph Body Paragraphs
(3 of them)
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Context
Methodology
Question
Thesis
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3 Topic
Sentences
2 Pieces of
evidence from
different
perspectives
Counter-argument (Can
be placed after introduction)
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1 Topic Sentence
2 Pieces of evidence from
different perspectives
You might want to use the outline below.
Title: (Write a catchy title for your paper below)
Introduction Paragraph
Context:
Key Concept:
Question:
Methodology:
Conclusion
Paragraph
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Summary
Implications
Questions
Thesis:
Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: A statement that directly links your thesis statement with the first point in it and
explains what the paragraph is about. Mentions at least two authors or perspectives.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Value of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Value of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Relevance: Ties in the central argument of the investigation with the perspectives at hand and
evaluates how the perspectives demonstrate the point, support or contradict each other.
Synthesize the two Relevance boxes from your Annotated Bibliography.
Body Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence: A statement that directly links your thesis statement with the first point in it and
explains what the paragraph is about. Mentions at least two authors or perspectives.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Value of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Value of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Relevance: Ties in the central argument of the investigation with the perspectives at hand and
evaluates how the perspectives demonstrate the point, support or contradict each other.
Synthesize the two Relevance boxes from your Annotated Bibliography.
Body Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence: A statement that directly links your thesis statement with the first point in it and
explains what the paragraph is about. Mentions at least two authors or perspectives.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Value of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Value of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Relevance: Ties in the central argument of the investigation with the perspectives at hand and
evaluates how the perspectives demonstrate the point, support or contradict each other.
Synthesize the two Relevance boxes from your Annotated Bibliography.
Counter-Argument
Topic Sentence: A statement that directly links your thesis statement with the first point in it and
explains what the paragraph is about. Mentions at least two authors or perspectives.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL (1-2 sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Limitation of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Point: Accurately introduce your source with a few relevant details from the OPCVL/RAVEN (1-2
sentences)
Copy the Origin & Purpose from your Annotated Bibliography
Evidence: Quote a passage that presents very specific evidence proving the point (1-3 sentences)
Analysis: Explain the meaning of the quotation and the perspective it has and analyze how it
supports the point or the investigation (3-4 sentences)
Copy the Limitation of Content from your Annotated Bibliography.
Relevance: Ties in the central argument of the investigation with the perspectives at hand and
explain how these perspectives demonstrate a limitation for your argument!!!
Synthesize the two Relevance boxes from your Annotated Bibliography.
Conclusion Paragraph
Summary: Summarize the thesis and three points presented in the body paragraphs (2-4 sentences)
Implications: Discuss what your research contributes to our understanding of your problem (2-4
sentences)
If the problem continues…
If the problem is addressed…
Limitations: Discuss the limitations of your research. What else is needed to research further? (2-4
sentences)
Questions: Pose questions about your problem and your topic that require further research (2-4
sentences) (Optional) You might think about finishing with a strong statement instead.