Introduction
The Internal Assessment (IA) is at the heart of the IB Diploma Programme, and everything begins with your research question. A strong IA research question acts as a compass: it guides your investigation, keeps you focused, and signals to examiners that you understand how to approach academic inquiry. A weak question, on the other hand, makes it almost impossible to build a coherent and high-scoring IA.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to write a strong IA research question, break down the characteristics of good and bad questions, and share practical tips. To see how the best IB students formulate their research questions, you can check RevisionDojo’s coursework exemplars for real high-scoring examples.
Quick Start Checklist: What Makes a Strong IA Research Question
- Focused and specific
- Feasible with available data and resources
- Analytical, not descriptive
- Connected to IB subject requirements
- Original in scope or perspective
Why the IA Research Question Is Critical
Your IA research question determines:
- Scope: How broad or narrow your investigation will be
- Depth: Whether you can analyze or just describe
- Relevance: Whether it fits the rubric for your subject
- Clarity: How easily examiners can follow your argument
Simply put: if your IA research question is weak, the rest of your IA will struggle to score well.
Step 1: Start Broad, Then Narrow Down
Most students begin with a general idea and refine it. For example:
- Broad idea: Climate change and agriculture
