2.1 Criterion A: Framework for the Essay

Required Sections and Structure

1. The EE is an academic paper, so its layout should look professional and consistent.
2. The following sections are required:
   1. A title page with the essay title, the research question, the subject and the word count
   2. A contents page with page numbers
   3. An introduction that sets out the focus, the geographic context and the research method
   4. The body, divided into sections with informative headings
   5. A conclusion that answers the research question
   6. A reference list or bibliography
3. The essay must not include your name, your candidate details or your school name.
4. The title should be short and descriptive, and it should not be written as a question.
5. Your introduction should locate the study area before anything else.
   1. Use an annotated location map at two scales, such as the city and the site itself.
   2. Add photographs or adapted satellite images only where they help the reader picture the place.

Word Count

1. The word limit is 4,000 words.
2. Examiners do not read beyond 4,000 words, so anything past the limit earns no credit.
   1. Your conclusion comes last, so it is the section most at risk if you run over.

Appendices and Footnotes

1. Appendices are optional, and examiners are not required to read them.
2. Anything essential to your argument belongs in the main body.
3. Raw data, tally sheets and a blank copy of your questionnaire can go in an appendix.
4. Use footnotes and endnotes for references only.
   1. A footnote that explains or adds content is counted in the word count.

Writing a Geographic Research Question

1. Your research question must be written as a question, and it must be clearly stated and focused.
2. A strong geography question has four parts:
   1. A named place, such as a town, river reach or district
   2. A clear scale, such as a street, a neighbourhood or a region
   3. A variable or process you can measure or map
   4. A time frame, where change over time matters
3. Openings such as "To what extent…", "How far…" or "How effective…" push you towards analysis and evaluation rather than description.

Research Questions to Avoid

1. Avoid double-barrelled questions that ask two things at once.
   1. "How has gentrification changed [neighbourhood], and what should the council do about it?" splits your 4,000 words across two essays.
2. Avoid questions with an obvious answer.
   1. "Is the CBD of [city] busier than its suburbs?" leaves nothing to argue.
3. Avoid questions with no spatial component, which drift into economics, sociology or biology.
4. Avoid questions too big for your data, such as a whole country when you can only survey four sites.

Choosing Your Research Methods

1. You can use primary data, secondary data or both, and the IB treats them as equally acceptable.
2. Primary data is information you collect yourself, such as land-use surveys, environmental quality surveys, river measurements or questionnaires.
   1. Any primary data must be collected by you, not by a group.
3. Secondary data is published information, such as census tables, climate records, planning documents or satellite imagery.
   1. A literature review on its own is not enough, because the essay needs data you can map or test.
4. Explain your sampling method and why it suits the question, whether random, systematic or stratified.
5. State your sample size and the rules you used to pick each site, so another student could repeat the study.
6. Plan for ethics and safety, including permission to survey, consent for interviews and safe fieldwork conditions.

Check Your Data Early

1. Finding usable data is one of the hardest parts of a geography EE.
2. Test your data sources in the first few weeks, before you commit to a question.
   1. Check that secondary data matches your scale, because national averages cannot answer a question about one neighbourhood.
   2. Check that your field sites are safe and accessible at the times you need them.
3. If the data is out of reach, change the topic early rather than forcing a weak essay.

Do's and Don'ts for Criterion A