Inquiry process
The three inquiry strands — Exploring and designing, Collecting and processing data, Concluding and evaluating — that run across every topic in the course.
Editorial framing The inquiry process is how the IA is actually marked. The detail below — identifying variables, justifying measurement ranges, calibrating apparatus, handling outliers, discussing uncertainties, distinguishing random from systematic errors — is the substance of the IA criteria. The strand content is transcribed from the IB guide.
Inquiry 1: Exploring and designing
Formulating questions, designing investigations and controlling variables.
Exploring
- Independent thinking, initiative and insight
- Consult a variety of sources; select sufficient and relevant sources
- Formulate research questions and hypotheses
- State and explain predictions using scientific understanding
Designing
- Creativity in design, implementation and presentation
- Develop investigations involving hands-on experiments, databases, simulations, modelling
- Identify and justify dependent, independent and control variables
- Justify range and quantity of measurements
- Design and explain a valid methodology; pilot methodologies
Controlling variables
- Calibrate apparatus
- Maintain constant environmental conditions
- Insulate against heat loss/gain
Inquiry 2: Collecting and processing data
Gathering qualitative and quantitative data, processing it and interpreting patterns.
Collecting
- Record relevant qualitative observations
- Collect sufficient relevant quantitative data
- Identify and address issues arising during collection
Processing
- Relevant and accurate data processing
Interpreting
- Interpret qualitative and quantitative data
- Interpret diagrams, graphs and charts
- Identify, describe and explain patterns, trends and relationships
- Identify and justify removal or inclusion of outliers (no mathematical processing required)
- Assess accuracy, precision, reliability and validity
Inquiry 3: Concluding and evaluating
Drawing justified conclusions and evaluating the investigation — the detail the IA is marked on.
Concluding
- Interpret processed data and analysis to draw and justify conclusions
- Compare outcomes to accepted scientific context
- Relate outcomes to the research question/hypothesis
- Discuss the impact of uncertainties
Evaluating
- Evaluate hypotheses
- Identify and discuss sources and impacts of random and systematic errors
- Evaluate implications of methodological weaknesses, limitations and assumptions
- Explain realistic and relevant improvements
Official IB linking questions targeting Inquiry process
Editorial These are the IB’s own linking questions from the syllabus, transcribed verbatim. They connect sub-topic statements to this cross-cutting strand. The wording is the IB’s, not ours. The decision to surface them here is our editorial judgement — the IB does not prescribe where these questions should appear; we have chosen to display them because they connect this strand to the sub-topic content.
Structure 1.3.2 — In the study of emission spectra from gaseous elements and of light, what qualitative and quantitative data can be collected from instruments such as gas discharge tubes and prisms?
Structure 3.1.4 — Why are simulations often used in exploring the trends in chemical reactivity of group 1 and group 17 elements?
Reactivity 1.3.2 — What might be observed when a fuel such as methane is burned in a limited supply of oxygen?