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Graduates
- Scored 40+ in the IB and 7s in the subjects they teach.
IB Geography IA: 30 Ideas for a 7
This guide is your complete blueprint for acing the IB Geography Internal Assessment. The IA is a 2,500-word fieldwork report that is worth 25% of your final grade at Standard Level and 20% at Higher Level. It’s a huge opportunity to boost your overall score, but the path from idea to a finished report can feel overwhelming.
As former IB students who scored 7s, we’ve been there. We created this guide to give you the insider knowledge you need to not just complete your IA, but to make it stand out.
By using this guide, you will be able to:
- Understand the non-negotiable rules that separate a passing IA from a failing one.
- Master the 2,500-word count with strategic, examiner-approved tips.
- Access 30 Level-7-worthy research questions, categorized by syllabus topic.
- Learn the secret to crafting a “sharp” question that impresses from page one.
The Golden Rule: Local Scale & Primary Data
Before we dive into the ideas, let's get one thing straight. The most common mistake students make is confusing the IA with the Extended Essay. Your IA must be a local-scale investigation that uses primary data you collected yourself.
IA vs. EE: The Key Difference
- The Extended Essay (EE) can be about a global or national issue and can use 100% secondary data (research from books, articles, and the internet).
- The Internal Assessment (IA) MUST be a local-scale investigation that uses primary data you collected yourself.
The secret is to localize a big concept. Instead of "Global Climate Change," you could investigate microclimate variations across your city. Instead of "global food supply," you could analyze the "food miles" of produce at your local supermarket. Your IA must be based on fieldwork: getting outside and measuring things, surveying people, or observing patterns in a specific, small-scale location.
Choosing Your Topic: The Smart Way
The IB Geography syllabus is huge, but some areas are much better suited for an IA than others. While you can technically localize a Core Theme, the vast majority of successful IAs come from the Optional Themes.
Why? Because topics like Urban Environments, Freshwater, and Leisure, Tourism and Sport are naturally easier to scale down to a local investigation. It’s much more feasible to measure river velocity in a local stream or count pedestrian traffic in your town center than it is to measure global resource consumption.
The 2,500 Word Count Game: How to Win
Examiners are strict: they stop reading at 2,500 words. Since the conclusion and evaluation are at the end, going over the limit means you automatically lose marks in those high-scoring sections. The key is to know what doesn’t count.
| Element | Does it Count? | Pro-Tip for Top-Scoring Students |
|---|---|---|
| Main Text (Intro, Analysis, etc.) | Yes | Be ruthless. Every sentence must have a purpose. Cut all filler. |
| Title Page, Contents | No | Use these to create a professional and polished first impression. |
| Tables of Data | No | This is your secret weapon. Convert long paragraphs of data into a concise table to save hundreds of words. |
| Map Legends & Keys | No | Use detailed legends and color-coding on your maps to communicate complex patterns visually instead of textually. |
| Labels (10 words or less) | No | This is the most powerful loophole. Heavily annotate your maps, photos, and site sketches with short, analytical labels to add context without using up your word count. |
| Footnotes (15 words or less) | No | Use these ONLY for citations. Don't try to sneak in extra analysis here; moderators will penalize it. |
| Appendices | No | Only include a blank copy of your survey or a single sample calculation. Examiners want to see your synthesized data in the main report, not all your raw data. |
30 Geography IA Ideas That Work
Here are 30 actionable research frameworks, categorized by syllabus option. Each one is designed to be local, measurable, and linked to a key geographic theory, setting you up for success.
Urban Environments
These topics are fantastic because cities are packed with easily measurable variables.
| Focused Research Question | Primary Data Collection Methods | Geographic Theory & Statistical Test |
|---|---|---|
| 1. To what extent does the land use in [City Name] conform to the Core-Frame Model? | Map building heights, ground-floor land use, and pedestrian density radiating from the city center (PLVI). | Theory: Core-Frame Model, Bid-Rent Theory. Stats: Chi-Squared test. |
| 2. How does the intensity of urban stress correlate with land-use zones in [Neighborhood]? | Use decibel meters for noise, air quality sensors, and visual surveys for litter/graffiti in different zones. | Theory: Urban stress models. Stats: ANOVA to compare stress levels across zones. |
| 3. How does the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect correlate with impermeable surfaces in [City District]? | Take temperature readings at sites with high concrete cover vs. sites with high vegetation cover. | Theory: Urban Heat Island effect. Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 4. To what extent has gentrification in [Historic Neighborhood] influenced the type and price of retail services? | Map store types (e.g., luxury vs. discount) and survey the price of a standard basket of goods. | Theory: Gentrification, urban renewal. Stats: Mann-Whitney U test. |
| 5. What is the relationship between the accessibility of public green spaces and socio-economic status in [City Name]? | Use GIS mapping to measure walking distance to parks and conduct quality audits of park facilities. | Theory: Environmental justice, spatial inequality. Stats: Pearson’s Correlation. |
| 6. How does the spatial integration of cycling infrastructure influence the commuting behaviors of residents in the [Specific Area] urban fringe? | Distribute questionnaires on transport choices and conduct traffic/bicycle counts at key intersections during peak and off-peak hours. | Theory: Sustainable urban mobility, transit-oriented development. Stats: Chi-Squared test. |
Freshwater: Rivers & Drainage Basins
River studies are a classic for a reason. They offer clear, quantifiable data that links perfectly to established models.
| Focused Research Question | Primary Data Collection Methods | Geographic Theory & Statistical Test |
|---|---|---|
| 7. To what extent do the characteristics of the [River Name] conform to the Bradshaw Model? | Measure cross-sectional area, velocity, and bedload size at 10-15 sites from source to mouth. | Theory: The Bradshaw Model. Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 8. How do hard engineering flood defenses alter the channel profile and velocity of the [River Name]? | Compare channel width, depth, and velocity at a natural section vs. a concrete-lined section. | Theory: Fluvial geomorphology, flood mitigation. Stats: Student’s t-test. |
| 9. What is the impact of different land uses on the pollution indicators of the [River Name]? | Test water samples for pH, nitrates, and dissolved oxygen at sites near farms, factories, and houses. | Theory: Hydrological cycles, water quality. Stats: ANOVA. |
| 10. How does the [Name] dam disrupt sediment transport and bedload shape downstream? | Measure the size and roundness of 50 pebbles at multiple sites upstream and downstream of a dam. | Theory: Sediment transport, river equilibrium. Stats: Mann-Whitney U test. |
| 11. How effective are riparian buffer zones (vegetation) in mitigating soil erosion along the [River Name]? | Use soil moisture probes and infiltration rings on banks with dense vegetation vs. cleared banks. | Theory: Surface runoff, infiltration rates. Stats: Pearson’s Correlation. |
| 12. How do seasonal flow variations impact velocity within the meander bends of the [River Name]? | Map channel depth and velocity on the inner and outer banks of a meander during different seasons. | Theory: Helicoidal flow, meander formation. Stats: Student’s t-test. |
Leisure, Tourism, and Sport
These topics are great for combining human geography (surveys) with physical geography (environmental impact).
| Focused Research Question | Primary Data Collection Methods | Geographic Theory & Statistical Test |
|---|---|---|
| 13. Which stage of Butler’s Model best characterizes the development of [Coastal Resort Town]? | Survey business owners and residents about tourism reliance; map the density of hotels vs. local services. | Theory: Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle Model. Stats: Chi-Squared test. |
| 14. How does the distribution of sporting facilities in [City Name] relate to distance from the CBD? | Use GIS to map all sporting facilities, categorizing them by size and distance from the city center. | Theory: Leisure Spatial Model (Bid-Rent). Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 15. What are the localized impacts of seasonal ecotourism on the infrastructure of [Village Name]? | Interview community leaders, measure traffic congestion, and survey local price inflation during peak season. | Theory: Carrying capacity, multiplier effect. Stats: Qualitative analysis, descriptive stats. |
| 16. To what extent does tourist footfall cause environmental degradation along trails in [National Park]? | Use quadrats to measure soil compaction and vegetation damage at intervals moving away from a trail center. | Theory: Environmental carrying capacity. Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 17. How do the sustainability practices of global hotel chains compare to local eco-lodges in [Tourist Destination]? | Conduct observational audits of waste management, water conservation, and energy use at different hotels. | Theory: Sustainable tourism. Stats: Mann-Whitney U test. |
| 18. How does the concentration of short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnb) impact housing affordability in [Neighborhood]? | Map rental density and survey long-term residents on community cohesion and perceived housing costs. | Theory: Tourist gentrification. Stats: Pearson’s Correlation. |
Coasts, Extreme Environments & Global Change
These topics require precise physical measurements and a solid understanding of environmental processes.
| Focused Research Question | Primary Data Collection Methods | Geographic Theory & Statistical Test |
|---|---|---|
| 19. How effective are the sea walls at [Beach Name] in preventing beach erosion? | Use ranging poles and a clinometer to measure and compare beach profiles in a defended vs. an undefended section. | Theory: Coastal geomorphology, sediment cells. Stats: Student’s t-test. |
| 20. How does vegetation change along a sand dune transect at [Coastal Location] align with psammosere succession? | Use quadrats at 10m intervals inland from the sea to record species, vegetation cover, and soil pH. | Theory: Plant succession (psammosere). Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 21. How does longshore drift influence sediment sorting along the [Name] spit? | Collect pebble samples at 5 sites along a spit, measuring their size and roundness. | Theory: Longshore drift, attrition. Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 22. How do conventional vs. organic farming practices alter soil properties in the [Farming Region]? | Take soil samples from adjacent farms and test for nitrate levels, pH, and organic content. | Theory: Soil degradation, sustainable farming. Stats: Student’s t-test. |
| 23. To what extent does accessibility of fresh food markets vary by neighborhood income level in [City]? | Use GIS to map food retailers, calculating the density of fresh food vs. fast-food outlets in different areas. | Theory: Food deserts, spatial inequality. Stats: ANOVA. |
| 24. What is the correlation between major transport arteries and localized air pollution in [City Zone]? | Use portable air quality monitors to measure PM2.5 at varying distances from a major highway. | Theory: Point-source pollution, urban health. Stats: Spearman’s Rank Correlation. |
| 25. How do local farmers' markets in [Town] reduce "food miles" compared to national supermarkets? | Audit the geographic origin of a standard basket of produce at both locations and calculate total transit distances. | Theory: Globalization vs. local resilience. Stats: Mann-Whitney U test. |
| 26. How do residential energy consumption strategies vary according to the age of housing in [Neighborhood]? | Survey homeowners on energy usage and conduct observational audits of housing age, insulation, and solar panels. | Theory: Resource consumption, urban sustainability. Stats: Pearson’s Correlation. |
| 27. How do prevailing wind direction and human trampling influence the geomorphological structure and blowout frequency of the [Name] dune system? | Measure dune crest orientation with compasses, map blowout locations via GPS, and conduct pedestrian counts along access paths. | Theory: Aeolian transport processes, anthropogenic environmental degradation. Stats: Chi-Squared test. |
| 28. What are the microclimatic gradients associated with distance from the retreating terminus of the [Name] glacier? | Systematically measure surface temperature, air temperature, and humidity at 50-meter intervals from the ice margin. | Theory: Glacial retreat, localized albedo effects, microclimatic succession. Stats: Pearson’s Correlation. |
| 29. How does the implementation of hard engineering coastal defences alter the cross-sectional profile and velocity of the [River Name]? | Compare wetted perimeter, hydraulic radius, and velocity at sites upstream, within, and downstream of a concrete-lined channel. | Theory: Fluvial geomorphology, flood mitigation impacts. Stats: Student’s t-test. |
| 30. How effective are the sea walls at [Beach Name] in preventing beach erosion? | Use ranging poles and a clinometer to measure and compare beach profiles in a defended vs. an undefended section. | Theory: Coastal geomorphology, sediment cells. Stats: Student’s t-test. |
From Idea to "Sharp" Research Question
A great idea is just the start. To get a 7, you need a "sharp" research question. This means it must be focused, specific, spatial, and measurable. Let's see how to sharpen a question:
- Weak Question: "Does the urban heat island effect exist in Warsaw?"
(This is too broad and has a simple yes/no answer.) - Better Question: "How does temperature change between the center of Warsaw and the suburbs?"
(This is better, as it introduces a spatial element, but it's still vague.) - Sharp, Level-7 Question: "To what extent does the urban heat island effect manifest along a 6-kilometer transect from the Warsaw Central Business District (CBD) to the rural-urban fringe of Ursynów, as measured by surface temperature, ambient air temperature, and the proportional density of vegetative cover?"
(This is perfect. It names a specific location, a measurable transect, and clear variables, setting up a clear path for analysis.)
Your research question is the foundation of your entire IA. Spend time getting it right. A great IA is a marathon, not a sprint. By choosing a focused, local topic, managing your word count strategically, and collecting robust primary data, you put yourself in a fantastic position to score well. Good luck!
