I.B.

History Internal Assessment (2017)

What is the History Internal Assessment?

A historical investigation consisting of a written account of up to 2,200 words, divided into four
sections: (1) Identification and evaluation of sources, (2) investigation, (3) reflection, and (4) a list
of sources used in the investigation called a "works cited," which isn't included in the word count.
The investigation must be a written and should be the work of the individual student. Group work
is not permitted
The IA Sections - Descriptions, Markbands and Examples
Section 1 - Identification and Evaluation of Sources (6 marks)

Section 2 - Investigation (15 marks)

Section 3 - Reflection (4 marks)

Works Cited
Total: 2,200 words, 25 marks
Section 1 of the History Internal Assessment
Identification and Evaluation of Sources

Section 1 requires students to analyze in detail TWO (2) of the sources used in the
investigation. The sources can be either primary or secondary sources. Students
should use the OPCVL context to complete this section. Student MUST:
A. Clearly state the Research Question
B. Explain the nature of the two (2) sources
C. Explain the relevance of the two (2) sources to the investigation
D. Analyze the two (2) sources in detail with reference to ORIGINS, PURPOSE,
CONTENT, VALUES, and LIMITATIONS.
A suggested number of words for this section is 500.

Tips to writing a great (6 of 6 marks) Section 1

Avoid first person. Do not use personal pronouns. Tip: A way to avoid this is
to think of the investigation in third person. You are an objective observer.
Click for Help: Finding the author's PURPOSE in a Secondary Source.
 PARAGRAPH #1
Research Question, Time Frame, Brief Justification
Step 1: Start the section with your question:
This investigation will answer the question, [insert question here].

Step 2: [Then state why you believe the question/investigation is important]

This question is important because...

Step 3: Next, specifically state the time frame & specific area of research]
Tip: Be sure to use the word scope.

The scope of the investigation is...

Example: The scope of this investigation focuses on Nixon's years as U.S. president and
his relationship toward Native Americans.
Examiner Notes:

 Scope = Parameters i.e. What time period / specific event are you
researching.

 Method / Plan = How are you using your sources in your investigation.

Examiner Notes:

 Passing "boilerplate evaluation" on OPVL cannot get above a three.

 Evaluation of a textbook or poor online source cannot get above a two.

In several cases the candidates references to the origin, purpose, value and limitatiom

FIRST SOURCE
PARAGRAPH #2
Step 1: Include a sub-heading for the author and title of the first source. (See guidelines
below for instructions on how to properly do this.)
Step 2: Write Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4.
first Source - Origins
Discuss the ORIGINS of the source and what the Values and Limitations of the ORIGINS
are as related to your Research Question.
PARAGRAPH #3
First Source - Purpose
Discuss the PURPOSE of the source and what the Values and Limitations of the
PURPOSE are as related to your Research Question.
PARAGRAPH #4
First Source - Content
Discuss the CONTENT of the source and what the Values and Limitations of the
CONTENT are as related to your Research Question.
SECOND SOURCE
PARAGRAPH #5
Step 1: Include a sub-heading for the author and title of the second source. (See
guidelines below for instructions on how to properly do this.)
Step 2: Write Paragraphs 5, 6 and 7.
Second Source - Origins
Discuss the ORIGINS of the source and what the Values and Limitations of the ORIGINS
are as related to your Research Question.
PARAGRAPH #6
Second Source - Purpose
Discuss the PURPOSE of the source and what the Values and Limitations of the
PURPOSE are as related to your Research Question.
PARAGRAPH #7
Second Source - Content
Discuss the CONTENT of the source and what the Values and Limitations of the
CONTENT are as related to your Research Question.

Guidelines and Suggestions for Creating

Source Section Headings
State the name of the author and title of your book as a section heading. Use this
format:
Author's First Name Last Name, Title: Sub-title. (Make sure you separate title from
subtitle with a colon and capitalize major words. For instance:
Ashita.Pillai.Naik, I.B. Crazy: I.A.s are Fun
EXCEPTION TO THE ABOVE RULE: If the SUB-TITLE makes the title really long, such
as the example immediately below, eliminate the subtitle.

TOO LONG: Arthur L. Smith, The War for the German Mind: Re-Educating Hitler's
Soldiers

JUST RIGHT: Arthur L. Smith, The War for the German Mind

NOTE: Do NOT Include a Footnote for the book.

The sub-head is sufficient.
EXAMPLES
Guidelines and Suggestions for Writing about the Origin and Purpose of a Source

Within ORIGIN you must provide the year AND place the source was produced /
published
AND
the "provenance" of the author. This means the author's origins / credibility /
knowledge on the subject matter of the source. If it is a secondary source written by a
historian, briefly list his academic credentials. If the author was a witness to events,
indicate this. NOTE: Keep the provenance of the author to a sentence. i.e. ...has
published several books on the subject and is a Harvard professor OR Was a veteran of
the Crete Campaign and helped implement the Marshall Plan after WWII as
undersecretary of state....

For PURPOSE: The best authors will typically express purpose in the
preface/introduction/first chapter. You may have to search for the purpose. NOTE:
even narratives have a purpose. If you cannot locate a clearly articulated purpose, you
may use language such as: It appears that the author’s purpose is…

Do not quote directly from the book regarding Origin and Purpose. Put any material in
your own words. Nothing should have to be cited.

Guidelines and Suggestions for Writing about the Valuesand Limitations of a Source
For VALUE AND LIMITATIONS: These sections may not be balanced. One side of the
argument may be more substantive than the other.
VALUE: Explain why this source is valuable in general, and address why it is
particularly important to your research. Make specific references to the text and its
sources; use quotes. You may comment on footnotes of the book, what kinds of sources
the author used, etc.

LIMITATIONS: Again, you must be specific, providing examples from the text, quotes,
etc. Limitations could include a critique of sources; a critique of whether or not the
coverage is too broad to meet the author’s objectives; if the author is using out of date
scholarship, relying on only newspaper articles, etc. Why might a historian need to
show some degree of caution using this source?

Just because a source doesn't help you find specific information, doesn't necessarily
make it a limitation. It might not be the author's purpose. It is like going to a Chinese
restaurant and complaining there isn't any pizza on the menu.
Examiner Notes:
 Scope = Parameters i.e. What time period / specific event are you
researching.
 Method / Plan = How are you using your sources in your investigation.
Examiner Notes:
 Passing "boilerplate evaluation" on OPVL cannot get above a three.
 Evaluation of a textbook or poor online source cannot get above a two.
 In several cases the candidates references to the origin, purpose, value and
limitation was rather restricted although better than in previous years.
Section 2 of the History Internal Assessment
The Investigation
Properly Investigating and Analyzing your research question is a two-step process.
Please follow the detailed instructions in order. Do NOT move on to Step Two until
Step One has been completed and approved by Ms. A.
IA Section 2 - Investigation (15 marks)
In Step One of your investigation there will be a list of evidence that you have gathered
from the sources.
The evidence will take the form a bullet-pointed list.
This section should consist of factual material that is:
Organized AND referenced AND provides evidence of thorough research
Drawn from sources that are appropriate for the investigation (scholarly books - NOT
encyclopedias or brief overviews).
Correctly and consistently referenced. Every single bullet-pointed sentence should be
cited, regardless of whether the preceding sentence is from the same page of the same
work. No exceptions.
Organized thematically OR chronologically.
Guidelines and Suggestions
Everything that is included in this section WILL be analyzed.
You have to include evidence of different possible answers. Every question can have
more than one correct perspective.
You must have evidence that considers other interpretations. See above.
Be sure to use judgment/analysis in this section.
Here you are simply listing excerpts from the research you have done and referencing
them properly. And, by using bullet points, this promotes the idea that is a listing of
relevant information.
Stay within 800 words. If you have less you probably do not have enough evidence to
properly analyze.
Your evidence must clearly be connected to your research question
Present the most significant evidence that helps to answer your question. Non-
significant evidence is a waste of words.
Keep this a summary. Use short, clear sentences. Choose words carefully.
Write [Subject, Verb and fact]
Example: George Washington served as first president.
NOT: George Washington was chosen by the people and served 8 years as the United
States' first president.
All of your evidence must be cited using the Turabian style. You should have at least six
sources, if not more. (Remember: depth AND breadth.)
Make sure you present ample evidence from the two sources you analyzed in Section 1.
Examples of Section 2
Structuring your Evidence
For example, if your question is:
"To what extent was the United States firebombing of Dresden in 1945 an act of
terrorism?" you may want to approach it like this:
Here is a summary of evidence from the various sources and viewpoints researched to
help answer this question. This section will start with a couple of widely accepted
definitions of terrorism:
In order to fully answer this question, the bombing has to be put into historical
context. Here are a few of the things happening during WWII that may help the reader
judge whether it was an act of war or terrorism.
Here is a summary of evidence that supports the idea that the bombing was indeed a
terrorist act:
Here is a summary of evidence that suggests the bombing was simply an act of war:
You must gather enough evidence that will allow you to evaluate different
interpretations. If you have evidence that supports only one possible answer, then you
will have nothing to evaluate and analyze in section D.
Make sure you define terrorism so you can evaluate whether the bombing fits the
description. You may include different definitions from different views, which can be
avaluated later in section D.
Research 2-3 views that argue that it was terrorism.
Try to get primary sources of people involved in the actual decision and/or were
affected by the bombings .
Research 2-3 views that argue is was NOT terrorism, but an act of war.
Present evidence that puts the event into historical context, like the fact that Germany
had bombed London, or was currently implementing the Final Solution.
Alternatively, part of the historical context could be the US knew the war was won by
this time; but bombed them anyway!
It is important that these suggestions to not limit your research but are designed to
give you ideas! Go BEYOND my suggestions!
What does Ms. A look for when assessing Step One of Section 2?
The below lists seems like a lot, but if you have followed the instructions for the
past two weeks, all of criteria should fall into place with a little effort on your
part.
I will look at:
Sub-sections (10 points)
 Is your evidence organized thematically by sub-sections?
 Is the first sub-section named "Historical Context"? Are you setting the stage
for what is taking place during the time period surrounding your question?
  Is there a sub-section arguing in support of your question?
 Is there a sub-section that provides evidence against your question?
 Is there a sub-section considering other possible interpretations of your
question?
 Do NOT put a sub-section in at the end that is a "Miscellaneous" or "Other
Evidence" category. This indicates you don't know what to do with the
evidence that you list under the category. Instead, either find an appropriate
category for it, or delete the evidence.
Evidence (30 points)
 Is all of the evidence bullet-pointed and cited individually?
 Does all of the evidence directly relate to your question? (Not in general, but
specifically.)
 Are there at least six significant sources relied on to ensure that the
investigation is "well-researched"?
 Are all of the sources scholarly that provide in-depth material? Or, is there a
heavy reliance on websites and encyclopedias? (Again, "well-researched".
 Are primary sources used?
 Does all the evidence come in around 700 words?
 Do the citations contain ONLY the last name of the author, or the title of the
source if not author is listed. If a page number is available, it should be listed.
o Example 1: Hyer, 103.
o Example 2: "Bathroom Assassins," 34.
o NOTE: Your footnotes will be properly cited in the Turabian style at the
end of the IA process.
Works Cited (10 points)
 If a source is cited in Section 2, a full bibliographic entry needs to be listed in
your Works Cited.
 Are the bibliographic entries in the Works Cited alphabetized by the author's
last name? If no author for a source is available, is the entry alphabetized by
the source's title? (Don't alphabetize by "A" and "The." Instead use the first
significant word.)
o Example: For the "The Sea of Despair" you would alphabetize it by S,
Not T.
  There should be no additional sources outside of what you have cited in
Section 2.

STEP TWO
Have you completed Step One? If not, go back.
A suggested number of words for this section is 1300. This section of the internal
assessment task consists of the actual investigation.
The investigation must be clearly and effectively organized. And, it must contain
critical ANALYSIS that is focused clearly on the question being investigated, and must
also include the CONCLUSION that the student draws from their analysis.
You must use a range of evidence (from both primary and secondary sources) to
support your argument. (What answers to your question have you discovered from your
sources?)
EXAMPLES
Analysis of Evidence
A suggested number of words for this section is 500-600 words (out of a maximum of
1300 for Section B)
This section should consist of an analysis of the evidence listed in Part I.
This section should consist of the following:
 A demonstration that you understand the significance of the issue in its
historical context.
o What was going on in the world during the scope of your investigation
that may have influenced events that you have investigated?
o Set the stage for a critical analysis of your evidence.
 A critical examination of the evidence discussed in Part I.
o A critical examination of one to several possible answers for your
question.
o A critical examination of other possible interpretations / answers for
your question.
 A demonstration of your awareness of the significance of the sources that you
evaluated in Section A.
o All references to these sources MUST be cited.
 No new material should be presented in this section.
Conclusion
A suggested number of words for this section is 150 words (out of a maximum of 1300
for Section B).
Basically, your goal in Part III is to clearly answer the question you asked in Part A.
 The stated conclusion must be clearly stated and consistent with the evidence
presented.
 No further substantiation of your position should be provided in this section-
be brief, and to the point.
This section is a follow-up to the previous section. It requires an answer or conclusion,
based on the evidence presented, which either partially or fully addresses the question
stated or implied in the investigation.
 Examiner Notes:
"Relevant factual material" means the evidence directly relates to the question.
The more specific to the question and the scope of the investigation, the higher
the marks.
 The difference between "shows evidence" and "well researched" is the type of
sources chosen. For example, if your sources are mostly websites and
encyclopedia-type sources, you'll have a difficult time earning 7-9 marks. If you
rely on scholarly book sources / journals and primary sources, this will show
evidence of "well researched."
 The difference between "referencing" and "correctly referencing" is
consistency in footnotes and your works cited. Do you always cite your sources
and are you consistent? If not, it will be hard to get out of the 4-6 range.
 In this criterion, the scores were satisfactory. Some problems such as the lack
of references remain. A generic source such as Wikipedia continues to be a
favorite. In some cases the information does not seem to be completely related
to the topic under investigation.
Section 3 of the History Internal Assessment
Reflection
This section of the internal assessment task requires students to reflect on what
undertaking their investigation highlighted to them about the methods used by, and
the challenges facing, the historian.
Examples of discussion questions that may help to encourage reflection include the
following.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH METHODS
What METHODS used by historians did you use in your investigation?
Methods can include:
Primary Sources
Eyewitness accounts of events (can be oral or written testimony). Materials found in
public records & legal documents, minutes of meetings, corporate records, recordings,
letters, diaries, journals, drawings, posters, artwork, and statistical data. Or materials
found in local historical societies.
Secondary Sources
Can be oral or written secondhand accounts of events. These can be found in
textbooks, encyclopedias, journal articles, newspapers, biographies and other media
such as films or tape recordings.
What did your investigation highlight to you about the limitations of these methods?
CHALLENGES
What are the challenges facing the historian? How do they differ from the challenges
facing a scientist or a mathematician? How did these challenges affect your research,
analysis and conclusions?
RELIABILITY
How can the reliability of sources be evaluated?
What constitutes "bias" vs. "point of view"? How does research affect this?
Can "truth" be achieved in history? Can it be achieved for your specific research
question?
AVAILABILITY OF EVIDENCE
How can abundance/scarcity of evidence affect research, analysis and conclusions?
Can value value judgments be avoided in history (i.e. "atrocity," genocide")? Should
they be avoided?