DP1 Students: IA Engagements!

Choosing a Topic

What is necessary?

The core requirements of your HL Presentation topic(s) is that they must be contemporary and clearly relevant, and explicitly connected to, one of the six Global Political Challenges™. What does this mean?

IBO defines "contemporary" as "from the students' lifetimes." In reality, they really want you to explore more recent developments. I'd advise you choose something from the last ten years (something like 2012-2022 is a safe range.)

Choosing one of the six Global Political Challenges shouldn't be too rough -- you already got a head start on this last semester. What you should focus on here is the "clearly relevant" portion. Do not pick something that is only tangentially related to your chosen GPC; pick something that has obvious, important connections to the GPC.

Coming up with a research question

This is not a strict IB requirement, but it is something I expect you to do. Why? Because having a research question gives direction and focus to your work. It also aids you in choosing the optimal case study for your presentation.

It is ideal for your research question to be somewhat theoretical, meaning that it explores an aspect of the GPC in a conceptual way (helping you with your key concept connections from the get-go.) A few examples are below (adapted from IB's sample presentation topics, which you can see lower on the page.)

Is it legitimate for states to curtail individual rights in the name of national security?

Can massive infrastructure projects be carried out in a sustainable fashion?

To what extent have women achieved equal status in the workplace?

The research question is meant to aid you in beginning your research, and will not be the primary focus of the presentations we end up sending to IB.

Note: The "research question" I am talking about here is your primary research question, the thing your presentation aims to answer. It is perfectly fine to break that BIG question down into smaller pieces to aid you in finding information and different perspectives (similar to what you did in our EE work back in October.)

General RQ Advice

Remember that IBDP internal coursework is meant to build and use higher-level thinking skills. So, questions that merely gather information are insufficient. You want something that invites analysis or evaluation or debate (and debate is nice, since there is an expectation that you cover different perspectives.)

Selecting a case study and defining the "political issue"

IB's guidance indicates that selecting the case study comes before defining the political issue. This makes sense, a little bit, since political issues vary depending on local contexts, and your choice of case study is what provides that local context. The issue of racial equality, for example, could be viewed as a global issue (related to the GPC of Identity, perhaps) but the political issues surrounding racial equality are different in multiracial countries like the USA than they are significantly more homogeneous states like China. Both countries have their own unique racial dilemmas, no doubt, but the political issues at the heart of the countries problems are quite different.

There are several factors you should consider when selecting a case study. First and foremost is that the case is clearly relevant and explicitly connected to the GPC. Don't let there be any doubt! If you find yourself trying hard to justify your choice... then maybe it's not the best option, no matter how interesting it may be. One circumstance that may make a more challenging case study worthwhile is if it provides really strong connections to key concepts -- if that's the case, it may be worth needing to justify your choice a little harder if it means that course connections are more meaningful and abundant.

This is a helpful reminder to ensure that your GPC is front and center at all times -- don't "get lost in the reeds" of the case. The GPC is the heart of the presentation, and the case study (and relevant political issue) are the vehicle you use to explore the GPC.

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