ESS IA Examples: Five Investigation Ideas to Develop

01 Nov ESS IA Examples: Five Investigation Ideas to Develop

ESS IA examples are a starting point for planning your own investigation. Explore five directions and the practical checks that make each idea more focused.

Reviewed 4 October 2026 · Current ESS SL and HL course, first assessment 2026.

ESS IA examples are useful when they help you test whether an idea is focused, feasible and connected to an environmental issue. The prompts here are investigation starting points, not completed reports or verified high-scoring exemplars.

For current assessment requirements, use the ESS IA guide for SL and HL and the official IB ESS guide.

Five ESS IA examples to develop

1. Water quality and biodiversity

Investigate a defined relationship between a water-quality measure and an ecological measure at accessible sites. Record sampling conditions and other differences between the sites. An association between pH and biodiversity alone does not prove that pH caused the difference.

2. Germination in an environmental context

A seed-germination experiment needs a clear connection to an environmental issue, such as soil acidification or salinity. Choose suitable conditions, repeated measurements and a defined outcome. Discuss safety and environmental disposal with your teacher.

3. Lichens near roads

Compare a defined lichen measure along a distance gradient, while considering tree species, shade and moisture. Do not label roadside exposure as ozone pollution without evidence identifying that pollutant.

4. Attitudes to an environmental strategy

A carefully designed survey could investigate attitudes toward a specific waste-reduction measure. Define the target population and sampling approach. Avoid assuming that demographic differences explain the response; consider sample bias and other influences.

5. Visitor activity and plastic waste

Compare standardised litter counts in defined places or periods. Use a consistent survey area and account for cleaning schedules, weather and local activity. A busy place having more litter does not establish tourism as its sole cause.

Turn the idea into your own question

1. Name the environmental issue.
2. Specify the variable, comparison or relationship.
3. Define the setting and available evidence.
4. Check that the collection and analysis are feasible.
5. Research a relevant strategy and perspectives.
6. Discuss the plan with your school teacher before collecting data.

Use the IA-topic feasibility checklist. Your question, research decisions and report must remain your own.

Get help refining the plan

Individual ESS IA guidance can help you understand methods and identify practical limits before you commit to an investigation.

Need help applying this to your ESS work?

Explore online IB ESS tutoring for SL and HL with Marija Maletz or request a free 20-minute trial. Bring your level, the question or topic you find difficult, and your availability.