03 Oct ESS IA Examples for SL & HL: Methods and Planning
Reviewed 4 October 2026 · Current ESS SL and HL course, first assessment 2026.
These ESS IA examples help SL and HL students compare possible investigations and plan their own research. They are original planning illustrations, not assessed student reports, verified high-scoring exemplars or a guarantee of marks.
ESS IA examples: check the current assessment first
The current individual report has a maximum of 3,000 words and is assessed using six criteria for a total of 30 marks. The IA contributes 25% at SL and 20% at HL. See the IB subject brief and our current ESS IA guide for the criteria and planning checklist.
A local issue can make data collection easier, but a local investigation is not compulsory. Choose an environmental issue, a focused question and evidence you can access and analyse. Secondary data can be suitable when its quality and comparability support the question.
Six investigation directions to compare
- Urban heat: compare surface temperatures at defined shaded and exposed sites. Keep measurement times and instruments comparable; account for surface material and weather.
- Managed green spaces: compare a defined measure of plant diversity using consistent quadrat sampling. Choose an index you understand and justify how sites and samples are selected.
- School packaging waste: measure the mass of clearly defined waste categories per meal over a specified period. Obtain permission, use safe handling and record changes in attendance or menus. Appearance alone cannot establish whether a plastic is biodegradable.
- Attitudes to composting: examine a focused relationship using a piloted questionnaire. Protect participants’ privacy and consider selection bias. Reported willingness is not a direct measure of actual composting or its environmental impact.
- Traffic noise: compare sound levels at defined distances and times using suitable equipment. Consider traffic variation, background noise, safe access and the limitations of the instrument.
- Stream indicators: compare an appropriate ecological or water-quality measure at accessible sites. Check permissions, identification skills, equipment and sampling safety. Site differences may involve several environmental factors.
These directions need refinement into your own research question. There is no universal sample size that guarantees a strong investigation. Use a pilot, the variability of the data and your planned analysis to justify a feasible sampling design with your teacher.
A worked planning illustration: shade and surface temperature
Possible question: How does mean surface temperature differ between shaded and exposed areas of the same paving material in a defined school courtyard during a specified lunchtime period?
This question compares a measurable outcome in a defined context. Before committing, check access to enough suitable locations, a consistent way to measure temperature and whether shade conditions remain stable during sampling.
- Define the locations, shade classification, instrument, measurement procedure and timing.
- Pilot the procedure and check instrument limitations. Decide how repeated measurements will be recorded without treating dependent readings as independent sites.
- Record relevant conditions such as cloud cover and recent rainfall. Keep the surface material comparable where feasible.
- Select graphs and calculations that answer the comparison. Explain the processing steps, units and any uncertainty relevant to your measurements.
- Draw conclusions only after collecting and analysing your evidence. A difference between sites does not by itself establish that shade caused it.
No results are supplied here. This is a planning example, not a completed student IA. Do not invent data, copy a conclusion or claim that a method has produced a particular outcome.
Strategy and tensions between perspectives
For the shade example, an existing or developing tree-planting strategy could be relevant to the urban-heat issue. Research its actual context and explain a tension between perspectives: cooling and habitat benefits may be weighed against maintenance costs or limited space. Support the perspectives with evidence rather than inventing opinions.
Strategy is its own assessment criterion. It should not be treated as a replacement for evaluating the method, data and limitations of your investigation. See the official IB course update and official IB ESS guide.
Analysis and evaluation: what your evidence can support
Show how your processing answers the research question. Explain relevant patterns, variation and uncertainty, and connect the conclusion to the evidence. Choose statistical tools because they suit the data and question, not because they look advanced.
Evaluate specific weaknesses and limitations and explain how they affect confidence in the conclusion. Propose realistic improvements and identify unresolved questions. Naming stakeholders or adding an error-propagation calculation does not automatically earn marks; the discussion must fit the criterion and the investigation.
Use examples to learn, then make your own decisions
Check the date and rubric of any exemplar. An older report may illustrate a useful technique while following an outdated assessment framework. Do not copy its wording, data, analysis or conclusions. Cite information and datasets accurately and follow your school’s requirements.
For more support, read how to choose an ESS IA topic or explore individual ESS IA guidance. Bring your proposed question, available data and practical constraints so feedback can help you decide your next step.
Want more starting points to compare? 25 ESS IA Research Ideas with Sketches is a 16-page PDF with a sketch under every idea and practical data plans. For SL & HL, €25. LOOK INSIDE — 2 pages. Adapt the ideas to your own independent investigation.
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