Business Management · Business Research Project (IA)
IB Business Management IA Grader
Upload your Business Research Project (IA) and get criterion-by-criterion feedback against the IB assessment criteria in the official IB Business Management internal assessment (business research project) criteria (first assessment 2024). Whether you are at Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL), iBacalao shows where your draft meets the mark scheme and what to improve before formative submission. Free to start in the Mac app; sign-in is required to keep reviews and usage limits tied to your account.
IB assessment criteria — 25 marks total
Your Business Research Project (IA) is graded against 7 criteria in the official mark scheme. iBacalao scores each one and tells you exactly where to gain marks.
Integration of a Key Concept
One of the four key concepts (change, creativity, ethics or sustainability) used as a lens, with the analysis of the connection between the concept and the organization effectively integrated throughout the project — introduction, body and conclusion — not just name-dropped.
Supporting Documents
Three to five relevant supporting documents that address the research question in appropriate depth and breadth, providing a range of ideas and views. Documents must be contemporary (published within three years of submission) and the majority of the project's information should come from them.
Selection and Application of Tools and Theories
Business management tools and theories effectively selected and applied with clear relevance to the research question — the right analytical frameworks (e.g. SWOT, STEEPLE, ratio analysis, decision trees) chosen for the issue, and actually applied to the organization's data rather than described in the abstract.
Analysis and Evaluation
Data from the supporting documents effectively selected and used, leading to a thorough analysis and evaluation of the research question — a sustained integration of ideas that also considers the assumptions underpinning the arguments and their implications.
Conclusions
Conclusions consistent with the evidence presented in the project that explicitly answer the research question — without introducing new facts or arguments that were not discussed in the body.
Structure
The research project is organized using an appropriate structure: an introduction that sets the context (organization, issue, methodology), a main body that presents and analyses findings, and a conclusion that answers the research question.
Presentation
The project is effectively presented with all required elements: a title page, an accurate table of contents, appropriate headings and sub-headings, and numbered pages — within the 1,800-word limit.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most frequent reasons students drop marks on each criterion.
Integration of a Key Concept
- Key concept named on the title page but absent from the analysis
- Using more than one key concept, or one outside the four allowed
- Concept described in general terms, never connected to the organization
- Concept appears in the introduction and conclusion but not the body
Supporting Documents
- Fewer than three or more than five supporting documents
- All documents from a single source or perspective (no range of views)
- Documents older than three years before submission
- Documents attached but barely used in the analysis
Selection and Application of Tools and Theories
- Tools listed or defined but never applied to the organization's data
- Tools chosen that don't fit the research question
- Only one tool used where the question needs several perspectives
- Theory applied generically, not in the context of the chosen organization
Analysis and Evaluation
- Describing the documents instead of analysing their data
- Analysis disconnected from the supporting documents
- One-sided argument with no evaluation of strengths and weaknesses
- Assumptions behind the arguments never questioned
Conclusions
- Conclusion introduces new evidence or arguments not in the body
- Research question never explicitly answered
- Conclusion contradicts or ignores parts of the evidence presented
- Unanswered aspects of the question not acknowledged
Structure
- No clear introduction–body–conclusion sequence
- Methodology never outlined in the introduction
- Findings scattered rather than organized around the argument
Presentation
- Missing title page or table of contents
- Table of contents that doesn't match the actual page numbers
- No headings/sub-headings, or unnumbered pages
- Exceeding the 1,800-word limit (examiners stop reading there)
Common questions
How is the IB Business Management Business Research Project (IA) marked?
Your Business Research Project (IA) is marked against 7 criteria totalling 25 marks using the official IB Business Management internal assessment (business research project) criteria (first assessment 2024): Integration of a Key Concept (/5), Supporting Documents (/4), Selection and Application of Tools and Theories (/4), Analysis and Evaluation (/5), Conclusions (/3), Structure (/2), Presentation (/2). Each criterion has its own mark bands, and your teacher's marks are moderated by the IBO.
What are the most common mistakes in the IB Business Management Business Research Project (IA)?
The two criteria worth the most marks are where students lose the most. On Integration of a Key Concept: Key concept named on the title page but absent from the analysis; Using more than one key concept, or one outside the four allowed. On Analysis and Evaluation: Describing the documents instead of analysing their data; Analysis disconnected from the supporting documents. The full list for every criterion is above.
Which criterion is worth the most marks in the IB Business Management Business Research Project (IA)?
The highest-weighted criterion is "Integration of a Key Concept" and is worth 5 marks. The top mark band for this criterion is the most detailed, so missing any element it mentions is the fastest way to lose marks.
What is the word limit for the Business Management Business Research Project (IA)?
Word and page limits for the Business Research Project (IA) are set in the official IB Business Management internal assessment (business research project) criteria (first assessment 2024) rather than being the same across subjects, so check your subject guide for the exact figure. Going over the limit risks examiners stopping at the limit and not marking what follows.
Can I use AI to help with my Business Management IA?
The IBO allows AI for research support and feedback, but the submitted work must be entirely your own. iBacalao gives criterion-by-criterion feedback on your draft — the same kind of comment your teacher would give — without generating any text for your IA.