Answer
Flashcards · IB Diploma Programme World History · Topic 4
Internal assessment: Historical investigation flashcards
10 cards on Topic 4. Pick a subtopic or study them all.
Study mode needs JavaScript. Every card is listed below, so you can still cover the answers and test yourself.
Choose your cards
Session complete
Worth another look:
All 10 cards
For a quick read-through or printing. Cover the right-hand side to test yourself.
Topic 4: Internal assessment: Historical investigation
- What is the historical investigation?
- The internally assessed component taken by every DP History student: an independent written inquiry into a historical question the student formulates.
- Does the historical investigation have to be on a topic studied in class?
- No. It may be on any historical topic the student can find and evaluate sources for.
- What makes a good inquiry question for the historical investigation?
- A narrow, focused question, for example "To what extent did a named factor contribute to a specific outcome between precise dates?", that a manageable set of sources can answer within the word limit.
- What four things should a source evaluation state?
- Origin (who produced it and when), purpose (why), value (what it is useful for in answering the question) and limitation (what it cannot reliably show).
- Are a source’s value and limitations fixed?
- No. The same source can be very valuable for one question and limited for another, so tie the evaluation to the specific inquiry question.
- What is the most common reason a historical investigation underperforms?
- An inquiry question left too broad, which produces narrative instead of a focused, evidenced argument.
- Why are fewer, varied sources often better than a long source list?
- A few sources that differ in origin, type or perspective, evaluated in depth, show stronger evaluation than many treated superficially. Include at least one that challenges your argument.
- What are the three sections of the historical investigation?
- Section 1, identification and evaluation of sources (6 marks); Section 2, the investigation (15 marks); Section 3, reflection (4 marks). Total 25 marks.
- What is the word limit for the historical investigation, and what is it worth?
- 2,200 words, excluding the bibliography. It is worth 25% of the grade at SL and 20% at HL.
- What does the reflection section of the historical investigation ask for?
- What the investigation highlighted about the methods historians use, and the challenges and limitations of those methods, with reference to your own investigation.