How to write the IB Digital Society IA

The Digital Society IA is the one piece of coursework your Digital Society grade is marked on internally. It is an inquiry project: a written report of around 1,500 words, paired with a 10-minute multimedia presentation, in which you investigate a real-world example of a digital system's impact and analyse it through the course. Most students who lose marks do so not because they cannot talk about technology, but because they pick a topic that is far too broad, or they describe an issue instead of investigating a specific example with real sources. This guide walks you through the whole thing: what the inquiry project is, what it rewards, exactly how to build each part, and what separates a top-band inquiry from an average one.

The IB Digital Society IA at a glance

The inquiry project asks you to investigate how a particular digital system affects identifiable people or communities, and to communicate that inquiry in two linked ways: a concise written report of roughly 1,500 words and a 10-minute multimedia presentation. The whole inquiry is marked out of 24. The single thing that decides whether the project works is the example: it has to be specific and real, with a focused inquiry question, so that you can investigate it with genuine sources rather than gesturing at a broad theme. A sharp example makes every later section easier; a vague one makes the whole inquiry impossible to mark well.

How the Digital Society IA is marked: what it rewards

The inquiry project rewards four things, and a top-band inquiry shows all four. Build your project with each one consciously in view, and keep checking what each one is really asking for.

How to write a Digital Society IA, step by step

1. Pick a specific real-world digital impact and a focused inquiry question. The most important decision is the example. Name a particular digital system and its impact on identifiable people or communities, and frame a sharp inquiry question around it rather than a broad theme.
2. Gather a range of referenced sources. Collect a range of credible sources that speak directly to your question, and reference them properly from the start so the evidence is traceable.
3. Analyse through the course concepts. Use the course concepts to analyse the impact — explaining why it happens and what it means — rather than simply describing it.
4. Weigh multiple perspectives. Set out the perspectives of those who benefit and those who are harmed, and weigh them against one another instead of choosing a side from the outset.
5. Reach a reasoned conclusion. Draw the inquiry together into a conclusion that synthesises the findings, answering your inquiry question on the strength of the evidence and perspectives.
6. Build the report and the 10-minute presentation. Produce the ~1,500-word report and a 10-minute multimedia presentation that together communicate the inquiry clearly.

Digital Society IA structure: what goes in each section

There is no single mandated layout, but the structure that maps most cleanly onto what the inquiry project rewards is:

• The example & inquiry question — the specific digital system, who it affects, and the focused question you are investigating.
• Sources — the range of referenced sources you are drawing on, and why each is relevant.
• Concepts — the course concepts the impact connects to, and how they frame the analysis.
• Perspectives — those who benefit and those who are harmed, set out fairly.
• Analysis — the impact analysed through the concepts and across the perspectives, grounded in the sources.
• Conclusion — a reasoned synthesis that answers the inquiry question.
• Presentation — a 10-minute multimedia presentation that communicates the inquiry.
• References — a consistent citation style throughout.

What a strong vs weak Digital Society IA looks like

The fastest way to lift your marks is to see the difference. Here is the same work done two ways.

The inquiry question

Using sources & perspectives

The evaluation

Common mistakes that cost marks

• Too broad a topic. A theme like "AI" or "social media" is not an inquiry — name a specific system and an identifiable group.
• No focused inquiry question. Without a sharp question there is nothing for the report and presentation to answer.
• Opinion instead of sources. Assertion with no referenced evidence caps the inquiry — every claim needs a source.
• Description, not concept-based analysis. Concepts have to explain why the impact happens, not just label it.
• One-sided perspectives. Showing only the benefits or only the harms means there is nothing to weigh.
• A conclusion that doesn't synthesise. Restating the introduction is not a reasoned conclusion.
• A presentation that just repeats the report. The 10-minute presentation should communicate the inquiry, not read the document aloud.

Digital Society IA — frequently asked questions

Guidance written by experienced IB examiners and aligned to the current Digital Society guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization.