IB ECONOMICS IA Portfolios

Frequently Asked Questions

The following section has been taken from the Teacher Support Materials on the OCC.
General
How many areas of the syllabus have to be covered in the portfolio?
Each article in the portfolio must have a different section of the syllabus (microeconomics,
macroeconomics, international economics and development economics) as its main focus. This
means that the focus of the commentary will be on the area covered by the article, but it can draw
on other areas of the syllabus too.
Does a newspaper and its website source count as the same source?
Yes.
How should students cite syndicated news articles?
Sometimes students use sources that are from a news agency, for example, Thomson Reuters or
Associated Press, and these appear in another publication. Students must cite the final publication
as the source, not the news agency. For example, a portfolio might have two articles from Thomson
Reuters that were published in two different newspapers.
How important is it to meet the word limit requirements?
The word limit requirement is exact and each commentary must not exceed 750 words. See the
section Rubric requirements for full details of what is included in the word limit. Moderators will
not read beyond 750 words in a commentary and the portfolio will not be able to reach the highest
level under criterion F: rubric requirements.
Is it appropriate to use the first person in the commentary?
There may be situations in which it is acceptable to use the first person. However, appropriate
formal language is expected.
Can footnotes, endnotes and/or diagram labels be used to save words in the actual commentary?
No. If moderators consider that a student has used any of these methods to include information
that should have been included in the commentary, that is, to avoid exceeding the word limit, that
student will not be able to reach the highest level under criterion F: rubric requirements.
Is it essential that the commentaries are word processed?
It is not a requirement that the commentaries are word processed. However, tidy presentation and
legibility are important qualities that are easier to achieve through word processing.
What will happen if students complete fewer than three commentaries?
See the sections Assessing the commentaries and whole portfolio and Atypical work in the
"Responsibilities of the teacher" section.
What sort of information should students record for the commentaries?
Students are required to record various details on their commentary coversheet. An example of a
Commentary coversheet is provided in the section Forms in this publication. See also Internal
assessment detailsSL and HL in the Economics guide (November 2010). InThinking, March 2011
Page 39
How much feedback can the teacher give?
See the section Responsibilities of the teacher. It is important to note that once the student
submits the final commentary, with the form 3/CS signed by the student, as their final version this
must not be returned to the student for any alterations.

Can teachers be part of the selection process if a student writes more than three commentaries?
Teachers must not be part of the selection process if more than three commentaries are written.
Students alone must decide which three commentaries to submit.
Should the portfolios contain any comments when they are submitted to the moderator?
Comments (if included) must be limited to the teacher marking information sheet. The individual
commentaries must not be annotated.
What happens if a student does not meet the external deadline for the portfolio?
The procedure for a student missing deadlines is outlined in the Handbook of procedures for the
Diploma Programme. The teacher and Diploma Programme coordinator should check this prior to
mark entry on IBIS.

Internal assessment criteria Tips!

Criterion A: Diagrams (3 marks)
Do diagrams have to be constructed using a computer?
No. These can be completed by hand, as can the whole commentary, although the use of a
computer is recommended.
Can complete diagrams be cut and pasted into commentaries?
Yes. If a student chooses to include a diagram not drawn by the student, he or she must reference it
clearly. However, generic diagrams not specifically adapted to the commentary may mean that the
student cannot reach the higher levels of criterion A.
What is meant by correctly labeled?
Students should pay attention to axis labels. These should be labeled price of something and
quantity of something. Labeling these p and q does not count. A graph title is recommended
but not compulsory for full marks. If a complete title is provided for the graphfor example,
Market for bananasprice and quantity alone are sufficient as it is clear what the market is for.
Should all diagrams be dynamic, showing shifts from one situation to another?
Dynamic diagrams that clearly illustrate the changes taking place (either by arrows or labeling) are
effective. There are certain situations where a static diagram, without any changes, may be
effective, but these are limited.
What is the difference between a full and a limited explanation?
A limited explanation is one that may not refer to dynamic changes in the article. A limited
explanation may also indicate that the diagram has not been explained in adequate detail to make
it relevant, for example, by making no reference to specific points on the diagram.

Criterion B: Terminology (2 marks)

Should terms be defined?
As with responses in external examinations, the key terms should be defined. However, there is no
need to define all economic terms within the commentary. This criterion is concerned with using
the relevant terminology appropriately throughout the commentary, not definitions.

Criterion C: Application (2 marks)

How does this differ from analysis?
Analysis of an economic problem can take place without the links to the article being effective.
Application is how well the analysis links to the specific article. Questions that students should be
asking themselves must focus on the relevance of their analysis to the actual article included.
Is it possible to get a level zero for application and a high level for analysis?
Yes, although this would be rare. These two criteria are designed to separate the two areas.
Application refers uniquely to the links between the commentary and the article. When deciding
which mark is the most appropriate for application, teachers should be trying to decide whether
students have managed to choose appropriate concepts and theories relating to the article.

Criterion D: Analysis (3 marks)

What is meant by analysis?
In the context of an internal assessment commentary, analysis means using economics to express
economic understanding. Students must be able to address essential elements or the structure of a
specific economic issue using economic theory.

Criterion E: Evaluation (4 marks)

What is evaluation?
This is the highest order skill at AO3 and is one of the key differentiators between stronger and
weaker students. Students are expected to synthesize their analysis of the argument, and then
support this with reasoned arguments and justifications.
What are some examples of areas that could be included in evaluation of an article?
Evaluation implies a judgment of a theory and an application of the theory to a given situation,
with awareness that the theory may not provide an accurate description.
Evaluation can take many forms:
Students could identify the most important reasons or factors relating to an economic issue,
and support this with reasoned arguments and justifications for their choice.
When advantages and disadvantages are relevant, students could attempt to identify the
most important advantage (or disadvantage) and then justify the reason for the choice.
When strategies are presented, students could attempt to assess the short-term and longterm implications.
When data is present, students may question its validity, in terms of whether it is
appropriate, reliable or relevant.
When considering a theory, students may question its validity, in terms of whether it is
appropriate, reliable or relevant.
Judgments about real-world effectiveness of policies could include limitations of noneconomic constraints upon specific economic theory in reality.

Criterion F: Rubric requirements (3 marks)

What are the rubric requirements?
See Criterion F: Rubric requirements in the section Internal assessment criteriaSL and HL in the
Economics guide (November 2010). Students must meet all five requirements if they are to achieve
full marks.
The following information does not require referencing:

information and analysis based on standard economic theory, or

quotations from the article upon which the commentary is based.

Anything that does not fall into the above categories must be cited consistently by the student
using the recognized academic reference system.
Students may use quotations from the articles but students must be careful not to include too many
quotations, leaving little room for their own analysis. Quotations from the article do not need to be
referenced, although these must be identified clearly by using inverted commas and by, for
example, giving a line or paragraph number.
References from the internet must be cited fully, including the full web address and the date the
site was accessed.
Sometimes students use sources that are from a news agency, for example, Thomson Reuters or
Associated Press, and these appear in another publication. Students must cite the final publication,
not the news agency, as the source.

Further notes on evaluation

The following offers some suggestions as to how students might show evidence of evaluation in
their work:
Identify which factor is the most important in a list of reasons, costs, benefits, etc. and
then justify your choice. For example, according to the article, the most important cost of
inflation is its effect on investment because . . .
Compare and contrast the short term implications with the long-term implications of an
event. For example, This article considers the short run effects of the increased costs of
capital for Canadian firms. However, in the long run, total costs are likely to fall in the long
run as a result of the current levels of investment.
Look at an economic event or policy from the point of view of different stakeholders and
make a judgment about the relative effects. For example, There are clearly a number of
negative consequences of the reduction in EU subsidies on the British milk farms identified in
the article. However, in terms of the global allocation of resources, the effects can be
considered positive. Non-EU milk farms will have the opportunity to gain valuable market
share. Furthermore, the reduced spending on farming by the EU will free up resources to
spend in other important areas, such as the development of green technologies.
As in the example above, refer to the extent to which resources have been allocated
efficiently (after all, economics is all about the allocation of resources!)
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of an economic event or policy and come to a
judgment about the relative merits or problems. For example, The decision to raise the
indirect tax on petrol has presented households and firms with a number of different
advantages, as outlined in the article. In the end, it can be concluded that the decision was a
positive one because
* Look at the (implicit) assumptions behind the theories that you are using. These
assumptions may not be valid in the context of your article. Remember that the conclusions
drawn from applying economic theory often rely on the ceteris paribis assumption. In
reality, this assumption cannot be made, since we cannot keep everything else the same in
the real world. For example, you might look at an article about a bumper crop leading to a
massive increase in the supply of cotton. Economic theory suggests that this will lead to a
fall in the price of cotton, ceteris paribus. However, if at the same time there has been a
significant fall in demand due to the world recession, then the impact of the increased
supply might be very small, if there is any effect at all.
Consider any elasticity values that might be implicit in the article. For example The price of
corn tortillas has risen in Mexico, and the article refers to the enormous problems that this is
creating for Mexicans. While all Mexicans will feel the effect of the price rise to some extent,
the impact will be much greater on low income people, whose staple food is the corn tortilla.
This makes their demand for tortillas very inelastic. Even though the price has increased,
their demand falls by a proportionately smaller amount, and so their total expenditure on
corn tortillas increases, leaving them with less income for other goods and services.
Consider why the theories that you have applied do not provide a full explanation of the
situation described in the article. For example, Economic theory suggests that an increase
in indirect taxes is regressive, putting greater financial pressure on lower income families. It

is therefore unclear why the government is choosing to increase indirect taxes at a time
when income inequality is already rising.
Consider the validity of the theory in the context of the article that you are analysing to
come to the conclusion that what economic theory predicts may not be what happens in
reality. Given the disadvantages associated with the anti-competitive behaviour displayed
by the firms in this case, it is very positive that there is a competition commission to regulate
the behavior. However, it is possible that in reality, the commission has little power to
prevent the price-fixing since it is so difficult to prove.
Identify any ideological underpinnings of arguments made in the text (the most obvious of
these is related to the debate about whether resources are best allocated through the
market mechanism or whether intervention is desirable). For example, an article about the
role of fiscal policy in stimulating an economy is likely to imply some debate between
Keynesian (interventionist) thinking and neo-classical (free market) thinking

Possible phrases and sentences to use when evaluating:

1. This theory does not account for the . . .
2. This theory does not provide a full answer to the situation described in the article
3. On the other hand
4. The extent to which this is likely to happen depends on . . .
5. Apart from economic theory, other factors also have an impact
6. In the short term . . . However, in the long term . . .
7. The most important cost is., because
8. Factor X is somewhat less significant than factor Y because . . .
9. Other stakeholders such as
10. In reality the theory may not hold true, because
11. This idea is often criticized because
.