Build citations while you research
Connect claims, quotations, images and data to sources using one consistent referencing approach.
Choose a style with the school
Ask your teacher or librarian which referencing style is appropriate for the task and follow it consistently. The IB does not impose one universal citation style. Learn both the in-text system and the reference-list format before gathering many sources. Keep an example of each source type you expect to use. Citation is not merely decoration at the end: it identifies borrowed material and allows a reader to locate it. A bibliography alone does not show which source supports a particular claim in the body.
Capture source details immediately
For every source, record the details needed to find it again: author or responsible organization, date, title, publication information and relevant page or section locations. For electronic material, preserve the URL and access information required by your style. Save the source or stable record where appropriate. Note whether you read the original or only encountered it through another author. Do not imply you consulted an original work when you did not. Apply the chosen style's rules for secondary citations and ask the librarian if uncertain.
Distinguish quotation, paraphrase and analysis
A quotation reproduces wording and requires clear marking and a citation. A paraphrase expresses the source's idea in your own language and still requires acknowledgement. Your analysis explains what you infer or evaluate from the material. Keep these roles distinguishable in notes and drafts. Replacing a few words in a copied sentence is not a useful paraphrasing method. Read the passage, identify its meaning, write an accurate account and compare it with the original to ensure you have neither copied its expression nor distorted its claim.
Try a worked source trail
Suppose an illustrative student uses a council report's journey-time figures and creates a new graph from them. The notes preserve the report's title, date, location and measurement definitions. The graph caption acknowledges the data source and indicates that the student created the representation. In the paragraph, the student cites the source when discussing the reported figures and clearly distinguishes their interpretation. This avoids treating a self-made graph as wholly original evidence when its underlying data came from another organization.
Check material beyond prose
Images, diagrams, tables, datasets, interviews, music, videos and code may also need attribution. Record provenance while collecting them. For your own material, follow the task's instructions about identification and confidentiality. A search-engine result is not necessarily the source of an image; locate the original page or creator where possible. If AI-generated material is included, follow the current school and IB acknowledgement rules. Avoid inventing citation details to fill missing fields. An unresolved reference requires investigation or appropriate handling under the style.
Audit citations in both directions
Before submission, check that each in-text citation leads to a complete entry and that listed sources were actually used as represented. Verify quotations and page locations against the originals. Check consistent names and dates, image captions and data attributions. Open links where practical and correct broken or overly general references. A citation manager can assist, but imported records still need inspection. Finish by reading important claims and asking whether their evidence is traceable. The aim is a usable source trail and honest attribution throughout the work.
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Official references
This is an original practical guide from IBvia. The examples are illustrative; your subject guide, assessment year and school instructions determine the requirements.
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