IB Chemistry: Home

A to Z Databases

The process of choosing a good research question usually starts broad and then gets more specific.

Not sure where to begin?

Browse first!

• Wander the science section of the library and see if anything catches your eye.
• Look at the Science in Context database and read through the list of chemistry topics or look at the Science Daily  or Journal of Chemical Education websites and see if anything inspires you.

Once you decide on a general topic or two . . .

• Quickly brainstorm as many questions as you can related to those topics.
• From your long list of questions, choose a few that are the most interesting.

Do some reading.

• Read some general articles about the topics you are considering. (Wikipedia could be a good source for this.)
• Use what you learn from the reading to add to, subtract from, or modify your list of questions.

Then ask yourself  . . .

• Which of these questions seem manageable?
• Which could you answer in the time allowed?
• Which fit into the constraints of what can be done at ASD  in terms of equipment, ethics, etc.

Of the topics that are still in the running, brainstorm ways you might find the answer to your questions.

From the IB Chemistry Guide 2016:

Some of the possible tasks include: • a hands-on laboratory investigation • using a spreadsheet for analysis and modelling • extracting data from a database and analysing it graphically • producing a hybrid of spreadsheet/database work with a traditional hands-on investigation • using a simulation provided it is interactive and open-ended.

Now choose your best question.

• Word it carefully. The better your question, the more focused your research will be.

Then get specific.

• What is your independent variable?
• What is your dependent variable?
• How will you measure each of these variables (both units and equipment)?
• What are some controlled variables that will need to be addressed?

When doing an Internet search, be sure to look for reliable sources. Try a Google Advanced Search. You can narrow your results by limiting the domain to .edu or .org.  

We now use Google SSO (single sign on). Use your ASD email address to log in to your account.

The library has several books on chemistry, including these:

This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.