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Ia Structure Summary

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46 views4 pages

Ia Structure Summary

Uploaded by

aahilmerali12
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NOTE: This document focuses mainly on the structure of your writing.

Be sure to read all


guidance docs on Managebac if you are unsure of what is expected (and speak to your
teacher).
ThinkIB student handout: https://www.thinkib.net/economics/page/20608/how-to-write-
your-ia-student-handout

Cover Page

 Copy-paste & use the table below.


 You should also have your article screen-shotted in between the cover page and the
actual commentary (not copy pasted). This is very important in case your article is
removed from the Internet, meaning the examiner will not have access to your article.
 It is better (but not mandatory) to have an article that discusses the solution to the
economic problem. This makes it easier for you to analyze & discuss the solution in your
evaluation.

Student code

Commentary number

Unit of the syllabus

Title of the article

Source of the article

Link for the article

Date article was published

Date commentary was written

Word count

Key concept
Commentary
 Note 1: Your final commentaries will go through a plagiarism check on Turnitin > never
copy someone else’s work. Cite your sources with in-text referencing.
 Note 2: You do NOT use the sub-headings below in your commentary. This is just a
guide to help you structure your writing.
 Paragraphs should be roughly 100 words long & focus on one particular
concept/idea/argument.
 Justify your paragraphs for a more professional look.
 A commentary is NOT a summary of your article. You:
1) identify a problem discussed in the article.
2) use economic theory to analyze the problem (diagram included)
3) discuss a proposed solution (diagram included)
4) critically evaluate possible solutions & come to a conclusion.
 For the assessment breakdown & additional guidance, refer to the IA ASSESSMENT
GUIDE on Managebac.

INTRODUCTION (75 words – 1 paragraph)


 3 brief sentences, summarizing the central theme of the article - Avoid quotes from the
article!
 A few key terms should be used in a way that shows that you understand them.

 Don’t write a list of definitions! The rubric only asks for terms to be "used
appropriately” so you don’t need definitions if you are using terms in a way that shows
you know what they mean. If you do define a word (which you may), do so only after
you've used the word in a sentence.

 Make clear:
1. What the problem is
2. What the proposed policy is. If the article does not propose a policy(not ideal), state
“Although the article does not suggest a policy, this commentary will discuss a
solution.”)
3. What the conceptual focus of your commentary is. Eg: “This commentary will focus
on intervention as it discusses the involvement of the UAE government in the Alcohol
market.” Note: It is perfectly fine to define key concepts and won’t detract from your
grade (eg: ‘economic well-being’ is a key concept that should be defined because it is a
broad concept).
ANALYSIS
What is the underlying problem? (100 words - 1 paragraph)
 Discuss what the underlying problem in the market/country is.
 Eg: a government is considering imposing a tax on a specific good - the underlying
problem may be overconsumption, so placing an excise tax on it may cause a reduction
in consumption.
 Explain why the overconsumption of that good is a bad thing for society.
 You may want to draw a diagram and give an explanation on how overconsumption of a
demerit good causes market failure through negative externalities (full explanation).

What is the proposed policy? (and what is its intended effect?) (250-300 words: 2/3 p-graphs)
 The bulk of your analysis will fall under this section.
 This is where you explain and show how the government is aiming to solve the situation
that you outlined in the previous section.
 For example, how will the imposition of a tax reduce the quantity consumed?
Show this using a diagram.
 To get 3 marks for diagram: clearly explain your diagram & try use actual values from
the article. For example, ‘as a result of the imposition of an excise tax, the supply curve
will shift left from S1 to S2. The leftward shift of the supply curve causes a new
equilibrium to be established at…’.

 Explain equilibrium changes fully and clearly. A common, basic explanation is “Supply
shifts inward because there was a drought. This leads to a higher price and a lower
quantity demanded”. Rather, you need to show a full understanding, and explain fully
like this “The leftward shift of the supply curve means that, for any given price, less is
supplied. This creates excess demand at the original equilibrium price, which puts
upward pressure on price. Producers receive the signal to increase their prices and they
do.”

DIAGRAMS (words not counted)


 One diagram showing the problem. Another diagram showing the proposed policy (no
more than two diagrams – you need to focus on ONE solution only. Need words for your
evaluation – CLASPP).
 Make yourself > no copy-paste/screenshots.
 Full heading & Use letters for key intersections (so you can use letters in explanation)
 use values given in the article for high grades (Q & P values…also: QSO, PSO, Qe, Pe)
 shade important areas (welfare loss) & label all axes and lines.
 Should be dynamic, showing equilibrium changes.
EVALUATION (250-300 words – 3 paragraphs)
What are some unintended effects of the policy?
You have discussed the problem and the proposed solution (just ONE). If there is a second
solution, and you have words to play with, you may write this in a sentence with a reasoned
justification (also discuss a limitation to this other solution briefly).
Now show your critical thinking: Focus on CLASPP:
o Conclusion — this should include a synthesis of the points discussed, with a
decision made as far as possible (last very short paragraph)
o Long-run versus short-run implications of the points discussed and the
policy(ies) recommended.
o Assumptions—discuss possible assumptions in the Economic theory: Will the
policy solution achieve the desired outcome? Discuss additional important
factors that could influence the outcome.
o Stakeholder perspectives, including the winners and losers of certain issues or
policy decisions.
o Priorities — which of the points presented in the IA is of most
significance/importance/relevance and why?
o Pros & cons — there should be consideration of the advantages and limitations
of the policy recommendations made.

To evaluate you'll need to use at least 3 different CLASPP approaches (LINK). Try to include
"assumptions" of the theory if you can, to show the limits of the theory and that it doesn't
always work out in real life.

 consider page 9-10 in the IA student booklet.


 consider exemplar portfolio examples (page 11-22)
 Sentence starters: however... additionally… on the other hand… furthermore… that
said... although… finally

Key concept paragraph

CONCLUSION (50 words - 1 paragraph)


 Summarize your main idea in 2 sentences.
 wrapping up your argument in a short summary

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