Step Seven – Commentary FAQ’s

IB Economics.

  1. Are footnotes included in the word count? Yes.
  2. Are diagram labels, axes labels and diagram titles included in the word count?. No. But diagram descriptions / explanations are.
  3. Can I put line graphs, bar charts or pie charts in my commentary? No, not unless there is one already in the article. If there is one, just talk about it in the commentary, don’t reproduce it.
  4. Must you include a bibliography at the end? No. Only include footnotes at the bottom of each page which reference your sources. Bibliographies at the end are not needed.
  5. Can I use an article in a language that is not English? Yes, but  provide a translation.
  6. Can I use economics diagrams that are copied and pasted from the internet? Yes, provided you reference their source as a footnote at the bottom of the page.
  7. Can I put definitions of specialist economic terms in the footnotes? No, they must go in the main body.
  8. Can I quote from the article? Yes, but don’t do it too much because it uses up a lot of your word count. Indeed, I would only do it once, and then if you want to refer to another line or paragraph in the article write (L3) or (P4) at the end of the sentence. This saves your word count.
  9. Can I write more than three commentaries and then just submit the best three? Theoretically yes, providing your teacher agrees with this.
I.B. Economics, commentaries,
Nigeria / France World Cup Game, Brasilia.