IB Economics IA·Article selection

How to Find a Strong Economics IA Article

A practical guide to choosing news articles that give you enough economic theory, diagrams and evaluation to build a strong Internal Assessment commentary.

Find a clear issue

Choose one focused economic problem or policy change.

Leave room to analyse

The article should give you space to apply theory and evaluate outcomes.

Think about diagrams

Strong article choices often create opportunities for useful economic diagrams.

Start here

Official IB requirements

Before looking for an article, make sure the source and topic fit the basic requirements of the IA.

What the IB expects

“Students are expected to write clear and concise analytical commentaries on current news articles utilizing the language and tools of economics.”

Individual selection

You must choose your own articles. Teachers cannot provide the same article to the class.

Link theory to practice

Connect the issue in the article to economic theory and an appropriate key concept.

Be able to explain your choice

You should be prepared to discuss the article and why you chose it with your teacher.

Sources

Choose an appropriate article source

The article itself matters just as much as the economic issue you choose.

Suitable sources

  • Newspapers, print or online
  • Academic journals
  • Reputable online news sites
  • Articles published within the required timeframe

Avoid

  • Television broadcasts
  • Radio broadcasts
  • Articles outside the permitted timeframe
  • Articles provided directly by your teacher

Language and length

  • Use an article in the same language as your commentary when possible.
  • If using another language, provide a complete translation.
  • Avoid articles that are so long that the relevant issue becomes difficult to isolate.
  • Include the original article in your portfolio.

Your portfolio

Use different syllabus units

Your three IA commentaries should cover different areas of the IB Economics syllabus.

Each of your three commentaries must be based on a different syllabus unit, excluding Unit 1 Introduction to Economics.

Unit 2

Microeconomics

Unit 3

Macroeconomics

Unit 4

Global Economics

Article strategy

What makes a strong IA article?

The best article is not necessarily the most complicated one. It is the article that gives you the clearest opportunities to apply economics.

01

Specific, but manageable

Choose an article focused enough for detailed analysis without requiring you to explain several unrelated economic issues.

Micro

Taxes on products that generate negative externalities.

Macro

Central bank interest rate changes and monetary policy.

Global

New tariffs or other changes in trade policy.

02

Leave room for discussion

Articles involving policies, proposed changes or contested outcomes usually give you more room to evaluate.

  • Look for policy proposals or policy changes.
  • Prefer situations where alternative economic responses exist.
  • Avoid articles that simply report facts with little scope for discussion.
03

Look for diagram opportunities

A strong article gives you something meaningful to show with an economic diagram, rather than forcing one into the commentary.

For example, an article about a product with negative externalities allows you to move beyond basic demand and supply into market failure, welfare loss and policy responses.

Ideas

Strong article topics by unit

Use these as inspiration for the type of issue to search for rather than as a fixed list of articles you must use.

Unit 2

Microeconomics

Market structure

Tech company monopolies

Airline industry competition

Price discrimination in streaming

Minimum wage changes

Unit 3

Macroeconomics

Monetary policy

Central bank interest rate changes

Quantitative easing programmes

Inflation targeting policies

Currency intervention

Fiscal policy

Government stimulus packages

Tax reform announcements

Infrastructure spending plans

Budget deficit discussions

Unit 4

Global Economics

Development and exchange

Exchange-rate fluctuations

Foreign aid programmes

Economic integration initiatives

Debt relief announcements

Before you decide

Three final article selection checks

Research thoroughly

Take time to find an article with a clear issue and a key concept you can genuinely analyse.

Match your strengths

Choose topics you understand well enough to explain and evaluate with confidence.

Think about the portfolio

Consider how all three commentaries fit together and remember that a key concept can only be used once.

The strongest article is one that lets you demonstrate deep economic understanding within the 800-word limit. The quality of your analysis matters more than choosing the most complex topic.

Keep preparing

Build the economics behind your IA

Finding the article is only the first step. Use IBonomics to strengthen the theory, diagrams and examples behind your commentary.

IA examples

Study real student commentaries and see how stronger IAs are structured.

Economics diagrams

Review the diagrams you may need to explain the economic issue in your article.

Real-world examples

Explore current economic examples connected to IB syllabus topics.

Learn how to structure your IA

Once you have found a strong article, follow our guide from the introduction through to diagrams, analysis and evaluation.