IB History IA Source Checker

History IA sources should support a historical investigation, not just provide background. The event should be older than the recent-history cutoff, and the pack should include sources that can be evaluated for origin, purpose, value, and limitation.

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History IA source check

Marksy reads the links or notes you give it, applies the rules for your IB assignment, and only stops to ask you something when the answer would change the verdict.

  1. Assignment
  2. 2Sources
  3. 3Clarify
  4. 4Verdict

Checking against

History IA

What usually works for History IA

Usually strong

  • Primary documents, speeches, laws, letters, newspapers from the period, archival sources, and oral histories when appropriate.
  • Academic books and journal articles by historians.
  • Museum/archive/government collections with clear provenance.

Example

A translated primary speech, an archive photograph with provenance, and two scholarly historians with contrasting interpretations.

Needs a second look

  • Textbooks or survey histories used as main evidence.
  • Webpages with no author, no date, or unclear editorial standards.
  • Modern journalism about a recent event that is not yet historical enough.

Example

A museum overview page that includes useful primary images but mostly summarizes.

Avoid or replace

  • Wikipedia or encyclopedia summaries as evaluated sources.
  • AI summaries of historical debates.
  • A source pack with no source suitable for detailed OPVL evaluation.

Example

A general encyclopedia article on the whole war.

Where to find better History IA sources

If a source gets a warning, don't just add more websites. Search for sources that match the assessment rule and can carry real analysis.

Searches to try

If a source is weak

  • Replace wikipedia or encyclopedia summaries as evaluated sources. with primary documents, speeches, laws, letters, newspapers from the period, archival sources, and oral histories when appropriate..
  • Use textbooks or survey histories used as main evidence. only as context unless your teacher confirms they can carry evidence.
  • Add one source that gives direct evidence for the IA, not just general background.

Good places to look

  • Primary documents, speeches, laws, letters, newspapers from the period, archival sources, and oral histories when appropriate
  • Academic books and journal articles by historians
  • Museum/archive/government collections with clear provenance

Questions people ask