Getting Started / Markdown
Research question planner
Turn a broad interest into a feasible question, with an ethical next step.
ResearchUnboxed • original worksheet · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
ResearchUnboxed / Resources
Good questions need good tools.
Start small. Read carefully. Find original club worksheets and trusted starting points for your next step.
16 resources
Reading & Literature / CSV
Literature matrix
Keep sources comparable while distinguishing findings from your interpretation. Includes a worked guidance row.
ResearchUnboxed • original worksheet · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Reading & Literature / Markdown
Critical reading checklist
Slow down a persuasive claim and examine what actually supports it.
ResearchUnboxed • original worksheet · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Questions & Methods / Markdown
Project planning worksheet
Break a project into realistic milestones and discuss risks before starting.
ResearchUnboxed • original worksheet · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Writing & Referencing / Markdown
Peer feedback rubric
Make critique specific, kind and useful. Review the work rather than ranking the researcher.
ResearchUnboxed • original worksheet · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Presenting / Markdown
Research presentation planner
Build a short talk or poster around a question, evidence and an honest takeaway.
ResearchUnboxed • original worksheet · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Writing & Referencing / Guide
Zotero quick start
Collect and organise source references, then check citations against the original.
Zotero · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Reading & Literature / Database guide
Searching PubMed
Learn to search a biomedical bibliographic database. A record does not guarantee free full-text access.
US National Library of Medicine · Life sciences · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Data & Visualisation / Dataset
UCI Iris dataset
Practise describing measurements and making labelled graphs with public, non-personal data. Start with the spreadsheet activity on the programme page.
UCI Machine Learning Repository · Science / data · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25
Data & Visualisation / Tool guide
Desmos statistics
Explore statistical functions and visualise patterns. Use a spreadsheet first if that feels more familiar.
Desmos · Mathematics / data · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25 · Availability/content needs confirmation
Getting Started / Overview
Extended Essay overview
Read the IB’s overview of independent research. School teachers remain responsible for assessment guidance.
International Baccalaureate · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25 · Availability/content needs confirmation
Publishing & Ethics / Guidance
IB academic integrity
Explore responsible academic practice, attribution and honest scholarship.
International Baccalaureate · All disciplines · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25 · Availability/content needs confirmation
Publishing & Ethics / Checklist
Think. Check. Submit.
Use a checklist to assess a journal or publisher before submitting work. Peer review is a process, not a guarantee that every claim is correct.
Think. Check. Submit. · All disciplines · Developing
Source check: 2026-09-25
Competitions / Official resource
IRO curriculum
Find the organiser’s preparation material. Detailed contents and next-cycle applicability remain unverified.
International Research Olympiad · Research skills · Developing
Source check: 2026-09-25 · Availability/content needs confirmation
Competitions / Practice materials
IRO practice exams
Explore official practice materials; check the organiser for current availability and rules.
International Research Olympiad · Research skills · Developing
Source check: 2026-09-25 · Availability/content needs confirmation
Competitions / Presentation
IRO club presentation
Visit the organiser’s presentation resource. This external link is not an affiliation claim.
International Research Olympiad · Research skills · Beginner
Source check: 2026-09-25 · Availability/content needs confirmation
Read the source, not just the summary.
External resources are attributed to their providers and may change. They are linked, not reproduced. Check access terms and competition rules before using them. A database record is not a promise of free full text.