To make sure you have addressed all the aspects appropriately, self-assess your work using the checklist on your coversheet.

Don’t forget to always refer to the statistical analysis tools that we learned at the beginning of the course. Our IBDP Bio Excel StatBook has lots of example graphs, charts and tests to help you with DCP.

Word doc formatting tip:

Make sure that data tables stay on the same page. Set them up properly in Excel before you import them* to Word (don’t wast time making Word tables for results).

If you need to have a single landscape-format page in your write-up to facilitate your big tables, use the instructions in the image. Repeat the same steps to revert the following pages to portrait.

*There is a feature in the new Word 2010 that allows tables and graphs to be pasted in as images, which makes formatting easy. Just make sure your data are easy to read in the image.

For some more tips on DCP, visit these websites:

Errors and Uncertainties, from the Triple A Learning IB Biology Blog

IA DCP Aspects 2 & 3 from the Triple A Learning IB Biology Blog

Errors and uncertainties in IB Biology, from the IB Biology Teachers Support Material page

Curve fitting PhET Lab simulation (allow Java to run)

Why labeled axes are important. From XKCD.

, with marked sample IAs