Structuring the Paper

To structure your IA paper, consider the following questions and guides:

• Introduction

  • What is the background to your topic, and where/how is your topic an opportunity for mathematical exploration?

• Rationale

  • Why did you choose your topic?

• Aim/Purpose

  • What would you like to achieve from your exploration?

  • Your purpose of the research must be clear, focused, and show enough evidence supporting your personal engagement.

• Main Body

  • What Math are you using in your topic?

  • If you are using any formulas/theorems/propositions/etc., how are those derived?

  • Is there any proof or history to discuss?

  • Look at different perspectives on the problem, and discuss their respective merits and outcomes.

  • Describe the methods, followed by the investigation.

  • Record the results (tables, lists, etc.), analyze the results (graphs, diagrams, calculations, etc.), and form conjectures.

• Conclusion

  • What did you learn?

  • What were your limitations?

  • What areas are there for further exploration and application of your research?

• Reference

  • The paper should include a detailed bibliography.

  • Include any sources and direct quotes you referenced.