Sample IB abstracts Document 6

courtesy of your English and TOK teacherswith thanks to L. Lawson

Please note: These were posted by the Association of Rocky Mountain IB Schools (on the
IB site but IB does not officially endorse anything on the teacher resource site). Credit
can not be given to the writers as names were removed. These essays were written
between 2001 and 2004. The version that is printed below is exactly as is; therefore,
errors of syntax, spelling, and excesses of diction are the property of the writers! As you
read, you may note errors and you may also note stylistic issues. If you do, be happy as
you will be able to edit out these errors in your perfect abstract.

When reading an exemplar, concentrate on the flowwhat can you learn about structure
of an abstract? Also, ask yourself the questionafter reading this abstract, do I, as an
innocent reader <one who does not know much about the subject>, get an
understanding of what will be dealt with in this paper?

#1 (Philosophy)

This essay with critically examine Jean Baudrillards proposition that images
precede the real in the creation of hyperreality in the context of the philosophical question
of how personal identity is structured. The purpose of this essay is to ascertain the
efficacy of Baudrillards account of identity, stemming from his account of hyperreality,
in developing a constructivist view of identity. First, Baudrillards view of identify is
situated in regard to constructivist theories of identity including the theories of Judith
Butler. Next, Baudrillards view in regard to simulation and identity will be examined in
order to determine how Baudrillard accounts for individual identity. Third, this essay will
argue that the ultimate result of Baudrillards theory is a destruction of identity. Finally,
the efficacy of Baudrillards view of identity in developing a constructivist description of
personal identity will be evaluated. The conclusion will be reached that while
Baudrillards theories are unable to fully account for political aspects of identity,
Baudrillard offers a more effective constructivist view of identity by accounting for
symbolism in a manner that is not accounted for by other constructivist views of identity.
By focusing on symbolism, Baudrillard is able to avoid arguments that biology is destiny,
making constructivism largely irrefutable. The argument that identity must ultimately be
destroyed permits a better understanding of identity by showing that the very notion of
identity is a self-destructive construction. Ultimately, Baudrillard can serve as a starting
place for the further development of constructivist views of identity that better account
for symbolism.

Note: 249 words

#2 (Mathematics)

The toy known as the Rubiks cube has become a popular toy throughout the
world, particularly to puzzle enthusiasts. The goal is to solve a mixed cube by turning
faces of the cube such that each face of the cube is a solid, unique color. The original
version is a 3x3x3 cube but this paper will examine the smaller 2x2x2 version. A natural
question that arises is precisely which configurations are attainable, or similarly if the
cube were broken and randomly reassembled, what conditions must the configuration of
the corner pieces satisfy if it is solvable? First we define the position permutation, twist
state, and position state of a cube, define the group of all position states. Second, we look
at the generators of the subgroup of attainable position states. We then examine the
subgroup of position states for which the sum of the twist states is aero, and find that the
attainable subgroup is contained in this subgroup. We then find elements of the attainable
subgroup that show that the subgroup with the sums of the twist states equal to zero is
contained in the attainable subgroup. We conclude that these two subgroups are identical,
showing that only the orientation of the corner pieces determines the solvability of a
given configuration, and not the position of these pieces. Thus we have a convenient
method for determining if a given configuration of the 2x2x2 cube is attainable.

Note: 237 words

#3 (Psychology)

Throughout the recent past, the detection of mental illness of Dissociative Identity
Disorder, in the America society, has skyrocketed. This notable and extreme increase in
diagnosis rates of the disorder has played a significant role in the development of the
debate regarding the etiology of DID. The basis of the controversy surrounds the natural
versus artificial production of this mental illness. Sources of the expansion of the disorder
are attributed to the perspective that DID has just recently been socially fabricated
through various outlets of our culture. The media is considered to have played a huge part
in DIDs growth. The power of the media has been demonstrated multiple times in
society, and is again supported with its influence on the dissociative disorder. Upsurges
in diagnosis rates correlate with the increase of appearance of DID (in the media). This
claim is also supported by how attractively Dissociative Identity Disorder is portrayed
and depicted through these outlets. This could drive a person to feign the symptoms of
the disorder. Lastly, critics of the disorder, assert that it is created through the interaction
between therapist and a client. There are many instances in which the highly influential
authority of the clinician is demonstrated. These beliefs compose the leading evidence
against the reality of the disorder.

The proponents argue that DID is a naturally occurring phenomenon.

Comparisons are used with various other disorders to demonstrate this. Firstly, there are
multiple existing and proven disorders whose diagnosis rates have followed DIDs very
closely. Secondly, many other disorders are frequently portrayed through the media and
they are not considered false. Thirdly, the influence of the therapist is not regarded in the
etiology of any other disorders. These three claims make up a small part of the
supporters evidence for the existence of the disorder.

Note: 299 words

The following abstract was taken from The English A1 outline. It received a 1 out of
possible 2 marks. How would you improve it (without considering the actual content).

In this essay, I will analyse poems and extracts from Germany, Britain, and
Russia before and during the First World War. In order to achieve this, I will make use of
World War One anthologies, books of the eras poets, and online poetry archives. I chose
Britain, Germany, and Russia because they were considered to be the main powers
involved in the war. I did not choose the United States of America because of their
relatively late entry into the way. France and Italy were not as politically or militarily
powerful as Germany, Britain, and Russia so neither of them was chosen. The Ottoman
Empire wouldve been an interesting country to research, but there are too few translated
documents for me to conduct research. As for Austria-Hungary, I incorporated them into
the Germany section mainly because of their ethnic/ideological ties.
My research will focus on gathering poems and extracts from the chosen
countries. I will then analyse them by looking at the language, theme, and tone so I can
determine the mood of the poet and whether or not he/she is against the war. I will
analyse poems and extracts before the war in order to determine what was the mood in
the pre-war years. Then, I will analyse material written during the war. In the end, I will
compare both and see how the moods have changed in between.

Note: 230 words

I would focus on
a. rewriting to remove the constant use of I
b. improving the logical flow of ideas
c. checking for minor grammatical and syntax errors
d. all of the above

Yes, d is the correct answer.

An excellent online resource to explore is Peer Net (Pearson College). There are
abstracts and topics from 2002 to 2006 posted. Exploring this site can give you a
sense of what an abstract is and what is expected. Grades are not included. Go to
http://peernet.lbpc.ca/.