IB Classical languages research dossier: provisional structure and steps
The research dossier is the internally assessed Classical languages component at SL and HL. Students answer a question using 7 to 9 annotated primary sources, introduced by a further source. This structure has 5 sections and is provisional, because the annotations' word limit and the criteria and marks are not yet confirmed here.
Some details on this page are still being checked against the IB guide.
At a glance
| Task | Research dossier |
|---|---|
| Guide | Classical languages guide, first assessment 2024 |
| Sessions | May 2027, November 2027 and May 2028 |
| Levels | SL and HL |
| Assessment | Internal, moderated by the IB |
| Weighting | 30% at SL and 20% at HL |
| Limit | 7 to 9 annotated primary sources plus 1 introductory source that inspired the line of inquiry, answering a question on classical language, literature or culture. The word limit for the annotations is not confirmed, and it is not confirmed whether SL and HL use the same number of sources. |
| Criteria | Criteria and marks not confirmed yet. |
| What is changing | No new Classical languages course is announced, so one structure covers all 3 sessions. |
The structure, section by section
1. Question
Required by the IB
The question the dossier answers.
- Pick a topic in Greek or Roman language, literature or culture.
- Narrow it to 1 answerable question.
- Check that enough primary material exists.
- Agree the scope with your teacher.
2. Introductory source
Required by the IB
The source that inspired the inquiry.
- Choose the source that started your inquiry.
- Identify it fully.
- Note briefly how it led to your question.
3. Annotated primary sources
Required by the IB
7 to 9 sources, each identified in full and annotated for what it shows and where it falls short.
- Select sources that each bear on the question.
- Identify each one: author, work and passage, or object, date and location.
- Annotate what each source shows and where it falls short.
- Order the sources so the answer builds.
4. Answer
Rewarded by a criterion (implied by the task definition; the criteria were not seen)
The answer the sources support.
- State the answer your sources support.
- Weigh conflicting evidence.
- Note what the sources cannot show.
5. List of sources
Common practice · Outside the word count
Editions and secondary sources used.
- Log each source when you first use it.
What counts toward the limit
The IB's word limit for the annotations is not confirmed, so the total is for reference only. The list of sources is left out of it.
Graphs and visuals
- Photos of inscriptions, coins, vases or buildings used as primary sources Image, common
Caption with the object, the date, the location and the source. Frequency is inferred from the art and archaeology topics the dossier allows. - Source-by-source layout (source, then annotation) Table, occasional
2 columns. No source supports this frequency. - Site or findspot map Map, occasional
Caption and source. Frequency is inferred.
The frequencies are our estimates, from what the IB guide expects and what teachers advise. We did not count them in marked work.
Citations
The IB prescribes no style and no rule specific to this task was found; author-date styles such as Harvard are common in classical studies. Identify every primary source in full.
The workspace keeps your sources and writes the bibliography in Harvard to start with. You can switch to APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago author-date or Chicago notes (footnotes) at any point.
Pitfalls
- A dossier that overlaps an Extended essay in classical languages: the same content cannot count twice.
- A topic outside Greek or Roman history, literature, language, religion, mythology, art and archaeology.
- Fewer than 7 or more than 9 annotated primary sources.
Write it in the workspace
These sections in order with their steps, a word counter that counts the way this page says, your sources and a bibliography, and graphs from your own data. Export to Word or PDF.
The workspace is free with an account, and it never writes or rewrites your text. What we will and will not do with your coursework →
Sources
- IB, Classical languages subject brief, first assessment 2024
- IB blog post on the classical languages guide transition
- IB, Examiner instructions 2021: Classical languages
- IB, "Read curriculum updates" (page last updated 24 March 2026)
- Extended essay guide, first assessment 2018 (published Feb 2016, updated May 2019), including subject-specific guidance
The IB documents behind this page, checked 29 October 2026. The linked ones are on ibo.org; the others are IB documents we read in copies hosted elsewhere, so we name them without a link. Everything above is in our own words: the official wording is in your subject guide, which your coordinator can give you. LimeAdmissions is independent of the International Baccalaureate Organization, which has not endorsed this page. Every coursework structure →