The big idea: A good global issue is genuinely global (it matters beyond one story), specific (narrow enough to explore in ten minutes), and present in both works through their authorial choices — not just mentioned once.
The global issue is the spine of the whole IO — choose it well and everything else follows.
IB groups global issues into five fields (culture/identity/community; beliefs/values/education; politics/power/justice; art/creativity; science/technology/environment). But ‘power’ or ‘identity’ alone is too broad. Narrow it: not ‘power’ but ‘how institutions silence individual dissent’. Specific + global + in both works = a strong choice.
Testing a global issue
Genuinely global
Does it matter beyond this one story — to real people, in the real world?
Specific, not vast
Narrow it: not ‘war’ but ‘how war reshapes the language families use’.
Present in BOTH works
Can you show it through authorial choices in each work — not just a passing mention?
Analysable, not just topical
Can you ANALYSE how each text explores it, not merely that it appears?
The key move: Choose an issue that is global + specific + genuinely present in both works. Narrow a broad field (‘power’) into a precise issue (‘how power hides behind politeness’).
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Why it matters in the exam: The global issue underpins Criterion A (knowledge of the issue and works) and shapes everything else. A vague or barely-present issue makes the whole IO unfocused; a sharp, well-chosen one gives you ten minutes of real analysis.
Sharpen this weak global issue for an IO: ‘Society.’
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Avoid two traps: an issue too broad (‘society’, ‘love’, ‘power’) that you can't explore in ten minutes, and an issue barely present in one work that you have to force. It must be sharp AND genuinely in both texts.