The IA is one of the most demanding parts of IB.
I give a lot of advice to students who struggle with it.
For those unable even to begin, I have helped select topics and provided extensive Organic Chemistry material.
I have even written parts when I had time. IA work is demanding for an instructor too.
Students find it difficult to write everything, so I advise them and reinterpret information they cannot understand even after searching online,
then set it out like this.
Some students spend enormous amounts of time, while others finish in a week.
It is unfortunate when students become so consumed by the IA that they cannot spend time on anything else.
I drew the image above myself, scanned it, and sent it to the student. This student spent a tremendous amount of time on the IA and EE.
Letting the IA consume too much time does not seem a good approach.
Once you have an idea, have a tutor assess it, carry out the experiment, and keep writing while adding citations as you go,
so that you can finish promptly.
Of course, it is difficult for a first-time IA student, but investing excessive time can be risky.
In my view, useful advice from a good tutor can help bring the process to a timely finish.