Who owns knowledge?
TOK Exhibition Prompt 29 — Object Examples & Rationale
A complete, examiner-written breakdown of IB TOK Exhibition IA Prompt 29 — five worked object examples, linked optional themes, knowledge questions and top-band commentary to help you nail the TOK exhibition for IB DP May 2026.
The Prompt
“Who owns knowledge?” — Prompt 29 of the 35 prescribed IA prompts.
Assessment Weight
TOK exhibition = one-third of your final TOK grade.
Word Count
950 words max across all 3 objects combined (plus references).
Session
Updated & mapped for TOK assessment.
Decoding Prompt 29 – “Who owns knowledge?”
TOK Exhibition Prompt 29 challenges one of the most assumed-but-rarely-examined ideas in the Theory of Knowledge course: that knowledge can be owned. The prompt invites you to investigate the legal, cultural, communal and institutional mechanisms by which individuals, corporations, communities and nations claim, share, restrict or release knowledge. For a strong exhibition, each of your three objects must reveal a different angle on this — whether through patents, open licences, indigenous heritage, formal credentialing or research confidentiality.
A top-scoring IB TOK exhibition on Prompt 29 does three things well: it links each object to a specific real-world context, it justifies why that object illustrates the prompt through a clear knowledge claim about ownership, and it connects back to an optional theme or area of knowledge.
TOK Exhibition Objects for Prompt 29
Each example below includes the object, linked optional theme, examiner-written rationale, and a knowledge question to extend your analysis.
A Patent Certificate for a New Invention
A patent certificate represents a legal acknowledgement of ownership over a specific invention or idea, granting the inventor exclusive rights to use, produce, and sell the invention for a certain period. This object highlights the legal mechanisms in place to attribute ownership of knowledge in the form of intellectual property, reflecting on the balance between encouraging innovation by rewarding creators and the broader societal interest in accessing and building upon new knowledge.
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An Open Source Software License Agreement
Open source software, governed by licenses that allow users to freely use, modify, and distribute the software, exemplifies a communal approach to knowledge ownership. This licensing model challenges traditional notions of intellectual property by promoting collaboration and sharing, suggesting that knowledge, especially in the form of software code, can be collectively owned and improved upon by a community of usershttp://technology and developers.
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A Traditional Recipe Passed Down Through Generations
A traditional recipe, especially one that has been passed down through generations within a community or family, serves as an example of knowledge that is culturally owned. This type of knowledge, rooted in tradition and shared experience, underscores the concept of communal ownership over certain types of knowledge, where the value lies in its transmission and preservation within a cultural context rather than in legal rights or economic terms.
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2 More Objects for Prompt 29
Two additional examiner-written object examples to help you finalise your TOK exhibition selection.
A University Diploma
A diploma from an educational institution symbolizes the acquisition of knowledge through formal education, raising questions about the ownership of learned knowledge. While the institution provides the framework and certification of this knowledge, the ownership in terms of understanding, application, and further development of this knowledge resides with the individual learner. This object prompts reflection on the personal versus institutional aspects of knowledge ownership, especially in contexts of formal education and certification.
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A Confidentiality Agreement from a Research Institution
Confidentiality agreements in research settings often delineate the boundaries of knowledge ownership between researchers, their institutions, and funding bodies. These agreements highlight how knowledge produced in research contexts is subject to legal and contractual agreements that govern who owns the results of research, under what conditions they can be shared, and how they can be used commercially or academically. This object reflects on the complexities of knowledge ownership in collaborative and funded research environments, where multiple stakeholders have interests in the outcomes of knowledge production.
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Knowledge Questions for Prompt 29
Use these knowledge questions to strengthen the analytical depth of your exhibition commentary.
What does it mean to ‘own’ an idea, and how does this differ from owning a physical thing?
Can communities, rather than individuals, be the legitimate owners of knowledge?
Should publicly funded research belong to the public, the funder, or the researcher?
How do indigenous knowledge systems challenge Western frameworks of intellectual property?
When knowledge is restricted by confidentiality, who is harmed — the holder, the public, or future researchers?
Does formal certification by an institution create knowledge ownership, or merely recognise it?
How to Score High on Prompt 29
Three strategies our IB examiners use when coaching students through the TOK exhibition.
Choose objects that show ownership in tension
The strongest exhibitions on Prompt 29 pair objects that disagree about who owns knowledge — e.g., a patent (private ownership) against an open-source licence (communal ownership). Tension drives high-band commentary.
Be specific about the form of ownership
Don’t say ‘belongs to a community’. Say which community, under what custom or law, with what enforcement mechanism. Specificity scores.
Connect ownership to its consequences
Top-band answers go beyond who owns knowledge to why it matters — for innovation, justice, access, or cultural survival.
TOK Exhibition Prompt 29 — FAQs
What is TOK Exhibition Prompt 29?
How many objects do I need to present for Prompt 29?
Which optional themes work best with this prompt?
What is the word limit for the TOK exhibition commentary?
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