Summary: An inverse problem concerning a diffusion equation with source control parameter is considered. The approximation of the problem is based on the Bernstein polynomial basis. The properties of Bernstein polynomials are first presented. The Bernstein polynomial basis vanishes except the first polynomial at \(x = 0\), which is equal to 1 and the last polynomial at \(x = R\), which is also equal to 1 over the interval \([0, R]\). This provides greater flexibility in which the boundary conditions are imposed at the end points of the interval. These properties together with the Galerkin method are then utilized to reduce the inverse problem to the solution of algebraic equations. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique.