The IB Extended Essay

By Evelyn ArmstrongSt John’s International School

The Extended Essay• What is it?• How do I get started?• Good and Bad Research Questions• Common Problems• Tips

• Personal research by the student• On a question or hypothesis chosen by the student, not assigned by

the teacher• In a subject or discipline listed by the IB• In the format of a formal research paper• Length 4,000 words not including appendices, illustrations,

bibliography, footnotes or endnotes• With an abstract within 300 words • Required for the IB Diploma• Counts towards additional diploma points along with TOK• Assessed according to published criteria

Basic Facts

• The student• The student’s supervisor• The IB Coordinator• The International Baccalaureate Organization

Who’s involved in the Extended Essay

• Decide which subject interests you the most and make a list of the topical areas in that subject– Discuss this list with your teacher, friends, parents

and/or anyone else who can give advice– Choose from this list, and read more with advice from

your supervisor. (Expect to change your mind several times before you finally settle on a topic)

– While reading, try and list questions that you are curious about

• This must be done right through the research process, so keep a research diary!

How to Choose a Research Topic

• Ask yourself what data you might need to answer these questions

• See whether there has been any research by others on this subject. Consult the librarian for help with tracking down research papers or writings, and read the abstracts

• Narrow down the number and scope of your questions as you proceed

• Consult your supervisor at each stage, and in case of difficulty

How to Choose a Research Topic

• One formulated by the student out of his/her own curiosity or interest

• Substantial, not speculative, not self-evident• Sharply focused so that the student can answer it in

4,000 words• Example of a good research question:

ECONOMICS – Is there a connexion between international coffee prices and living standards in Uganda?

• Example of a bad research question:BIOLOGY - What causes cancer?

What is a good research question

• Students discover too late that there is too little data, data is inaccessible, or that their knowledge of the subject is not deep enough

• Bad timing between the research and writing process• PLAGIARISM: The use of the work of other authors

(texts, data, creative productions, oral statements OR ideas) without proper acknowledgement.

• Over-reliance on web-based sources• No contribution by the student – the extended essay is a

compilation of information from other sources

Common problems with extended essays

• Remember that your research question needs to be addressed in 4,000 words.

• Remember that the essay has to be firmly in one of the six disciplines you chose for your IB subjects, like English A1, History, or Biology.

• Seek your supervisor’s guidance. • Relate your essay to a specific thing, such as a novel,

time, effect, law.

If you have not focused your research question appropriately for the size of the essay or the discipline:

• Check carefully from the Extended Essay Guide what the criteria for your essay are

• Refocus the question and start again. (It may be too late to do this, so…)

• Complete the essay as you have started to the best of your ability, and hope for the best!

• Remember that NO ESSAY MEANS NO IB DIPLOMA

If the direction of your research is contrary to the guidelines…

• Make sure your question is narrowly focused.• It helps to exceed by about 20-30% the word limit in the

first few drafts, and cut it back to the maximum of 4,000 for the final.

• Keep assessing each draft of your essay against the General and Subject Criteria in the Extended Essay Guide, or ask your supervisor to do so.

• Record ALL sources that you consult and use, and cite them carefully.

TIPS (1)

• Keep a Research Diary or Journal or Notebook, especially a pocket-sized one that you can carry about and record any ideas that occur to you anywhere.

• Make sure that you present, analyze and interpret data – not just present them!

• Use the technical vocabulary and concepts of the discipline in which you are working

• Write the Abstract LAST, so that you can give the reader a clear statement of the research question, and how you have addressed it.

TIPS (2)

• Do NOT neglect to refer to BOTH sections of your Extended Essay Guide FREQUENTLY.

• Do NOT leave everything till the last. The deadlines for drafts are there to help you pace your work.

• Do NOT rely entirely or mostly on web based resources because of they often tend to be unreliable.

TIPS (3)

Questions?