Extended Essay: Extended Essay- The Basics

This guide explains the process required to complete the IB Extended Essay - from the initial step of choosing a research topic, through effectively searching for information and organizing your sources to presenting your findings with accurate references and citations.

Fall, 2019     Juniors in Advanced Music or Study Hall during 6th Period go to the Conference Room for five 
                     sessions with the EE Coordinator, Susan Trower.

                     Class time will be devoted to:

• Introduction to Extended Essay (EE) and Senior Project (SP)
• Introduction to WSA Library EE Guide, and IB documents:
  • IB Assessment Criteria for the EE
  • Relevant EE Subject Guide(s), including World Studies
  • IB's ethical guidelines related to academic honesty, citing and referencing, and (if applicable to your subject and topic) research and fieldwork, and use of animals
• Introduction to EE Assessment criteria
• Research methods, referencing skills, literature review skills
• Generating research questions

Class sessions:

• September 18, 2019
• October 4, 2019
• October 18, 2019
• December 3, 2019
• January 7, 2020

December 3, 2019

'Student Undertaking Contract' signed by both student and parent

DUE:  'Proposed Subject and Topic Form' signed by student, with copy of NoodleTools Sources / Works Cited list (annotated), attached.  Include one or two proposals, each with:

EE subject, or WSEE theme and two IB subjects

Specific topic area or research question

Rationale for choosing this topic area

Feasibility and Viability Assignment for one of your EE proposals:

Complete 5 Notecards in NoodleTools for at least 5 sources

Each Notecard:

should answer this question: What information does the source contain that is relevant to your project (i.e. some important details about the topic that you have learned about from this source)?

must include at least 10 bulleted notes on relevant factual data and include corresponding page numbers.

Goal is to prove viability of proposed research question

January 7, 2020     Extended Essay supervisors assigned

January 9 - 31, 2020

As preparation for their first advisory session, students should be prepared to discuss the following:

1. Criteria:  you should go over the subject-specific assessment criteria 
2. Research question: work with your supervisor to narrow your topic/question down to a manageable scope (capable of being covered in 4,000 words); investigate the viability of your topic; if you have a wildly interesting but impractical question:  be prepared to heed the advice of your supervisor; know that it's up to you, and your supervisor will not prescribe or create a research question for you
3. Exemplars:  ask for exemplars in your chosen subject from the EE coordinator or your supervisor.
4. Library:  Be sure to check with the WSA Librarian for help in getting access to publications or online journals that would apply to your topic.
5. Structure: Work with your supervisor to devise a plan as t how your research question could be structured or go to the session with a proposed structure you have in mind for review (chapter headings, for instance.)  MindMap® of ideas, flow charts, and other models could prove useful here to help you visualize your structure at this early stage.
6. Time Management: If you are finding it difficult to plan your time due to other assessment pressures or extra-curricular demands, then it may be useful to speak to your supervisor with regards to creating a structured research timeline or more specific timetable to help you to see exactly what is required and when.

February 3, 2020

• Turned in by 3:30 PM on 2/3/2020
• Worth 50 points towards Second Semester EE grade
• Late form = 0 points

February - March, 2020     Meet with supervisor at least two more times (10-20 minute sessions) Due to school closure  and health authorities’ recommendations on social distancing, meetings after March 16 will need to be done remotely.

• Discuss your plans for your Extended Essay Café presentation due April 20, 2020
• Other issues to be prepared to discuss with your supervisor:
  • Passivity - If you haven't done as much as you had hoped for since your first meeting, discuss the reasons and causes for this with your supervisor and ways to overcome or avoid this in future sessions.
  • Reading - Discuss your reading and/or research.  What have you found out?  Any surprises? Any useful lines of thought or approaches to the question?
  • Notes - Do you have a workable note-taking system in place?
  • Essay plan - Go over how to best structure your essay.
  • Exemplars - Try marking up a pre-existing essay with the assessment criteria, then go over this with your supervisor.  This will allow you to write with the assessment criteria firmly in mind.
  • Time-management - Be prepared to adjust your normal routines to accommodate any delays or issues with your EE so far. Sticking to deadlines will ensure you get this done!
  • Writing - Commit to getting started on your writing!
  • Research question - Tweaking  at this point is OK, but not big changes to your topic area or question.
• Continue to use your RRS (Researcher's reflection space) to record reflections on what you are reading, writing and thinking

April 20, 2020  Extended Essay Café presentations emailed to Supervisor and Susan Trower

April 27, 2020   DUE: 'Writing Readiness Form' emailed to Susan Trower, initialed by student and supervisor, by 3:30 PM on 4/20/2020

The extended essay is a required component of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). 

It is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.

What is the significance of the extended essay?

The extended essay provides:

• practical preparation for undergraduate research
• an opportunity for students to investigate a topic of special interest to them, which is also related to one of the student's six DP subjects. 

Through the research process for the extended essay, students develop skills in:

• formulating an appropriate research question
• engaging in a personal exploration of the topic
• communicating ideas
• developing an argument. 

Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.

How is study of the extended essay structured?

Students are supported throughout the process of researching and writing the extended essay, with advice and guidance from a supervisor who is usually a teacher at the school.

The IB recommends that students follow the completion of the written essay with a short, concluding interview with their supervisor. This is known as viva voce.

The extended essay and interview can be a valuable stimulus for discussion in countries where interviews are required prior to acceptance for employment or for a place at university.

How is the extended essay assessed?

All extended essays are externally assessed by examiners appointed by the IB. The total marks available are 34.  However, when your supervisor marks your essay in order to arrive at a predicted grade, the grading will be based on the qualitative grade descriptors for the EE, not a translation of a number score into a letter grade.

Students are evaluated on five criterion:

• Criterion A – focus and method.
• Criterion B – knowledge and understanding.
• Criterion C – critical thinking.
• Criterion D – presentation.
• Criterion E – engagement.

Find out how points awarded for the extended essay contribute to a student’s overall diploma score.

Source:   International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme website

Need tips on how to get started?  Follow these steps to get going on the research for your Extended Essay.

1.  Choose an available Diploma Programme subject for the extended essay for the session in question.

2.  Educate yourself. Read the following materials:  the assessment criteria, relevant subject-specific chapter of the Extended Essay guide, the IB's ethical guidelines and other associated policies where relevant, such as those relating to animal experiments

3. Set up the Researcher's Reflective Space (RRS) and use this as the key planning and reflection tool for the extended essay process.

4.  Choose a topic and undertake some background reading in it.

5.  Formulate a preliminary research question.  Try to incorporate an IB command term in the research question if possible.

6.  Draw up and outline plan for the research and writing process.  This should include a timeline.

7.  Begin to identify how and where you will gather source material for your research.

8.  Identify which system of academic referencing they will use, ensuring that this meets the minimum requirements for the IB.

9.  Set deadlines for yourself that are realistic and take into consideration WSA's internal EE deadlines.

10.  Plan a structure for the essay.  This may change as the research develops but it is useful to have a sense of direction from the start.

11.  Undertake some preparatory reading in light of the proposed research question.  NOTE:  If you discover that it will not be possible to obtain the evidence needed in the time available, the research question should be changed.  This is  better done sooner rather than later; do not lose time waiting and hoping that something will turn up.  Go back to step 3, 2, or 1, and choose a new research question that can be answered.

12.  Carry out the research.  The material collected should be assembled in a logical order, linked to the structure of the essay and clearly focused on the research question posed.  Only then will you know that you have enough evidence for each stage of the argument so that you can proceed to the next.  You should be prepared for things to occasionally go wrong.  Sometimes you may discover something later in the research that undermines what you thought had been established earlier.  If that happens, your research plan needs to be revised.

Find books, digital resources (ebooks), WebPath Express websites, and Open Educational Resources (OER).

The librarian is always happy to help you!

  In Person - during library hours, 
       8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday - Friday

  Or Request an appointment

  By Phone - during library hours

  By Email - Susan Trower