THE IB EXTENDED ESSAY: MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS RT

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1.3 YOU’VE COMPLETED 2 STEPS IN WEEK 1

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0:03
Clara: There are six subject areas that your topic could fit into. Choosing a topic isn't as easy as it
might seem at first, but there are a few tips you can follow to help you make your decision. Pick a
topic that you're interested in. It sounds obvious, but you'll be researching this topic over a long
period of time. So it's got to keep you interested the whole way through.

0:23
John: I enjoyed the extended essay, because it allowed me to research something that I was
interested in. They allowed us to choose anything we wanted. And so that was really exciting.

0:36
Clara: Many students choose a subject area that they know they're already good at. This gives them
the best chance of success.

0:44
Choose something that you don't have strong personal views on. If you have a strong opinion about
the topic, you might not be open-minded enough to be critical in your approach to it. Make sure
there's a teacher in school who is happy to supervise the topic, and make sure that you have access to
the resources that you need.

1:02
Louise: The kind of broad topic itself was not difficult to choose. I was fortunate that my school
happened to have this small tortoise population - they were rescue tortoises. And at the time that I
was thinking about my extended essay topic, they were breeding. So I knew I wanted to work on
them, and I was interested in that. But actually narrowing it down to a question that was specific
enough for the extended essay turned out to take the most time out of everything.

1:27
Clara: Give yourself the best chance of doing well. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. You might
want to select a subject that is related to your future aspirations. As well as consolidating your
interest in a certain subject, this will also help you stay motivated throughout your research. You can
develop knowledge and skills, which will benefit you at university and beyond.

1:47
Ros: I was really excited about going to university, but I was also a bit nervous. And I think completing
an extended essay and proving to myself that I had the qualities that it would take to become a good
undergraduate was really helpful to me. And it was also a chance to write in the field that I wanted to
study at undergraduate level, which was classics. And I hadn't had the chance to study that at school.
So in both ways, it really made me feel confident before I went on to further study.

2:11
Clara: And while you're generating ideas around your topic, don't forget to record your thoughts in
your Researcher's Reflection Space. This is a key planning and reflection tool for your extended essay.

How do I choose a topic?

30 comments

One of the great things about doing an independent research piece is

that you have the freedom to focus on almost any topic. It is not like
other school essays or exams: you set the question yourself.

The subject area

Your research topic will fit into one of 6 specified subject areas:

studies in language and literature

individuals and societies

mathematics

the arts

sciences

language acquisition.

The Diploma Programme © International Baccalaureate Organization

There is broad scope for investigation in each of these subject areas. For
example, if you focus on individuals and societies you could study a
topic in psychology, history, economics or information technology in a
global society.

Make sure you understand which topic area your subject fits with, as this
will help you decide on your sources and approach. For example, if you
choose to examine the “causes of Brexit”, you could look at it from
political, economic, sociological, psychological or historical angles.

You can also do an extended essay in world studies which combines two
subject areas to explore a topic of contemporary global significance. You
can find out more about this from the International Baccalaureate
Organisation (IBO) website.

Picking just one topic

You may have a list of possible topics. To narrow these down:

Make sure your topic fits into one of the IB specified subject areas.

Choose a topic that will keep you interested for a long period of time.

Try not to pick a topic that you have strong personal feelings about as
you may not remain open-minded.

Consider if there is a teacher who can supervise this topic.

Make sure you have the resources you need to carry out your research.

Consider choosing a topic which relates to your future career

aspirations.

Once you have a possible topic in mind, you should start by getting an
overview of the literature available.

You should take this literature as your starting point; you will evaluate it
and build on it to reach your own conclusions. When you start your initial
research, you should ask:

What has already been written about this topic? A topic which has
been researched extensively may not leave you with any gaps in current
knowledge to fill, but if nobody has written about your topic it might
not be worth investigating.

Will it be easy to find sources of information? Some data and research

is not readily accessible to the public and this could make it hard to
gather information you need. Similarly, if you need access to a
laboratory for experiments or people for a survey, you need to work out
if this is going to be possible.

Is there a range of different sources available? The most successful

research projects draw on a variety of different sources types.

Are there a range of views or perspectives on the topic? Many of the

best research questions relate to a controversial issue which is the
subject of debate. A topic like this will allow you to demonstrate
critical thinking and reasoning abilities.

Do you understand the key sources and concepts? If you find the
sources difficult to understand, there’s no shame in choosing a simpler
topic. Some academic topics are only accessible to a very specialist
audience.

By addressing these questions, you can make sure you are making best
use of your time and pursuing a question that is valid and practical.

All research must be safe, ethical and appropriate so discuss your ideas
with your supervisor before starting.

Remember to keep a record of your early ideas in your RRS. For an

example RRS entry, go to the Downloads section. The example shows how
the student generated ideas and explored their area of interest from many
different angles.

Have your say:

What have been your first ideas for a project? Pick one idea and explain in
the Comments what makes it an appropriate topic for you to research or
why you had to discard it.

Take the time to read other learners’ postings, and comment on at least
one idea that you find interesting. Use ‘Like’ to identify any posts that you
find inspiring. You can sort the posts by ‘Most liked’ to view the most
popular responses.

30 comments

Mark as
complete

HOW DO I WRITE A RESEARCH

WHAT IS THE EXTENDED ESSAY?
QUESTION?
VIDEO
VIDEO

DOWNLOADS

ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT PDF

HOW DO I CHOOSE A TOPIC? AUDIO

EXAMPLE RRS ENTRY PDF

COMMENTS

RT Rohan Tandon

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Show: All comments Sort by: Newest

AB América B Follow 19 JUN

While reading all the comments, I realised that my ideas for my extended essay are vague.
Either way, at the moment I have chosen some topics, such as the impact of Golden Age of
Mexican cinema in mexican society, how ecoturism affects Puebla's ecosystems, the
influence of the Belle époque in mexican architecture during the Porfiriato, a comparison
between the 'Mexican Miracle' and the past decade's economic developmet strategy and
something related to mexican photorgraphy, maybe even ecofeminism throughout the
history or Nabokov's Lolita and the role of 'nymphets' in the narrative.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

MN Mira Delima Noor Follow 18 JUN

I am curious about the thucydides trap between China and United States regarding to trade
war, but that'd need more further reading. Also I want to look about suicides and ghost's if
there's any relationship about them.
(edited)

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

GB Gargi Bhogle Follow 16 JUN

I want to look into the rivalry between Pakistan and India and its impact on cricket. I love
the sport and I feel that explaining the world's biggest rivalry may teach me information I
had not known earlier.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

PG Patricio García Follow 14 JUN

A topic I find very interesting is the way in which the foreign policy of Otto von Bismarck
impacted the Americas, more specifically Mexico.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

SF Salma Farah Follow 14 JUN

I will look into separation of Somaliland and Somalia, and if clanism was the main cause.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

NH Ndeh Hilary Follow 14 JUN

I am passionate about the environment so carrying out an investigation that can provide a
deep insight into some practices that damage the environment will be ok to me. I think I can
consider investigating the relationship between environmental value systems of individuals
and their level of literacy. I will take a local case study in order to ease data collection

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

Grace Hambike Follow 14 JUN

I would like to research something related to blood types, specifically RH-null blood.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

NS Noshi Shaikh Follow 14 JUN

I want to do something relating to the misinterpretation of History and what factors affect
that. However I feel like its too broad of a question and I can't really narrow it down.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

SK selest k Follow 11 JUN

I would like to research something related to plastic surgery.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

Sinead Kelly Follow 11 JUN

I wanted to choose :
-children's rights in custody cases but feel too strongly about this
-then I wanted to bring in some of my experiences from living in Bangladesh
- then I wanted to bring in some of my past and mesh it with my experiences
and now...
- am starting to seriously consider 'Resilience' as a topic. Must you go through trauma to be
resilient or is it innate?
- or altruism. Is having less material possessions mean one is more altruistic?
- or should teenagers be given 'How to be a parent classes'?
(edited)

Like 1 Reply Bookmark Flag

AS Anushka S Follow 10 JUN

I would like to look at bharatnatyam, an indian classical dance form, and how it explores
gender

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

AM Ategeka Musinguzi Follow 10 JUN

Researching on the moral relationship and responsibility between individuals and societies
in pandemics and normal situations

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

Qiao Se Se Follow 10 JUN

I would like to look into cultural erasure of east asians through misrepresentation in film

Like 2 Reply Bookmark Flag

MP Madison Riley Powell Follow 09 JUN

I would like to study the plastic pollution problem in terms of the different routes and costs
of how to stop plastic pollution. Whether that is in reducing the original supply or about
recycling them. What other materials we could use in place.

Like 1 Reply Bookmark Flag

Dr.Sarmishtha Adhya Follow 09 JUN

I would like to know more about Women's studies. I would want to look into the condition of
women In India.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

AJ Ajibike Jimoh Follow 06 JUN

I will like to research on the influence of specialized academies on effective learning

outcomes

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

JS james shanahan Follow 06 JUN

I am interested in investigating the use of language translation technology and applications

in improving communication and engagement between nurses and older patients with
limited proficiency in English.
(edited)

Like 2 Reply Bookmark Flag

AR Anjana Rajmane Follow 04 JUN

I would like to choose something related to air pollution.

Like 2 Reply Bookmark Flag

NH Ndeh Hilary Follow 14 JUN

I think this is an area with a rich variety of researchable topics. It will be good that
you reflect on your interests in air pollution, your resources, and limitations before
narrowing your idea to a specific issue. I like the concept

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

RT
Add a reply...

AT Abraham Tekeste Follow 04 JUN

I will like to investigate the consequences of the consumption on diet soda. Especially if the
link between diabetes and diet soda.

Like 2 Reply Bookmark Flag

Dr.Sarmishtha Adhya Follow 09 JUN

This seems to be interesting.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

RT
Add a reply...

AE Abra Antoinette Edoh Follow 02 JUN

I think i will choose Health and wellbeing ,my future goad is base on health. it my be
interesting to reasarch on it for the extened essay.

Like 3 Reply Bookmark Flag

JS james shanahan Follow 06 JUN

What would be the potential focus area of your research topic. e.g.lifestyle factors,
etc,

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

RT
Add a reply...

JR Peacock Follow 28 MAY

I think I'll consider looking into how cultural or personal perceptions of morality connect to
personality/communication traits, or maybe how our perception of someone's goodness
evolves through different relationship stages and how founded those perceptions might be.
But mostly anything in psychology seems interesting to me.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

Jose Erazo Follow 28 MAY

I would like to choose ART as my topic, because it is something that I carry in my heart and
is the reflection of my feelings. Despite art is not my profession, sometimes it is my
inspiration when my thinking brings beautiful emotions that I would like to draw or paint.
This is one of the reasons why art could be controversial. Some artists define it as a way to
express a feeling or an idea regardless if their drawing or painting turns out beautiful or not.
I personally consider art like something beautiful that is worth admiring, not just an
imagination of what it represents or express.

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

HY Huntah Young Follow 28 MAY

I am looking into topics that are related to sport and psychology. Possible ideas around
exercise and intensity levels.

Like 1 Reply Bookmark Flag

Manuel Amador Follow 28 MAY

I would like talking about literature un quarentined, because read novels or poetry is a way
to travel.

Like 1 Reply Bookmark Flag

Delma Ines Saavedra Jaramillo Follow 27 MAY

Choosing a topic implies you have taken into account the knowledge you have about it and
if it is suitable for the IB programme and what you would like to demonstrate to contribute
to knowledge and fill in the "knowledge vaccum" there might be in that field of research.

Like 4 Reply Bookmark Flag

Manuel Amador Follow 28 MAY

Hi would you like helping me to improve my english

Like Reply Bookmark Flag

RT
Add a reply...

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