What is the Extended Essay?

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.
Practice exercise: Formulating well-focused
research questions

 Step 1. Choose your subject area

Which subject area is of most personal interest to you? Is there something you
are especially curious about in one of your IB courses? Did one of your ERP's
from an earlier grade spark an idea that can be researched?
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 analyse, 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.
 Choose a subject and topic that interests
you
 something you're personally invested in - so you'll stay motivated throughout the EE process. You should
be able to explain and identify to others what you're interested in and why.
 Diploma Programme subjects available for Extended Essays for students are:
 Biology
 Chemistry
 Dance
 Film
 Geography
 Global Politics
 History
 Language Acquisition
 Mathematics
 Physics
 Studies in Language and Literature
 Theatre
 Visual Arts
To help you decide which IB subject to
choose for your Extended Essay, read the
following:
 IB Assessment Criteria
 IB Extended Essay Subject Guides (first exams 2018)
 IB Ethical Guidelines
Researcher's Reflection Space (RRS)

 The Researcher's Reflection Space (RRS) is a personal learning environment

that can be either a physical or virtual support tool - like a research or
process journal You use it to record reflections on what you are reading,
writing and thinking. The use of the RRS will help you prepare for
your reflection sessions with your supervisor and inform the discussions that
take place.
 In preparing for your reflection sessions you could use your RRS to:
 record your reflections
 respond to items that have come up in your research, such as photos,
newspaper clippings, twitter feeds, blogs, and so on
 respond to prompts and questions that may arise in your subject area, TOK
class or other aspects of the Diploma Programme
 create MindMaps ®
 record emerging questions
Choosing a Topic

 After choosing the subject for your extended essay, the next step in the
research process is to define what your research is going to focus on - the
topic.
 At this stage you need to explore:
 what are my possible topics?
 what do I know about those topics?
 which words would be good search terms and keywords?
Step 2. Choose a topic that interests
you
 Describe your work in one sentence.
I want to learn about __________________________.
Example: I want to learn about public funding for the arts.
Step 3. Suggest a question

 Try to describe your research by developing a question that specifies

something about your topic.
 I am studying ______________________ because I want to find out (who,
what, when, where, whether, why or how) ___________________________.
 Example: I am studying public funding for the arts because I want to find
out how accessible the arts are to those people who are on low incomes.
 Direct question: To what extent are the arts accessible to people who
belong to the class of the working poor?
 Include a command term from your subject area to help form the research
question.
 Will you be able to argue a specific position? What are some possible issues
or arguments?
Step 4. Evaluate your question

 Answer the questions:

 Is there a range of perspectives on this topic?
 Does the research question allow for analysis, evaluation and the
development of a reasoned argument?
 I am studying __________________ because I want to find out
____________________________ in order to understand (how, why or whether)
________________________________________________.
 Example: I am studying public funding for the arts because I want to find
out how accessible the arts are to the working poor so I can determine
whether tax dollars support cultural enrichment for all citizens regardless of
their socio-economic status.
Step 5. Restate your question using a
different command term
 Asking the question in a different way might help you view your topic in a
different way.
 How does analyzing …
 To what extent …
Step 6. Review with your supervisor

 Is your supervisor able to understand the nature of your research?

 Is it clear to your supervisor how and why your topic is relevant in your
subject area?
 Step 7. Reflection

If you can adequately respond to the “so what?” question, you may
be on your way to a clear and focused research question using your
initial topic idea.
Plan, Plan, Plan!

 You are expected to spend approximately 40 hours on the whole extended

essay process. You will have to be proactive in organizing and completing
different tasks during those stages.
 Using the Extended Essay Timeline you should prepare your
own personal timeline for the research, writing, and reflection required for
your EE.