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West Island School
Extended Essay
Student Guide
“If I have seen further,
it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants”.
(Sir Isaac Newton)Contents
Introduction 1
Available Subjects 2
The Discovery Phase and Subject 3
Allocation
Supervisors 6
Deadlines and Checkpoints 7
General Examples of Checkpoints 8
CP 4 – The First 5 Pages 9
Submitting your Essay 10
The Research Question 11
3 Easy Steps to Choosing a Focused 13
Question
Practice Task: Writing a Research 16
Question
Writing Resources 18
The EE and Academic Honesty 19
Writing the EE 21
Formal Presentation of the EE 22
The Relationship with your Supervisor 25
Researcher’s Reflection Space 26
The Reflections on Planning and 27
Progress Form
Resources
A Brief Survival Guide 28
Checklist 29
Proposal Form 32
Final hand in Check list 33
Assessment Criteria 35
FAQs 40Introduction
This document is intended to guide you through the process of writing an Extended Essay
at West Island School. You should keep it safe throughout the process, make notes in it,
bring it to your meetings with your supervisor and refer to it regularly while writing your
Essay.
What is the Extended Essay?
The Extended Essay (EE) is an externally assessed 4000 word academic essay which
gives you the chance to undertake a piece of independent research into a topic that
interests you. It is a mandatory part of the IB diploma and is seen as an excellent
introduction to the type of work you will be undertaking at university. It is valued very
highly by admissions tutors as it allows them to see that you can already cope with
independent study. In addition it provides you with the opportunity to:
• Pursue independent research on an interesting topic in an in-depth manner.
• Develop research and communication skills.
• Develop the skills of creative and critical thinking.
• Engage in a systematic process of research appropriate to the subject.
• Experience the excitement of intellectual discovery.
Early on in the process you will be assigned a supervisor who will help guide you. It is
important you remember that this is your own work, no one will write it for you. Making
the Essay as good as you can is your responsibility and will be its own reward.
Picking a Subject Area
In order to match students to a supervisor, one of the first things you will be asked to do
is chose what subject area you want to write your Essay in. There are a few important
concerns when picking a subject area:
• Pick a subject area that interests you. You will be spending a lot of time on this
essay, that will be easier if you enjoy what you are researching
• Think carefully about what you intend to study at University, whilst you don’t
have to write an EE in the subject area you intend to study it can be a useful
discussion point in interviews and will definitely prepare you for future work in
that field
• Check the requirements for the subject, as detailed below some subject areas have
specific requirements
• If you have a particular idea for an essay that doesn’t fit neatly within the
boundaries of one subject you may wish to consider doing a World Studies EE.
Please refer to the section later in this guide
1Available Subjects
Due to restrictions caused by the number of staff, no guarantee can be made that you can
write an essay in your desired subject area. Please refer to the allocation section for more
details
The following subjects from Groups 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are available in English for 2018. The
recommendations for the associated Extended Essay are also indicated
English (Group 1) HL/SL English Biology HL Biology students
students
Geography HL/SL Geography Design Technology HL Design Technology
students students
Business and HL Business and Physics HL Physics students
Management Management students
Economics HL Economics Chemistry HL Chemistry students
Philosophy HL Philosophy Mathematics HL Mathematics students
students
Psychology HL/SL Psychology Theatre Arts HL/SL Theatre students
students
IT in a Global Society (discuss with an IT Visual Arts HL/SL Art or DT students
teacher first)
History HL/SL History Music HL/SL Music students or
students students with sufficient
background.
World Religion Film Studies Film Studies students Only
In addition students can write an extended essay in one of the following Group 2 Languages.
Students must write their essay in the language of the subject.
English French Spanish Chinese
This is only available to HL students. It is strongly recommended you seek A2 HL/SL
students taking a self- advice from the language department prior to Language B HL
taught language in Group selecting one of these EE subjects. (Talk to Chinese Dept.
1 and English in Group 2. first).
World Studies: An inter-disciplinary EE, focusing on an issue of global importance. It
must be a question that invites consideration via two subject areas and will pull together
these ideas. Discuss interest with the EE coordinator (Mr Cockayne). Further detail will
be provided at the subject information session.
2The Discovery Phase and Subject
Allocation
During the second half of term 1 in Y12 you will be introduced to the EE. There will be
an assembly covering some of the general issues then a series of subject specific
information sessions. Towards the end of term you will be asked to fill in proposal forms
for any subjects you are interested in writing.
This phase is incredibly important, you need to find out everything you can about the
EE and what it might look like in different subject areas.
Subject Information Sessions
In the weeks following the launch assembly there will be a series of information sessions
given by different subjects. They will be on different days and you should attend the
sessions of any subject you are interested in writing an essay in. Remember, no one is
guaranteed their first choice of subject. You may also discover that your initial idea for
the essay is not viable in that subject area.
Further Information
During this period is an ideal opportunity to talk to your class teacher about EEs in their
subject area, try asking about what topics students have written about in the past, what do
they think would make good topics? You can also seek guidance in writing the proposal
forms.
At the initial assembly you will also be invited to join a google classroom which will be
used as a means of communicating with you with regards to your essay. The classroom
will also be used to house further information such as the Extended Essay Guide
published by IB and any further info, including an electronic copy of this guide. The
classroom is also a good place to ask any questions you have.
Proposal Forms and Allocation to Subjects
Supervisors at WIS are limited to supervising 3 students, this is so that they can give you
the time and attention necessary to help you write a good essay. Due to this, the number
of places available in each subject can be limited. In order to apply for a place you must
3fill in a proposal form on the Datahub, each student should fill in a minimum of 2
proposal forms although you may like to fill in a 3rd. Please refer to the Checkpoints
document in this guide for the due date of proposals.
How are proposals allocated?
Departments will select the best proposals based on the following criteria:
• The quality of the proposal form (forms not filled in correctly or lacking detail are
unlikely to be considered). Subjects will be looking for keen students who have
done some initial research, got some ideas and have a clear plan of how to move
forward with the essay.
• Your University choices. Students applying for Medicine, for example, are best
served by writing an EE in a Science
• The likelihood that you will be successful in that topic
If you are successful with more than one proposal, the proposal that you indicated as your
highest priority will be the one you are allocated to.
If you are unsuccessful with all of your proposals you will be asked to meet with the EE
coordinator and you will be allocated based on that meeting.
Example of a Proposal Form
On the next page there is an example of a proposal form for an essay in Mathematics,
note the detail the student goes into and the clarity of the idea. Try and convince your
desired department that your idea for an essay is a good one and has the potential to be
successful.
4Extended Essay Proposal Form
Name:____Joe Blogs____________________________________________
Proposed subject area: __Mathematics________Preference: 1st
Proposed title / area of interest:
Application of the Hungarian Algorithm to optimizing allocation of Horizons week choices at
WIS
Relevant Studies:
I currently study Maths HL
Planned University Studies
I plan to study Mathematics or engineering at university
Research Plan:
Why is this a suitable topic for EE? Why do you want to write on this subject?
I believe this is a suitable topic as it looks into how Maths can be used to answer a real world problem. I
have researched the Hungarian algorithm and it seems well suited to solving the issue of how HW places
are allocated here at WIS
What data will you be collecting / what sources will you be consulting?
I will use randomly generated data representative of the school to test the algorithm but I foresee being
able to talk to members of staff at school in charge of the process to get more detail
What will be the main argument of your essay?
The main argument will be that overall dissatisfaction can be decreased by applying a mathematical
method to allocate places. I will then analyse how well the algorithm can be adapted to deal with the
complexities of a real world problem. I might do some secondary research on how these sorts of
algorithms are implemented elsewhere in the real world or interview members of staff and finally try and
conclude about how feasible adopting this method might be at WIS
5Supervisors
After you have been allocated to a subject areas for your EE you will be allocated a
supervisor, there role is to support you in the writing of your EE. It is imperative that you
cultivate a good working relationship with your supervisor, they are an invaluable aid in
the writing process, have a wealth of experience you can draw upon and will write a
comment on your EE which will be passed to the examiner and can influence your grade.
What does my supervisor do?
Your supervisor should be thought of as a resource, one which you can choose to access or not.
They will not chase you for meetings, they will not cajole you into meeting deadlines and they
will assume none of the responsibility for writing a good Essay.
Your supervisor will provide written feedback on your draft and may give you advice throughout
the process, they can assist you in your research but will not do it for you!
The supervisors’ main responsibilities will be:
• Guiding you through the process
• Monitor progress so that they can confidently sign to say that they believe it is entirely your own
work. The IB is extremely strict about plagiarism. To this end it is vital that you share your
Essay as a work in progress with your supervisor
• Encourage you to stick to deadlines.
• Meet with you to give you feedback on your draft
• Let the EE Co-coordinator know as soon as they see you might have problem with deadlines
or performance.
• Complete the Supervisor's report after the EE is completed — this report often serves to inform
the examiner of something that was not immediately obvious in your essay, thereby possibly
earning you another mark or two.
What won't my supervisor do?
• Write the essay question for you!!!!
• Edit your draft
• Find resource materials for you.
• Correct your English
Although your supervisor will guide you through the process, you will be required to decide on
the topic, the research question and develop your own ideas. Your supervisor will assist you in
ensuring that the chosen research question satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with
regard to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental
issues.
6Deadlines and Checkpoints
The final hand in date for the EE is in term 1 of year 13, there are however, a number of
Checkpoints along the way that will help you stay on track. Failure to meet any of the
checkpoints will result in your parents being advised of your lack of adequate
progress with your EE
At each check point it is your responsibility to show evidence to your supervisor that you
are on track, if there are mitigating circumstances (your experiment didn’t work,
problems with data collection etc.) then these need to be communicated to the supervisor.
The requirements for each checkpoint vary by subject and details of these will be
available from your supervisor. The dates for the Checkpoints themselves do not vary and
are:
CP1: March 26th 2018
CP2: April 19th 2018
CP3: May 28th 2018
CP4: June 20th 2018
CP5: August 17th 2018
CP6: November 5th 2018
7General example of Checkpoints These are typical of what will be expected at each Check Point but might not be correct for your subject, please refer to the specific guidance given by your supervisor CP1: Rough title and beginnings of research You should have a rough idea of your title and have completed some research into the subject area. You should have an initial meeting with your tutor to discuss ideas and potential sources for research. Don’t forget that you will need to show them evidence of your research and give them a rough title before the Checkpoint CP2: Focused research question You need to have refined your research question and have it approved by your supervisor. Your supervisor will need to enter the question on our tracking system. CP3: Research completed – Plan for G4 week You should have completed all research and have a range of sources. You should also have a complete plan using the planning proforma (there’s a copy in the resources section) CP4: First 5 pages You must hand in your first 5 pages with your own analysis highlighted in yellow. Please refer to the relevant section for details of what should be in the first 5 pages. CP5: Completed draft You will hand in a draft of your essay immediately after the summer break. This draft is your only opportunity for formal feedback and as such the draft should constitute your best effort, and be a completed essay. CP6: Final Submission 8
Check Point 4 – The First 5 pages
For Checkpoint 4 you may be required to hand in the first 5 pages of your essay not
including your title page or works cited list, these will be slightly different for each
subject but here are the things you MUST have:
• Highlight all your own analysis in yellow
• Introduction – refer to the marking rubric for what should be in here
• Contents page – including the headings you will use for the rest of the essay
• A works cited list in correct MLA 8 style
• In text citations which match up with your work cited list
• Do not include your abstract, this should be written last
The purpose of this checkpoint is so that supervisors can pick up on any problems with
your essay at this early stage and can give you some further guidance about how to
progress. If you don’t hand in a good attempt at the start of your essay then you are
passing up an opportunity to receive some advice and support from your supervisor.
9Submitting your Essay
You will be required to formally submit your essay to the IB office (A500) at 2 points
during the process:
1 – Check Point 5 will require you to hand in a full draft of your essay.
• The word draft does not mean you should be handing in a rough, half-finished
piece of work.
• This should represent your best effort at a finished essay.
• It should contain all the necessary elements as laid out in the formal presentation
section of this guide including an abstract, full works cited list and contents page.
2 – Final hand in
• You must hand in a hard copy and a digital copy – they must be the same in
every regard
• You should include the hand in checklist signed by yourself and a parent with the
hard copy
• You will be required to submit your essay to turnitin.com and include an
originality report with your hard copy.
• The digital copy will be submitted electronically and must be in one of the
following accepted file formats: .doc / .docx / pdf / rtf
After handing in your essay you will be invited to a Viva Voce, or concluding interview.
This will be done with your supervisors and will be the point at which you fill in the 3rd
section of the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form. This will then need to be
submitted with your essay so make sure it is signed and completed.
10The Extended Essay
Formulating a Research Question
Decide on your subject.
Decide on your area of interest (topic).
Do some initial reading.
Formulate a question.
Read some more on this topic.
Refine the question.
Stick to the question!
Issues to consider when choosing your topic
Suitable topics:
• Choose a topic which is of interest to you.
• The topic must be limited in scope so it is achievable.
• The topic should present you with the opportunity to collect or generate information
and/or data for analysis and evaluation.
• Before a final decision is made about the choice of topic you must read the subject
guidelines carefully. These set out the expectations of the IB and may restrict what you
can study. (For example, in some types of Group 1 English essay students must study a
book that was originally written in English.). Ask your supervisor to give you the subject
specific guidelines
11Unsuitable topics
• A broad topic is unlikely to result in a successful Extended Essay.
• A topic which requires no personal research or requires an essentially narrative or
descriptive approach is not suitable for your Extended Essay.
• Although a reliance on secondary sources is sometimes necessary, an extended essay
which only provides a summary of such sources will not be successful.
• Writing a précis of a well-documented topic is unlikely to result in a successful extended
essay.
You should be aware that one of the most common reason for low marks is that students
choose a research question that does not fit neatly into a particular subject.
123 Easy Steps to Picking a Good
Research Question
Step 1: Picking an area of interest
You can approach this in one of two ways:
1, Pick something that interests you and then relate it to a particular subject area
OR
2, Pick a subject area you’d like to work in, then think of something within that
area that interest you
I really like Apple, I think I’ll
write something about Apple…
I could write a Technology EE
about the design of their products
I like the idea of writing a Science
EE
I could write one about… Cycling?
Yeah, aerodynamics in Cycling
Remember: The most important thing is to pick something
YOU are interested in!
Step 2: Refining your Question
13Remember, your essay needs to be able to answer the question in under 4000
words. This means that if your question is too broad or vague, you will lose
marks!
Not only is a narrowed down question vital to gaining more marks but also will
help you remained focussed during the writing process and will lead to a better
essay. It also means you won’t waste your time researching things that don’t
make your final essay!
You can narrow down your research question by restricting a certain aspect of it.
This can be done in a number of ways:
By Geography:
The Impact of Marine Debris >> The Impact of Marine Debris in Hong Kong
>> The Impact of Marine Debris on Deep Water Bay
By Demographic
Nike’s Marketing strategy >> Nike’s marketing strategy for women >> Nike’s
Marketing Strategy for Young female proffesionals
By Time:
Chinese Mathematics >> Chinese Mathematics of the Qing Dynasty >> Chinese
Mathematics from the late 17th Century
By Theme:
George Orwell’s 1984 >> Thought Control in George Orwell’s 1984 >> The role
of Media in Thought Control in George Orwell’s 1984.
Obviously, a combination of these and other ways of focussing your question can
lead to a well thought out and concise research question:
Patriotism >> Patriotic Themes in American Poetry >> Patriotic Themes in 20th
Century American Poetry
>> You could narrow this even further and specify a poet, which brings us to our
next step…
14Step 3: Research!
Start right now, go on, get started!
The earlier you begin researching your topic the better. You’ll know more and be
in a better position to further tweak your research question. Part of writing an
academic essay is building on the knowledge and thoughts of others, you simply
can’t write a good EE without plenty of research.
Research (believe it or not) is more than just typing things in to google!
You could try:
Talking to the Librarian for recommendations
Talking to Subject teachers
Talk to your parents
Head to your local Library
Head to the School Library
Look online for Journals and other reputable sources
Remember, at this stage the more information you gather the better. You should
also begin assembling your Works Cited List now: keep a list of what you read
and where you can access it again in the future. If you come across any great
quotes, write them down! And write down where they came from, including page
references.
15Practice Exercise: Writing Purposeful Questions Step 1 - Name your topic. Early in your research, describe your work in one sentence. Use adjectives to describe your nouns. I am learning about (or reading about, or studying) . Example: I am studying public funding for the arts. Step 2 - Suggest a question. Try to describe your research by developing a question that specifies something about your topic. I am studying because (in order to) I want to find out (who, what, when, where, whether, why, or how) . Example: I am studying public funding for [cultural] arts because I want to find out how accessible the arts are to those people who are members of the working poor. Direct Question: How adequately are publically funded cultural arts made accessible to people who belong to the class of the working poor? Step 3 -Add a rationale. Take your questioning one step further by adding a second question aimed at determining your rationale. 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 our tax dollars support cultural enrichment for all citizens regardless of their socio-economic status. (Note the rephrasing of the purpose stems.) 16
Direct Question: To what extent do state and federal tax dollars support accessibility
to the cultural arts for citizens whose socio-economic status places them among the
working poor?
Step 4 -Repeat the process
Now, repeat steps 1-3 as often as it takes for you to write enough detail to believe in
what you are researching, know what you want to find out, and understand your
reason for undertaking your research. Oh—and in between your attempts to work
through these steps—have someone read your answers. This will force you to stay on
track and keep working.
**When you can adequately state the “because I want to find out” portion of
your topic, you have determined your reason/purpose for studying and writing
about it.**
Be aware that this is a critical yet difficult step in the research process. You cannot
write a full statement of purpose/rationale until you have gathered and read some solid
information on your topic. Once you have done so, you’ll almost be ready to write
your research question.
Once your research question is written and approved by your supervisor, don’t
change it without their express consent. Having the right RQ is vital in achieving
a good mark for your EE.
17Writing Resources:
Conducting research is a vital part of your Essay, you should begin your research early
and aim to consult a wide range of sources.
As well as paper resources, there are a number of e-resources available in the Library at
WIS that you will not be able to access from a computer at home:
These databases are only available
through:
Wisdom: Library: Databases….
You will not be successful if you
attempt a general internet search.
This is because our subscriptions
read the school IP address. Login in with your school email
address and the password library. See
Mrs. Leone if you cannot log in.
18Extended Essay and
Academic Honesty
The IB states that academic honesty is a set of values and behaviours and serves to
promote personal integrity, as well as engender respect for the integrity of others and
their work.
Throughout IB documentation, including that related to the EE, the IB constant reiterate
the point that all work “is to be authentic, based on the student’s individual and
original ideas with ideas and work of others fully acknowledged.”
To help you stay on track you will find all the resources you need on the library website
to ensure that academic honesty remains your focus.
Wisdom: Library: Academic Honesty
Resources here include:
• WIS Academic Honesty Policy
• MLA7 Quick Reference Guide
• Example of an essay formatted using MLA7
• Advice on how to embed tables, graphs and photos into your work
• Website evaluation criteria
• Plagiarism booklet to get you thinking about the issue
EE requirements are firm and your supervisor is only able to draw your
attention to errors in formatting or citation, it is up to you to know the
rules.
If your EE supervisor has concerns about authenticity, then your work will
be carefully scrutinized and parents may be informed.
Year 12 research sessions in January will help you
understand Academic Honesty, the rules of the EE and
provide you with strategies and resources.
19Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Regulation 4 of the Extended Essay guidelines refers to ‘Malpractice’ The IB defines malpractice as the attempt by a candidate to gain an unfair advantage in any assessment component. Collusion is when a candidate knowingly allows his or her work to be submitted for assessment by another candidate. Plagiarism is defined by the IB as the submission for assessment of the unacknowledged work, thoughts or ideas of another person as the candidate’s own. In order to avoid charges of plagiarism, candidates must always ensure that they acknowledge fully and in detail the words and/or ideas of another person. The WIS Plagiarism Policy adds the following: What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is derived from the Latin word meaning ‘plunderer’ and ‘kidnapping’. A dictionary definition of plagiarism is: ‘to appropriate ideas, passages etc. from another work or author’ (Hanks, P. (ed.), 1982, The New Collins Dictionary of the English Language, p865). Thus, plagiarism means stealing other people’s words or ideas. AT WIS we regard deliberate plagiarism as a serious offence and all forms of plagiarism as a serious breach of good practice. Examples of Plagiarism * Using the Internet to copy and paste someone else’s work into a piece of homework/coursework. * Downloading an essay from the Internet and handing it in as one’s own work * Copying the work of another student On a piece of work like the Extended Essay many students find that they plagiarise other people’s ideas by mistake, because they have trouble distinguishing between taking notes, and copying or paraphrasing ideas. We will be focussing on these issues in some sessions in April and May. It is also very important to remember to accurately record where you have found all your information when taking notes. This will allow you to reference properly, another key skill in ensuring that your work cannot be accused of plagiarism. Please note that both WIS and the IBO use internet software to detect cases of plagiarism. Whether this is ‘accidental’ or not, students found by the IBO to have plagiarised their essay will fail their Diploma. 20
Writing the extended essay
The structure of the essay is very important. This is what will help you organize your
argument, making best use of the evidence gathered. The required elements of the final
work to be submitted are listed here. More details about each element are given
in the “Formal presentation of the extended essay” section. Please note the order in which
they are presented here is not necessarily the order in which they should be written.
• Title page
• Abstract
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body (development/methods/results)
• Conclusion
• References and bibliography
• Appendices
You should begin using the MLA7 referencing style right away, that way you are less
likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a later
stage. We strongly recommend that you use Microsoft word for writing the essay. You
will be required to submit an electronic copy for marking and it must be either a word file
or a pdf or rtf.
The main task is writing the body of the essay, which should be presented in the form of
a reasoned argument. The form of this varies with the subject of the essay but, as the
argument develops, it should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been
discovered, where/how it has been discovered and how it supports the argument.
In most subjects, sub-headings within the main body of the essay will help the reader to
understand the argument (and will also help the student to keep on track). Once the main
body of the essay is complete, it is possible to finalize the introduction (which tells the
reader what to expect) and the conclusion (which says what has been achieved, including
notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved).
Any information that is important to the argument should not be included in appendices
or footnotes/endnotes. The examiner is not obliged to read notes or appendices, so an
essay that is not complete in itself will lose marks.
Students need to check that they have cited sources for all material that is not their own,
and that the citations are complete and consistent with MLA7. The Works Cited List
should list only the sources used in the essay. The whole essay needs to be proofread
carefully (computer spelling and grammar checkers are useful but will not do
everything). Pages must be numbered and the contents page must be completed. The
abstract is normally written last.
21Formal Presentation of the Extended
Essay
The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style,
appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. The use of Microsoft Word is
strongly encouraged.
Electronic Submission
The Extended Essay is submitted for marking electronically, to that end all essays must:
• Not contain the candidate name or number on any page of the essay
• Be written in Arial 12pt
• Be double spaced
• Be submitted as a doc, docx, pdf or rtf file
• Not exceed 10MB in file size
The length of the extended essay
The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays. This upper limit includes the
introduction, the body, the conclusion and any quotations, but does not include:
• The abstract
• Acknowledgments
• The contents page
• Maps, charts, diagrams, annotated illustrations and tables
• Equations, formulas and calculations
• Citations/references (whether parenthetical or numbered)
• Footnotes or endnotes
• The bibliography
• Appendices.
Essays containing more than 4,000 words are subject to penalties and examiners are not
required to read material in excess of the word limit.
Students writing their extended essay in Japanese or Chinese should use the following
conversions.
Japanese: 1 word = approximately 2 Japanese characters
Chinese: 1 word = approximately 1.2 Chinese characters
22Title
The title should provide a clear indication of the focus of the essay. It should be precise
and not necessarily phrased in the form of a question.
Abstract
An abstract not exceeding 300 words must be included with the essay submitted. It does
not serve as an introduction, but presents an overview of the extended essay, and should,
therefore, be written last.
The inclusion of an abstract is intended to encourage students to examine closely the
development of an argument within the extended essay and the pertinence of any
conclusions that are reached. It is also designed to allow readers to understand quickly
the contents of the extended essay.
The minimum requirements for the abstract are for it to state clearly:
• the research question being investigated
• the scope of the investigation
• the conclusion(s) of the extended essay.
The abstract should be typed or word processed on one side of a sheet of paper, and
placed immediately after the title page.
Contents page
A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages
should be numbered. An index is not required.
Illustrations
Presentation and overall neatness are important, and it is essential that illustrative
material, if included, is well set out and used effectively. Graphs, diagrams, tables and
maps are effective only if they are clearly labelled and can be interpreted with ease. All
such material that is incorporated into the extended essay must be directly related to the
text and acknowledged where appropriate. The use of photographs and other images is
acceptable only if they are captioned and/or annotated and are used to illustrate a specific
point made in the extended essay.
Bibliographies, references and citations
An extended essay must reflect intellectual honesty in research practices and provide the
reader with the exact sources of quotations, ideas and points of view through accurate
bibliographies and referencing. Producing accurate citations, referencing and a
bibliography is a skill that students should be seeking to perfect. Documenting the
research in this way is vital: it allows readers to evaluate the evidence for themselves and
it shows the student’s understanding of the importance of the sources used.
23Failure to comply with this requirement will be viewed as plagiarism and will, therefore, be treated as a case of malpractice. Please note that the preferred style at WIS is MLA7, it is mandatory that students follow this style. For more information, refer to the Library website. What is a reference? A reference is a way of indicating to the reader, in an orderly form, where information has been obtained. A reference provides all the information needed to find the source material. References must be cited because they acknowledge the sources used, and enable the reader to consult the work and verify the data that has been presented. References must be given whenever someone else’s work is quoted or summarized. References can come from many different sources, including books, magazines, journals, newspapers, emails, internet sites and interviews. Internet references should include the title of the extract used as well as the website address, the date it was accessed and, if possible, the author. Caution should be exercised with information on websites that do not give references or that cannot be cross-checked against other sources. The more important a particular point is to the essay, the more the quality of its source needs to be evaluated. Any references to interviews should state the name of the interviewer, the name of the interviewee, the date and the place of the interview. What is a citation? A citation is a shorthand method of making a reference in the body of an essay, which is then linked to the full reference at the end of the essay. A citation provides the reader with accurate references so that he or she can locate the source easily. How sources are cited varies with the particular documentation style that has been chosen. Page numbers should normally be given when referencing printed material: in some styles this will be in the citation, in others in the full reference. Once again, it is important to emphasize that there must be consistency of method when citing sources. Appendices, footnotes and endnotes Appendices, footnotes and endnotes are not an essential section of the extended essay and examiners are not required to read them, so care should be taken to include all information of direct relevance to the analysis and argument in the main body of the essay. An essay that attempts to evade the word limit by including important material in notes or appendices risks losing marks under several criteria. Unless considered essential, complete lists of raw data should not be included in the extended essay. Students should not constantly refer to material presented in an appendix as this may disrupt the continuity of the essay. 24
The Relationship with Your
Supervisor
Cultivating a positive and helpful relationship with your supervisor is your responsibility.
You need to ensure that you communicate clearly with them and book any and all
appointments in plenty of time. They are the best resource you have at your disposal, you
should make sure that you make full use of their experience and expertise.
To that end here are some top tips:
• Be pro-active – Supervisors will help those students who help themselves
• Be organized – a last minute request for a meeting the day before a checkpoint is
going to be much less beneficial than a meeting scheduled well in advance at a
time convenient for both parties
• Ask questions!
• Bring what you have written and what you have been reading to every meeting
• Make notes at every meeting, use the section in this book
• Bring this booklet to every meeting – even if you make notes elsewhere this
booklet is a good reference
Meeting Schedule
Here is a suggested minimal meeting schedule. It is likely that you will need more
meetings with your supervisor, please note however that some meetings may be little
more than handing them the evidence of your latest Checkpoint and others may last quite
a while. Please be considerate of your supervisor’s time and try and arrange appointments
that suit them.
Meeting 1 An initial meeting once your supervisor has been allocated. A good
opportunity to discuss areas of interest within the topic, ask for any
advice or possible sources for research.
Meeting 2: Show evidence of research to supervisor. Discuss the question and how
CP1 you are beginning to refine it. You will need to fill in section 1 of the
RPPF at this point
Meeting 3: Meet with Supervisor to discuss the process of refining the question, this
CP2 may happen over several meetings depending on your question,
culminating in showing them your final question
Meeting 4: Meet your supervisor to go over your essay plan, what will you be
CP3 writing during G4 week? You should fill in section 2 of the RPPF at this
point.
25Meeting 5 Meet with your supervisor to receive feedback on you draft. A really
important meeting, I can’t stress strongly enough the importance of
taking notes as well as a copy of their written feedback
Researchers Reflection Space
You should keep an electronic or paper journal of your work and thinking on the EE
called a Researcher’s Reflection Space. It will be invaluable in helping you complete the
RPPF and will also form as a place to keep notes on your meetings with your supervisors.
If you keep a good RRS and fill in the RPPF well you are going to score highly on
Criterion E.
From IB:
Student reflection in the extended essay is critical. Effective reflection highlights the
engagement of the student in an intellectual and personal process and how this has
changed the student as a learner and affected the completion of that individual’s essay.
The IB considers this to be a central component of a successful research process as it:
• Supports student learning, thinking and critical analysis throughout the research
process
• Helps to stimulate discussions between the student and supervisor
• Aids the reflection process.
The RRS is a personal learning environment that can be either a physical or virtual
support tool. It is a space in which students are able to record reflections on what they are
reading, writing and thinking. The use of the RRS will help students to prepare for their
reflection sessions with their supervisors and inform the discussions that take place. In
preparing for their reflection sessions students could use their RRS to:
• record their reflections
• respond to artefacts, such as photos, newspaper clippings, twitter feeds, blogs, and
so on
• respond to prompts and questions that may arise in the students’ subject areas,
TOK classes or other aspects of the Diploma Programme
• create MindMaps ®;
• record emerging questions.
26Reflections on Planning and Progress
Form
The Reflections on Planning and Progress Form must be submitted with your EE. You
will be provided with an electronic copy which you will be complete and will be sent off
with your EE. It provides you with an opportunity to reflect on the process as it happens
and will inform your mark in criterion E.
NOT FILLING IN THE RPPF WILL RESULT IN A 0 IN CRITERION E
The RPPF must be filled out at different stages throughout the process:
• Section 1 should be filled out after or during the first meeting with your
supervisor and finished by Checkpoint 1(January)
• Section 2 should be filled out after further meetings with your supervisor and
completed by Checkpoint 3 (March)
• Section 3 should be completed by student and supervisor after the Viva Voce
(concluding interview)
Look out for an electronic version of the form on the classroom
27A Short Survival Guide to the
Extended Essay
• YOU control your Extended Essay — don't let it control you!!
You should not spend more than about 40 hours on it altogether,
from the time you decide on your question to the day you hand in
your final version.
• Make sure your topic is manageable — don't make it too broad or
too narrow and don't write more than 4000 words.
• Make sure your topic gives you the opportunity to
analyse,interpret and evaluate. Don't just recount someone else's
facts!
• No new quantum mechanics theories are needed here — your EE
doesn't have to change the world; it should just be something new for
YOU.
• You need to make appointments with your supervisor on a regular
basis. If your supervisor has to chase you up because they
haven't seen you for a while, then YOU have a problem!!
• The EE is only worth a maximum 1.5 points out of 45 — keep it in
perspective
• Regularly re-read the guidelines for the criteria that match your
essay area to make sure that you are fulfilling the requirements.
• Ask for help and advice from your supervisor, before things get
out of control. Your supervisor will not fix your problems for you,
but they can give you suggestions for dealing with problems that arise.
• Make sure everything you put in your essay is YOUR OWN
WORK!! Plagiarism and collusion will cause you inordinate
amounts of grief, and you'll jeopardise your Diploma too!
28Checklist Here is a useful checklist for you to complete at 2 points during the process: Once when you hand in your draft and once when you hand in your final Essay, by which time you should be able to put a tick in every box. General layout: Draft Final 12 point font Arial 2 line spacing throughout 1" margins around the writing Abstract, table of contents, body and bibliography all started on new pages Cover page with the title, student name, number and school on it Separate Contents page Every page has a page number in the header – note page number should begin after the contents page Word count typed in for Abstract (
Introduction State your general topic and your question clearly in the introduction Say what inspired the research Say what you hope to achieve in the essay Leave out all the personal, emotional "I"s State why it is worth researching the question / hypothesis — give it some merit. Outline the main ideas Outline the mains steps in the development of the essay Main Body Clearly divided into subsections with clear headings All sections totally relevant to the topic Are all the diagrams and illustrations really necessary? If so, have they all been labelled and referenced, both for source and to show where they fit into your arguments? MLA7 referencing format throughout the essay Are ALL your direct quotes referenced? Have you referenced, every time you used someone else's ideas? 30
The Abstract
Does your abstract clearly state your research question?
Does it describe your methodology and the scope of your Essay?
Does it state your conclusion?
The Conclusion
Have you summarized your main points in the conclusion?
Did you introduce any new ideas or data? If so, TAKE THEM OUT
NOW!!
Is it clear from your last paragraph exactly what your "verdict" is
regarding your topic?
Bibliography
Have you included EVERY book, website, magazine, etc that you
mentioned in your EE?
Have you used MLA7 format for every single entry?
Have you checked the spelling of titles, authors etc?
Have you added the date on which you downloaded materials from
the Internet?
Does Every entry have a matching in text citation?
31Proposal Form
Extended Essay Proposal Form
(FOR REFERENCE ONLY – MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE)
Name:________________________________________________________
__
Proposed subject area: ________________________Preference: 1st / 2nd /
3rd
Proposed title / area of interest:
Relevant Studies:
What courses are you taking/ have you taken that relate to this topic
Planned University Studies
Research Plan:
Why is this a suitable topic for EE? Why do you want to write on this subject?
What data will you be collecting / what sources will you be consulting?
What will be the main argument of your essay?
32EXTENDED ESSAY FINAL CHECKLIST
All students must print, check and sign this list to confirm that they have checked all these elements
before submitting your final essay. These are easy marks to attain if you simply pay some attention to
presentation and organisation. You must sign and get your parents signature before submitting this
document on the front of your final EE.
NAME: SUBJECT: SUPERVISOR:
RESEARCH QUESTION:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
ITEM STUDENT SUPERVISOR
CHECK CHECK
1. Is the essay within 4000 words?
2. Is the abstract within 300 words?
3. Does the abstract state these three things: the research
question; how the investigation was undertaken and the
conclusion reached?
4. Does the title page contain your name, candidate number,
session, research question, subject and word count?
5. Is there a contents page?
6. Are all pages numbered?
7. Is your research question clearly phrased with accurate
grammar and punctuation in a form approved by your
supervisor?
8. Is your research question stated on the title page?
9. Is your research question clearly stated in the
introduction?
10. Are your abstract, introduction and conclusion clearly
titled?
11. Does your introduction clearly state the context and
significance of your topic? (What was already known about
this topic; why is your topic worthy of investigation? This
shows that you had read about the topic before you started
and wanted to write something new)
12. Does your conclusion address unresolved questions?
13. Does your conclusion address new questions that have
emerged?
14. Have you clearly and consistently used MLA 8 formatting
and citing?
15. Is every reference cited?
16. Are your references cited consistently and correctly?
17. Is your works cited list accurate? (All works listed; no
additional works listed – they do not want to see a list of every
article you found on the topic; only the ones you cited)
3318. Do the appendices contain relevant information?
19. Are all references to the appendices cross-referenced and
labelled?
STUDENT DECLARATION
By signing this, you confirm:
• that you have checked and completed all of the above to the best of your
knowledge and are aware that these make up some crucial marks in the
EE;
• that you are aware that the EE is a compulsory part of the IB Diploma and
that attaining an E would mean that you were not awarded the
diploma;
• that you understand that, as a school, we only make a predicted grade of
your final outcome for the EE which is, in fact, sent away to an official IB
examiner for external marking and moderation;
• that you are aware that we are likely to lean towards an optimistic
prediction when predicting your grade for the EE to your future
universities.
Student signature………………………………………………………………
Date……………………………………………
Parent Signature………………………………………………………………..
Date…………………………………………….
SUPERVISOR CHECK
I can confirm that I have checked the above elements and would recommend that:
No further changes are needed
Some elements still need addressing
COMMENT
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
Supervisor signature: ………………………………………………………..
Date:……………………………………………..
3435
Assessment Criteria
Criterion A: Focus and method
This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. It assesses the explanation
of the focus of the research (this includes the topic and the research question), how the research will be
undertaken, and how the focus is maintained throughout the essay.
Level Descriptor of strands and indicators
0 The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.
1–2 The topic is communicated unclearly and incompletely.
• Identification and explanation of the topic is limited; the purpose and focus of the
research is unclear, or does not lend itself to a systematic investigation in the subject for
which it is registered.
The research question is stated but not clearly expressed or too broad.
• The research question is too broad in scope to be treated effectively within the word limit
and requirements of the task, or does not lend itself to a systematic investigation in the
subject for which it is registered.
• The intent of the research question is understood but has not been clearly expressed
and/or the discussion of the essay is not focused on the research question.
Methodology of the research is limited.
• The source(s) and/or method(s) to be used are limited in range given the topic and
research question.
• There is limited evidence that their selection was informed.
3–4 The topic is communicated.
• Identification and explanation of the research topic is communicated; the purpose and
focus of the research is adequately clear, but only partially appropriate.
The research question is clearly stated but only partially focused.
• The research question is clear but the discussion in the essay is only partially focused and
connected to the research question.
Methodology of the research is mostly complete.
• Source(s) and/or method(s) to be used are generally relevant and appropriate given the
topic and research question.
• There is some evidence that their selection(s) was informed.
If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay
is registered no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion.
5–6 The topic is communicated accurately and effectively.
• Identification and explanation of the research topic is effectively communicated; the
purpose and focus of the research is clear and appropriate.
The research question is clearly stated and focused.
• The research question is clear and addresses an issue of research that is appropriately
connected to the discussion in the essay.
Methodology of the research is complete.
• An appropriate range of relevant source(s) and/or method(s) have been applied in
relation to the topic and research question.
• There is evidence of effective and informed selection of sources and/or methods.
36Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding
This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore
the research question, or in the case of the world studies extended essay, the issue addressed and the two
disciplinary perspectives applied, and additionally the way in which this knowledge and understanding is
demonstrated through the use of appropriate terminology and concepts.
Level Descriptor of strands and indicators
0 The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.
1–2 Knowledge and understanding is limited.
• The selection of source material has limited relevance and is only partially
appropriate to the research question.
• Knowledge of the topic/discipline(s)/issue is anecdotal, unstructured and mostly
descriptive with sources not effectively being used.
Use of terminology and concepts is unclear and limited.
• Subject-specific terminology and/or concepts are either missing or inaccurate,
demonstrating limited knowledge and understanding.
3–4 Knowledge and understanding is good.
• The selection of source material is mostly relevant and appropriate to the research
question.
• Knowledge of the topic/discipline(s)/issue is clear; there is an understanding of the
sources used but their application is only partially effective.
Use of terminology and concepts is adequate.
• The use of subject-specific terminology and concepts is mostly accurate,
demonstrating an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding.
If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the
essay is registered no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion.
5–6 Knowledge and understanding is excellent.
• The selection of source materials is clearly relevant and appropriate to the research
question.
• Knowledge of the topic/discipline(s)/issue is clear and coherent and sources are used
effectively and with understanding.
Use of terminology and concepts is good.
• The use of subject-specific terminology and concepts is accurate and consistent,
demonstrating effective knowledge and understanding.
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