IB Extended Essay

“I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done.”Steven Wright

•What are the main components? •What is it?

The Extended Essay is a requirement for the IB-Diploma

Programme candidates

IB Requirements

• Over the two- year programme, students:• Study 6 subjects from the 6 subjects areas.• Complete an Extended Essay (EE)• Complete a TOK course• Complete CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service)

What is the Extended Essay?

• The Extended Essay is a formal, limited in-depth study of a topic that YOU choose.

• The topic has to fall under one of the IB subject areas.

• Language A1, Second Language, Individual and Societies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, and the Arts.

What is the Extended Essay?

• YOU develop the Topic and Research Question• A 4,000 word formal- research paper.• This is expected to help you prepare for independent

research expected by universities.• Essay is an Essay is an analyticalanalytical answer to the question YOU answer to the question YOU

developdevelop

What is the Extended Essay?

• A carefully constructed analytical answer to a very precise question. • Based on DATA and EVIDENCE from research. • Evidence is cited as a source.

• 4,000 words comes only from the intro, body paragraphs, conclusion, and quotations. • Not including: • Abstract, Contents Page, Citations, Works Cited, or

Appendices.

The Extended Essay is not!

• It is NOT a review of the literatureIt is NOT a review of the literature• It is NOT a book report or plot summaryIt is NOT a book report or plot summary• It is NOT everything you ever learned about It is NOT everything you ever learned about

your subjectyour subject• It is NOT your opinion, your thoughts, or It is NOT your opinion, your thoughts, or

your beliefs your beliefs

Main Objective of the Extended Essay

• Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge. • Going through a research progress:• Investigating • Writing• Structure • Coming up with a topic and research question.

• It is required that the school:• Ensures that the extended essays conform to the

regulations outlined by IB.• Ensures that students determine the subject for

their extended essay from the approved extended essay list (in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme) before choosing the topic

• Ensures that each student has an appropriately supervisor, who is a teacher within the school.

• Provides supervisors and students with the general and subject-specific information, and guideline for the extended essay.

Responsibilities of the school

• Provides supervisors with recent extended essay subject reports.

• Ensures that supervisors are familiar with the IB document Academic honesty.

• Explains to students the importance of the extended essay in the overall context of the Diploma Programme.

• Explains to students that they will be expected to spend approximately 40 hours on their extended essay.

• It is strongly recommended that the school: • Ensures that the students have been taught the

necessary research skills.• Provides appropriate training for supervisors.

Responsibilities of the Supervisor

• It is required that the supervisor: • Provides the student with advice and guidance

in the skill of undertaking research• Encourages and supports the student

throughout the research and writing of the extended essay

• Discusses the choice of topic with the student and, in particular helps to formulate a well- focused research question

• Ensures that the chosen research question satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal warfare, and environmental issues

Responsibilities of the supervisor

• Is familiar with the regulations governing the extended essay and the assessment criteria, and gives copies of these to the students

• Monitors the progress of the extended essay to offer guidance and to ensure that the essay is the student’s own work (this may include presenting a section of the essay for supervisor comments)

• Reads and comments on one completed draft only of the extended essay( but does not edit it)

• Reads the final version to confirm its authenticity. • Submits a predicted grade for the student’s

extended essay to the IB

Responsibilities of the supervisor continue

• Completes the supervisor’s report( if the extended essay cover is not signed by the both the student and the supervisor, the essay will not be accepted for assessment and may be returned to the school

• Provides an explanation in the report in cases where the number of hours spent with the student in discussing the extended essay is zero; in particular, it is necessary to describe how it has been possible to guarantee the authenticity of the essay in these circumstances.

• Writes a report and presents it to the school’s Diploma Programme coordinator if malpractice, such as plagiarism, is suspected in the final draft.

Responsibilities of the supervisor continue

• It is strongly recommended that the supervisor: • Reads recent extended essay reports for the subject• Spends between 3 and 5 hours with each student,

including the time of the vive voce. • Ensures that the chosen research question is

appropriate for the subject• Advises students on:• Access to appropriate resources (such as people, a library,

a laboratory)• Techniques of information-/ evidence- data- gathering and

analysis• Writing an abstract• Documenting sources

• Conducts a short vive voce interview with the student

Responsibilities of the student

• It is required that the students:• Choose a topic that fits into one of the subjects

on the approved extended essay list (in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme)

• Observe the regulations relating to the extended essay

• Meet deadlines• Acknowledge all sources of information and

ideas in an approved academic manner

• It is strongly recommended that the Student: • Start work early• Think very carefully about the research question for

their essay • Plan how, when, and where they will find material for

their essay• Plan a schedule for both researching and writing the

essay, including extra time for delays and unforeseen problems

• Record sources as their research progresses (rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end)

• Have a clear structure for the essay itself before beginning to write

• Check and proofread the final version carefully• Make sure that all basic requirements are met( for

example, all students should get full marks for the abstract)

Assessment Criteria

• A. Research Question (0-2)A. Research Question (0-2)• B. Introduction (0-2)B. Introduction (0-2)• C. Investigation (0-4)C. Investigation (0-4)• D. Knowledge of topic (0-4)D. Knowledge of topic (0-4)• E. Reason argument (0-4)E. Reason argument (0-4)• F. Application of Analytical skills (0-4)F. Application of Analytical skills (0-4)• G. Use of appropriate language (0-4G. Use of appropriate language (0-4))

Assessment Criteria

• H. Conclusion (0-2)H. Conclusion (0-2)• I. Formal presentation (0-4)I. Formal presentation (0-4)• J. Abstract (0-2)J. Abstract (0-2)• K Holistic Judgment (0-4)K Holistic Judgment (0-4)

• TOTAL possible points: 36TOTAL possible points: 36• There are other specific assessment criteria for each There are other specific assessment criteria for each

subject. subject.

Mark Bands

• 29-36 Excellent A• 23-28Good B• 16-22Satisfactory C• 8-15 Mediocre D• 0-7 Elementary E

Extended Essay’s role/Diploma Points

Extended Essay’s role/ Failing conditions

• If you fail to submit an EEIf you fail to submit an EE• If you write an EE but fail to meet with your advisorIf you write an EE but fail to meet with your advisor• If you fail BOTH the TOK paper AND the EEIf you fail BOTH the TOK paper AND the EE• If you fail the EE or TOK, you must earn at least 28 If you fail the EE or TOK, you must earn at least 28

points on the exams to earn the Diploma (instead of points on the exams to earn the Diploma (instead of 24)*24)*

Academic Integrity

• Student is responsible for citing sources.• Work or ideas of others must be fully and correctly

acknowledged. • The EE must be authentic work of the student. • Avoid plagiarism and collusion they are forms of

malpractice.

Academic Integrity cont• EACH fact, idea, quote, chart, graph, picture,

number not your own must be sourced (with page number)

• The direct or indirect use of the words of another person MUST be sourced.

• Restating someone’s ideas EVEN IF not copied is plagiarism!

• The solution: CITATIONS• Be consistent in citation style• Manage sources as you do your research:

research notebook

Choosing a Subject

• Must be one of the 6 core subjects.• Choose a subject that is interesting to you.

Maybe an IB course that you have taken. • The essay must include specific terminology from

that area so, it can reflect your study. Not recommended to do an Extended Essay in a subject you have not studied before.

• Any Extended essay written in language B must be typed up in that language.

English A1• An opportunity to explore a writer or topic that

excites or absorbs you• Do not choose a work that is studied in class• Conduct an in-depth literary topic• Engage in independent literary criticism and only

include some establish critical comment if necessary• Literary works often address philosophical, political

or social questions, so the major focus of the essay should be the literary treatment of such questions

• The literary work should not be treated simply as documentary evidence in a discussion of philosophical, political or social issues

• Always consider how the texts work as literature, dealing with aspects such as the effects they achieve, the devices they use, and the way they are written

Language B

• The extended essay has to be written in either French or Spanish.

• Has to deal with: • Language• Culture and Society• Literature

Biology• Your chance to actually be a biologist ; you will actually do

some science• As an independent researcher you should start with your own

idea• You have a chance to find out about living organism and

investigating them first hand• Where? In your garden, on school grounds, your kitchen,

under a stone ...• Observe the diversity of life forms around you and they way

they change in the environment• You must incorporate biological theory and emphasize the

essential nature of this subject• Can be based on data collected by student through

experimentation, survey, observations, fieldwork OR on data/information obtained from literature from a primary source that is manipulated or analyzed in an original way

• Most biology EEs that conduct the second kind of research tend to do poorly because students tend to simply restate facts or date taken directly from the original source and are of little value

Chemistry • Provides an opportunity to investigate a particular aspect of the

materials of our environment• Chemistry is the science that deals with the composition,

characterization and transformation of substances• Should incorporate chemical principles and theory, and

emphasize the essential nature of chemistry, relating to the study of matter and of the changes it undergoes.

• This EE must be characterized by a particular chemical emphasis within a more general set of research criteria

• Outcome of the research must be a coherent and structured piece of writing that effectively addresses a particular issue or research question and arrives at a particular, and preferably personal, conclusion.

History• A good history essay has to be well research and well

organized• Anything that has happened within the last 10 years

is not considered history• This means looking for and reading a lot of sources• Keep a list of all sources you find• Do not summarize general secondary sources• Primary sources are the key• Use primary and secondary sources in order to

establish and appraise varying interpretation• Analyze sources in order to explain changing views

over time of particular happenings or developments• Collect and analyze oral and written data

Mathematics• An opportunity to investigate a mathematical idea or

application that you’ve found intriguing• A mathematics EE means doing math as well as discussing it• You can do one of the following:• The applicability of math to solve both real and abstract

problems• The beauty of math as in, for instance, geometry or fractal

theory• The elegance of math in the proving of theorems• The origin and subsequent development of a branch of math

over time• The link between different branches of math• The way a branch of math has been born, or flourished, as a

result of technology

Music• Real music should be at the heart of this EE• Particular pieces of music, experienced via recordings, live

performances or concerts• You should strive for a coherent verbal analysis and

interpretation of one or more pieces of music in relation to the research question

• Choose from a variety of different interests:• Something in the DP music course• Local performances or concerts• Musical cultures that you have encountered that is not your

own• Personal contact with composers and/or performers• Direct involvement in actually making music• Recordings• Music on the internet, or downloaded from it

Psychology• This subject is defined as “the systematic study of behaviour and

experience”• Most important thing is to clearly define your research question so that

it is possible to write an essay within the word limit• Avoid “pop psychology” or “self help” topics• A good research question in Psychology is one that promotes

discussion or analysis of a problem and not merely a description• Find appropriate literature by talking to your supervisor• Refer to relevant psychology concepts, theories and studies

throughout the EE• Try to see how you can apply psychological theories and use empirical

research done by psychologists to answer your research question• Base your argument on existing research – you are not supposed to

collect data yourself for an EE in Psychology

Visual Arts• Art is a form of expression so focus on this concept• What drives one to create? What inspires? How does art fit

into society?• Illustrate your thoughts and findings with images—visual arts

are visual!• Be sure to source all images and reference materials & refer to

artists correctly• Be passionate about your topic• Research may be generated or inspired by your direct

experience of artwork, craftwork or design, or interest in the work of a particular artist

• Personal contact with artists, curators and so on is strongly encouraged

• Absolute reliance on textbooks and the internet is discouraged• You must include visual references

Topic- Places to get inspiration.

• A book, newspaper article, magazine piece that interested you• An author, historical figure, performer who inspires you• A website that looks intriguing• A film, musical performance or play that captivated you• An experiment that captured your imagination• A natural phenomenon that you’d like to know more about• An idea that you heard in class that you’d like to explore further• A TOK topic that fascinated you• An issue or problem in the local community that irks you• A significant event in your own life or in the life of your

ancestors

Choosing a Topic

•Limited in scope and sufficiently narrow to allow you to examine an issue in Limited in scope and sufficiently narrow to allow you to examine an issue in depthdepth

•But big enough so you may collect and/or generate data for analysisBut big enough so you may collect and/or generate data for analysis

•Science topics are most successful when you conduct an experimentScience topics are most successful when you conduct an experiment

•Keep Reading: Keep Reading:

•Has to fall under one of the core subjectsHas to fall under one of the core subjects

•Consider all safety and ethical issues. Consider all safety and ethical issues.

•There needs to be enough information. There needs to be enough information.

Research Question.

• This is the MOST important section of the Extended Essay.

• You are circumnavigating around your research question.

• Must be: • Narrow• Specific• Can be answered in 4,000 words• Find enough information

Bad Research Questions.

• Language A1: English• What symbols are employed by F. Scott Fitzgerald?

• Experimental sciences: Biology:• What causes cancer?

• Individuals and Societies: History• What was the impact of the civil rights movement?• The History of …

Good Research Questions

• Language A1: English:• How does the portrayal of Joan of Arch by Shaw,

Anouilh, and Schiller differ?

• Experimental sciences: Biology:• An experimental study to determine if Vitamin C levels

in orange differ in supermarkets vs. restaurants.

Format of the Extended Essay

Title Page • There are 8 sections:

• Provide a concise title that clearly indicates the focus of the essay. • Do not use your research question or hypothesis as your title.• Format • Name • Candidate number • Year of Exams• Subject• Word Count

Abstract

• Abstract of 300 words. Abstract is NOT an Abstract of 300 words. Abstract is NOT an introduction.introduction.

• Write this LAST.Write this LAST.• Abstract should state:Abstract should state:• Research question being investigatedResearch question being investigated• The scope of the investigationThe scope of the investigation• The conclusion(s) of the essayThe conclusion(s) of the essay

• Should be presented on a separate piece of Should be presented on a separate piece of paper and placed after the title page.paper and placed after the title page.

Contents Page

• Place AFTER the abstractPlace AFTER the abstract• All pages must be numberedAll pages must be numbered• It also indicates the structure of

the essay.• The contents page outlines the

main sections with corresponding page numbers.

Introduction

•Although not listed as a criterion of assessment, an introduction is an important component of an extended essay.

Body Paragraphs• This is the longest and most important

section.• Write it a form of a reasoned argument. • Can use sub-headings in this section. • The organization of the body paragraphs

should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been discovered, where/how it has been discovered and how it supports the argument.

Conclusion

•The conclusion pulls the essay together and sums up the major points that shaped the thesis.•Remember that last impressions are lasting impressions.

Bibliography (Works Cited)• Each work cited in the essay must be listed in Each work cited in the essay must be listed in

the bibliography.the bibliography.• Examiners match the citations to the Examiners match the citations to the

bibliography.bibliography.• Over reliance on limited sources will lose Over reliance on limited sources will lose

points.points.• Bibliography must be in alphabetical order. Bibliography must be in alphabetical order. • Should only list the sources cited. Should only list the sources cited.

Documentation Styles

• Math & Sciences: APA• Environmental Sciences: APA• Economics: APA• Psychology: APA• English, Art, French, Music, Film, Dance: MLA• History/Politics: Chicago (footnotes)

“A consistent structure will protect the students from being penalized.”

Appendices

• Not viewed as essential and examiners are Not viewed as essential and examiners are not required to read. So be careful to include not required to read. So be careful to include all relevant information to your Extended all relevant information to your Extended Essay. Essay.

• Unless considered essential, complete lists of Unless considered essential, complete lists of raw data should not be includedraw data should not be included

Vive Voce (MANDATORY)

• The Viva Voce is a short interview (about 10 min) between the student and the supervisor

• The conclusion of the EE process • Students who fail to attend the Viva Voce must realize

that a comment to this effect may appear on the coversheet of the EE and may be disadvantaged.

• Serves:• A check on plagiarism and malpractice in general• An opportunity to reflect on success and difficulties

in the research process• An opportunity to reflect on what has been learned• An aid to the supervisor’s report.

Create a Clear Argument

• Make sure you :• Take a position (an argument – How? Why?)• Present evidence• Draw a conclusion

“If the arguments aren’t convincing and/or there are gaps in knowledge, there is room for an alternative interpretation and the student will be penalized.”

Demonstrate a good command of the English language

• Subject specific language (syntax)• Diction, word choice• Are the words used correctly? (affect vs. effect)• No contractions• Avoid passive voice & first person (except for Art)• Abstract can have first person• Definitions whenever necessary

“Communication is vital: the little things are the things that are going to radically affect the grade.”

Structure/ Style

•Organization enhances the clarity of your thesis. •Write your essay in a style that is clear and smooth and in a tone that is formal and scholarly.

Last Detail: Analysis, Scholar, and Sources

• Use EVIDENCE, DATA not description, Use EVIDENCE, DATA not description, chronological lists.chronological lists.

• This is not a ‘report.”This is not a ‘report.”• It’s an argument with supporting information.It’s an argument with supporting information.• This is NOT a review of the literature—your voice This is NOT a review of the literature—your voice

must come through loud and clear.must come through loud and clear.• Use a scholarly, professional styleUse a scholarly, professional style• No “I” statements (“I think”)No “I” statements (“I think”)• Use the language and vocabulary of your fieldUse the language and vocabulary of your field• Keep a research notebook• Analyze your sources IN your essayAnalyze your sources IN your essay• Primary sources over secondary sourcesPrimary sources over secondary sources• No encyclopedia-like sourcesNo encyclopedia-like sources

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