Extended Essay

 

The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic, undertaken either through a subject-focused approach or an interdisciplinary approach combining two DP subjects. Students choose from the list of available DP subjects for the examination session in question. This is normally one of the student’s six selected subjects (or two in the case of the interdisciplinary pathway) for those taking the IB diploma, or a subject that a course student has a background in.

 

The extended essay is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor (an appropriately qualified member of staff within the school).

 

Students produce a significant piece of appropriately presented and structured writing, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a coherent, reasoned manner, appropriate to the subject(s) chosen. Students must attend 3 reflection sessions with their supervisor. The third session is a short, concluding interview, or viva voce, that follows the completion of their extended essay. An assessment of this reflection is made under criterion E using the reflection and progress form (RPF).

 

The extended essay, whether subject-focused or interdisciplinary, is assessed against common criteria.

 

• The extended essay is compulsory for all students taking the DP and is an option for course students.
• The extended essay is a piece of independent research and writing on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a designated supervisor in the school.
• The extended essay is presented as a formal piece of academic writing containing no more than 4,000 words accompanied by a reflective statement of no more than 500 words. The statement is included on the RPF.
• The essay is the result of approximately 40 hours of work by the student.
• Students are supported by a supervision process recommended to be three to five hours long, which includes three mandatory reflection sessions; the third and final reflection session is the viva voce, a concluding interview with the supervisor.
• The extended essay process helps to prepare students for the research-driven environment of
university or college.

 

• A student must achieve a D grade or higher for the extended essay to be awarded the diploma.
• When choosing a subject for the extended essay, students must consult the list of available DP subjects published in the Diploma Programme Assessment procedures for the examination session in question.

 

 

Assessment in the EE

 

Assessment Criteria: 30 marks

 

Criterion A: Framework for the essay (6 marks) 
-Focuses on research question AND research methods
-Structural conventions used to effectively communicate the research 

 

Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (6 marks) 
-Knowledge (research materials used to establish knowledge of subject matter) 
-Terminology used accurately AND concepts explained and used effectively 

 

Criterion C: Analysis and line of argument  (6 marks) 
-Analysis is effective and produces relevant findings
-Line of argument links the RQ, research findings and conclusions

 

Criterion D: Discussion and evaluation (8 marks)
-Balanced discussion of significance of findings supported by evidence
-Evaluation of effectiveness of essay with relevant strengths and limitations explained

 

Criterion E: Reflection – 500-word statement (4 marks) 
-Evaluative reflection on the learning experience
-Evidence of growth and transfer of learning

 

The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. Given that the extended essay is a formally written research paper, it should strive to maintain a professional, academic look.

To help achieve this, the following formatting is suggested.

• • font, font size and spacing conducive to on-screen marking (ex. 12 point, Arial)
  • page numbering (top right corner of the page)
  • no candidate, supervisor, or school name on the title page, page headers, appendices or acknowledgment pages
  • the file size must not be more than 10 MB. (Note that the RPF is uploaded separately and is not part of the overall file size of the essay.)

Submitting the extended essay in the required format will help set the tone of the essay and will aid readability for on-screen assessment by examiners.

 

6 Required Elements of the EE

 

Title Page	Do NOT include your name, ONLY the following: *Read more about word count here!
Contents Page	A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered. Please note that an index page is not required and if included will be treated as if it is not present.
Introduction	The introduction should tell the reader what to expect in the essay. The introduction should make clear to the reader the focus of the essay, the scope of the research, in particular an indication of the sources to be used, and an insight into the line of argument to be taken. While students should have a sense of the direction and key focus of their essay, it is sometimes advisable to finalize the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.
Body of the essay	Research, analysis, discussion and evaluation: 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 some subjects, for example, the sciences, subheadings 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). In structuring their extended essay, students must take into consideration the expected conventions of the subject in which their extended essay is registered. 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 must not be included in appendices or footnotes/endnotes. The examiner will not read notes or appendices, so an essay that is not complete in itself will be compromised across the assessment criteria.
Conclusion	The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. While students might draw conclusions throughout the essay based on their findings, it is important that there is a final, summative conclusion at the end. This conclusion(s) must relate to the research question posed.
Bibliography   Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA)	A bibliography is an alphabetical list of every source used to research and write the essay. Sources that are not cited in the body of the essay but were important in informing the approach taken should be cited in the introduction or in an acknowledgment. The bibliography must list only those sources cited.    Citations: "A citation is a shorthand method of making a reference in the body of an essay, either as an in-text citation or footnote/endnote. This must then be linked to the full reference at the end of the essay in the bibliography. 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 referencing style that has been chosen. Page numbers should normally be given when referencing printed material and this is especially so in the case of direct quotations. For some styles this will also 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."