Feedback

A very important aspect of the latter stages of the Extended Essay process is the Supervisor feedback on one completed draft of the essay. This is the last time the Supervisor sees the essay before it is uploaded for submission. It is therefore vital that the level of support given is appropriate—too little may negatively impact the student's capacity to meet their potential; too much may push the boundaries of academic integrity and compromise the student's independence in their work. The best way to manage this last stage is for the student to submit the draft before a supervision meeting, allowing the Supervisor time to add written comments. Then, in the ensuing one-to-one discussion, the Supervisor and the student review the Supervisor’s comments together. Any advice given by the Supervisor should be expressed in terms of the way the work could be improved; the draft must not be heavily annotated or edited by the Supervisor.

What Supervisors can do:

Comments can be added that indicate how the essay could be improved. The comments should be open-ended and not involve editing the text. Here are some examples:

Issue 1: The research question is expressed differently in three places—the title page, the introduction and the conclusion.
Comment 1: Is your research question consistent throughout the essay, including on the title page?

Issue 2: The essay rambles and the argument is not clear.
Comment 2: Your essay lacks clarity here. How could you make it clearer?

Issue 3: The student has made a mistake in their calculations.
Comment 3: Check this page carefully.

Issue 4: The student has left out a section of the essay.
Comment 4: There is something missing here. What is it? Check the essay against the requirements.

Issue 5: The essay presents something in the appendix that should be in the body of the essay.
Comment 5:  Are you sure this belongs here?

Issue 6: The conclusion is weak.
Comment 6: What is it that you are trying to say here? Have you included all your relevant findings? Have you looked at unanswered questions?

Issue 7:  The essay has an incomplete citation.
Comment 7: You need to check this page for accuracy of referencing.

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What supervisors cannot do:

Supervisors are NOT permitted to:

• correct spelling and punctuation

• correct experimental work or mathematics

• re-write any part of the essay

• indicate where whole sections of the essay would be better placed

• proofread the essay for errors

• correct bibliographies or citations

EE Support Materials pg 20