Doing your research

Locating, organizing and evaluating

Following on from the chapter on defining a research question, this section is designed to help students and supervisors locate, organize and evaluate the myriad of research that will be an integral part of the Extended Essay process.

The four-step process is outlined below:

Step 1: Defining a research question

Step 2: Locating relevant sources to support research into the chosen topic

Step 3: Organizing the information into workable formats

Step 4: Evaluating in the light of such criteria as reliability, limitations and issues raised

Primary and secondary sources

After designing your research question, you should be ready to locate a combination of primary and secondary sources relevant to your topic.

First, you should familiarize yourself with what constitutes a primary and a secondary source in your chosen subject.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

You should also bear in mind that certain Extended Essays have a minimum expectation when it comes to primary and secondary sourcing, while others may disallow the use one type ( for example, primary research in Psychology) .

Subject-specific source lists - See Appendix 1

Locating relevant sources

Most students gravitate to one of the main general search engines on the internet (for example, Google or Yahoo) or a general website such as Wikipedia as a first port-of-call when it comes to locating relevant sources. However, these do not always produce results that would be suitable for an academic research paper such as the Extended Essay.

Below is a list of alternative suggestions for a variety of subject areas:

1. Libraries

The school' s library should be the first stop when it comes to locating relevant source material. Too often do students overlook their own facilities in preference of an electronic search engine much to the detriment of their final work.

In addition to school libraries, many schools are within close proximity of public municipal libraries that often house significantly larger collections of materials.

State or national libraries are also a great place to visit if they can be readily accessed.

University libraries may also be available to you though borrowing restrictions may apply to non-university students.

Virtual libraries: Many libraries of institutions (such as the Getty Research Institute) now make their resources available in a virtual (online) environment that is often freely accessible or requires normal membership as is the case with physical libraries.

Many libraries have sharing agreements with larger (parent/associated) libraries, which means that resources can be shipped between them upon request. They also have paid subscriptions to online databases which members can freely access.

Always bear in mind that librarians are best placed to support students with regards to the location of appropriate academic materials, be they print or electronic in nature.

Tip - Always visit a library.

2. Electronic databases

There are many electronic databases (many of them free or requiring a small subscription fee) that you can make use of. These usually store hundreds to thousands of academic-grade journals and associated publications. Below is a list of some of the more popular ones (check whether your library already has a subscription to these) :

International System for Agricultural Science and Technology (AGRIS) (http://agris.fao. org/agris-search/index.do)

A free database containing articles in multiple languages on issues pertaining to the environment, geography and natural sciences.

The arXiv (http://arxiv.org/)

A free online database with publications relating to physics, computer sciences, mathematics, finance and biology.

CQ Researcher (http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/)

A subscription-based database of contemporary social and political issues written by professional journalists.

EconBiz (www.econbiz.de)

A free online database with full-text access to a multitude of economics-related publications.

EBSCOHost (www.ebscohost.com)

A vast subscription-based database of scholarly publications, magazines and articles on most subjects. Includes many of these as full texts.

ERIC Institute of Education Sciences (http://eric.ed.gov/)

Thousands of publications relevant to education, human and natural sciences, the arts, and many more, often with free access to full texts or links to host sites.

Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)

A search engine with a specific focus on scholarly articles, often accessible as full-text versions.

JSTOR (www.jstor.org)

A large subscription-based database of scholarly publications, magazines and articles on most subjects. Includes many of these as full texts.

JURN (http://www.jurn.org/)

A search engine with a specifc focus on free scholarly articles, accessible as full text versions.

US National Archives (www.archives.gov)

A huge database of primary and secondary sources mainly on US History. Includes links to other external databases such as Fold3.

National Bureau of Economic Research (www.nber.org)

An online database with full-text access to a multitude of economics-related publications.

POPLINE (www.popline.org)

An online database with links to articles (often free) relating to health and associated factors such as culture and society) .

PubMed Central (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc)

Database with millions of full-text articles on a myriad of topics in the Natural Sciences.

Questia (www.questia.com)

A vast, subscription-based database of scholarly publications, magazines and articles on most subjects. Includes many of these as full texts.

Science Direct (www.sciencedirect.com)

A subscription-based database of publications relevant to mathematics, the human and natural sciences.

Online encyclopedias

An online encyclopedia such as Wikipedia is usually the first place a student will turn to when it comes to research. Due to the lack of peer review on such sites and their open editorial nature, these do not often work well as sources for academic research papers. Although students continue to include these as sources in their bibliographies, Extended Essays should also reference more scholarly material.

Essays that rely solely, or heavily, on online summative encyclopedias will not score well.

However, these types of sites are useful for:

a. providing an initial overview and summary

b. providing links to a range of relevant primary and secondary sources in their bibliography sections for further investigation.

Books

When it comes to books, it does not matter if you have a digital or physical copy for use; more important is the quality of the book itself. For example, a history book written by an amateur historian (such as an ex-serviceman) or hobbyist may not be as scholarly as one written by a recognized professor of history. Likewise, if the history is written by an economist or anthropologist, the approach may not always be ideal for your essay. It is thus more crucial to evaluate your choice of books against your specific focus, rather than assume it is of use simply because it is a printed book.

Note

Far too often students assume printed works are all of the same quality, which leads to missed marks when it comes to Criterion A: Focus and Method and Criterion C: Critical Thinking.

Textbooks

Similar to online encyclopedias, no Extended Essay should rely exclusively (or heavily) on school textbooks. They are great for initial ideas and overviews of content, however, you should seek more scholarly materials to supplement them.

6. Journals You should always seek out information from acknowledged journals in your chosen subject. Online databases such as those listed above are excellent for this, however, physical copies may also be present in many local or school libraries. Alternatively, journals can be individually purchased directly from publishers.

Major universities usually have publishing houses affiliated with them that publish academic journals covering a range of subjects (such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press and University of Queensland Press) . Their websites will list available publications for purchase.

Magazines

There are numerous specialized magazines that cover a wide variety of topics across all subject areas. A schools (or local/regional) library is always a great source of these types of publications. Below is a brief list of some examples:

New Scientist

History Today

BBC History Magazine

BBC Music

Philosophy Now

IB Review

Biological Sciences

Chemistry Review

Physics Review

Psychology Review

Economic Review

Business Review

Geography Review

Frieze Magazine (Art and Culture)

Creative Review

Artforum

Chez Nous Magazine (French)

JDE Le Journal des enfants (French)

The Economist

National Geographic

Asian Theatre Journal

Audio-visual

Videos or sound recordings such as documentaries, interviews, sound clips, demonstrations, 3D models and the like are also a great source of information that can feature in an Extended Essay.

I t is important to bear in mind that these must be audited for their reliability just as you would a website or book. Aim to source material from credible and acknowledged sources rather than using anything available on YouTube or similar channels.

Organizing source material

Once you have accumulated your resources, the next key step is to organize them so that you ll have an easier time referencing material when writing your essay.

Reading a pile of books, magazines and journals usually feels like a large part of the research work and once this is done, there is a tendency to simply jump straight into the writing of the essay. However, this approach is flawed as no matter how good one's memory, details and specific information will be lost or conflated with other bits of information when the time comes to write the essay simply because of the sheer number of sources used.

How do we go from numerous works to a single essay?

As the Extended Essay is written over a period of time (usually spanning a good year, if not more) this can often be used to your advantage by means of organized note-taking. The strength in taking notes in an organized manner is that you will then have a quick reference point for when writing your essay.

Below are examples of ways you could structure your reading and notes so as to minimize time spent later on re- reading your sources and instead maximize the grades awarded for critical thinking and engagement.

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Organizing chapters or paragraphs

Before beginning to write the essay it may also help to map out what key factors you feel are most relevant to your question's answer or development.

Two approaches are suggested below to help plan and organize your writing: (a) Mind maps and (b) Progression charts.

A. Mind maps

Mind maps are great for jotting down all the associated factors linked to a topic. However, there should ideally be two phases to this:

1. Firstly, write down all associated factors that come to mind or have emerged out of your reading

2. Secondly, select the most pertinent factors for your specific essay. Sometimes, factors can be conflated into larger headings, which is always good practice. Remember, you do not have to include everything in order to successfully complete an Extended Essay. Sometimes removing factors from your list will help produce a sharper research question.

Top Tip

Having mind maps or progression charts like these as part of your Researcher's Refection Space will come in very handy when trying to demonstrate engagement (Criterion E) with your chosen research topic.

B. Progression charts

With progression charts, you outline your key theses (or factors/points) that you believe fully respond to your research question. This allows you to visually plan how to write the essay and/or organize its sections into relevant chapters.

Example

Thesis statement 1

Britain chose appeasement in 1937 due to the public outcry over the horrors of the First World War.

Possible chapter heading: Public opinion

Thesis statement 2

Britain chose appeasement due to concerns that its military forces were not adequately prepared for another conflict.

Possible chapter heading: Military preparedness

Thesis statement 3

Britain chose appeasement due to ongoing socio-economic problems.

Possible chapter heading: Socio-Economic Problems

C. Branches

Another way of organizing your chapters or paragraphs is by creating branches of associated factors or themes linked to a central area or topic.

In the example below, for instance, the first main chapter will focus on why Britain chose appeasement by exploring the role played by internal factors such as the problems facing the British economy and the negative public opinion following the First World War.

The point here is that you can keep extending a branch to cover all of the relevant factors while also considering other lines of inquiry in parallel.

RQ: To what extent was British public opinion after WWI the major contributing factor behind Britains policy of appeasement in 1938?

Chapter 1: Internal factors

1.1 Economic factors, for example, unemployment

1.2 The fallout from WWI and public opinion

Chapter 2: Foreign policy

2.1. British isolationism

2.2. Diplomacy with Hitler

Chapter 3

......

Chapter 4

......

Value and l imitations

It is vital, in all instances, that a consideration of the value and limitations of the selected research is offered. This will, more than anything, demonstrate a balanced and measured approach to data that it's a requisite feature of all good academic writing.

Below is a list of statements that can be applied to a multitude of sources (both primary and secondary) when it comes to evaluating their value and limitations (or strengths and weaknesses) . Do note, however, that some items listed as values may also be limitations and vice-versa. This is ultimately determined by the content or approach in question. For example, a questionnaire that relied on closed questions may not have produced the most reliable data when trying to determine motivations behind things like behaviour or justifications for action but could be seen as valuable in that it offered precise figures on people's reactions to specified stimuli.

Tip

Always consider the value and limitations of your chosen research method. Comment on this in the body of your essay.

Values (strengths)

What makes a resource valuable (or useful) ?

Its degree of objectivity (how factual it is in structure or approach)

It provides insight into thoughts or behaviours

Reveals weaknesses (for example, of a method, approach or historical figure)

Provides accurate statistics or figures

Relies on a host of other sources

Contains quotes from key figures

Written during the period in question (eye-witness account?)

First-hand account of a party official or politician who had access to relevant information

Was not written under a censorship regime

Covers a wide period placing events in a wider context

Offers insight into personal views or opinions

Suggests motives for public actions and opinions

Indicates effects of an event or era on an individual

May indicate how the author (in the case of memoirs) wishes to be seen by public

May offer an expert's view

May offer insight into emotional responses

May suggest correlations between indicators (for example, unemployment and voting patterns)

Can give a sense of a scene or event (images)

Adheres to agreed methodological standards

Considers variables or anomalies

Was peer reviewed or validated by multiple

(recognized) external agents

Is free of bias

Produced a wide array of qualitative statements

Contained closed or open questions (depends on what is being investigated)

Could be applied to a multitude of cultures (that is, is not ethnocentric)

Results in the source were standardized

What problems or weaknesses does the source indicate?

It contains bias (important to identify the nature of the bias and comment on its implications)

Purpose of source is to sway opinion

Its degree of subjectivity or one-sided perspective

Contains hyperbole (exaggeration)

Not written in the time in question (how many years removed is important sometimes as there could be issues with translation, and so forth)

Not written in place where events took place so access to information could be limited

Lack of peer review or external moderation.

Proximity of author to figure in question (for example, a wife may be purposely misleading about her husband)

Political interference may mean author was not willing to express true sentiments

Non-specialist (for example, an economist writing about politics)

Intention: Was it created for a specific audience (for example, humour or summary) ?

Is it a hagiographical (saintly) account of key figure?

Could be a dissenting voice (thus offering an alternative interpretation)

Cannot see beyond the lens or perspective intended by image maker (images)

May wish to highlight strengths of his/her actions

Offers only a partial understanding of topic

Approach followed may be limited in scope

Based on leading questions

Omitted variables or anomalies

Produced a wide array of qualitative statements

Contained closed or open questions (depends on what is being investigated)

Is ethnocentric and thus cannot be used to generalize across cultures

Results in the source were lacking in sufficient standardization

Results were gathered in real-world and thus carry ecological validity

Methods used to produce results in the sources are not time-locked (that is, not applicable to current time frame)

Results were restricted to a lab and thus lack ecological validity.

Results in sources may not be applicable to current time frame (that is, theyre time-locked) For example, if I chose to conduct a survey to ascertain whether student learning was enhanced by the use of a specific learning app, I should consider mentioning in my evaluation something along the lines of:

The survey results clearly indicate that student learning has indeed benefited from the use of App X, however, it is acknowledged that the survey's pre-coded and closed-question structure did not fully allow for qualitative statements to emerge that could be used to ascertain the specific degree to which learning was improved.

Grade Tip

As with any research tool used, it is useful to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen approach as part of your analysis. Extended Essays that are aware of both the strengths and shortcomings of their chosen methodological approach achieve a higher score than those that do not. It is always good practice to indicate this awareness in the body of your essay or in the conclusion at the very least. See the advantages (strengths) and disadvantages (limitations) tables above for suggestions on what kinds of things could be included in your evaluation of methodology.

Evaluating methodology

When evaluating your chosen methodology consider including a section in your essay based upon your answers to the following questions:

a. How were your results achieved? Explain how your data was collected or generated.

This often includes a discussion of why you chose a particular methodology or list of secondary sources.

Example (ITGS) :

Though the survey of my peers noted the preference for X app over its competitor, there is an acknowledgement that the sample may not have been large enough to more firmly ascertain if this preference is indeed widespread among smart phone users.

b. How was your data analysed?

Offer an explanation of any methodological problems and their solutions. You could also consider any effect that these problems may have had on your final results.

Example (Psychology) :

The case study reveals that violent TV programmes do indeed elevate testosterone among young males, however, these results are largely ethnocentric in nature as the sample was only white Americans and thus may not be applicable to all cultures.

c. How reliable (or valid) was your chosen method or source material?

You should discuss the validity and reliability of the method used to generate your data as well as what steps have been taken to reduce any bias (or accommodate or it in secondary sources) .

Example (History) :

Although the ancient historian Herodotus' account provides us with seemingly exact figures with regards troop deployment, it must be acknowledged that he, like other contemporaries, was prone to exaggeration and hyperbole as that was the norm at the time. Thus his figures must be taken with a degree of skepticism and a lower number is more likely to be accurate.

d. Was there another approach that could (or needed to) have been followed?

You could acknowledge the limitations or issues with your chosen method by acknowledging the need or existence of an alternative approach which would yield a different conclusion.

Example (Business management) :

The paper acknowledges that this evaluation is limited by its reliance on gross profit margin analysis which, though providing insight into Smartphone X's profitability after its introduction into the company's lineup of products, does not yield a big-picture overview of company growth (and profitability) as would be possible if a net profit margin analysis had been followed.