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Academic Integrity and the EE

Accessing Sources

When accessing sources, students should:

• always start by having a clear and focused research question, so that they are not overwhelmed by their research

• identify appropriate databases or search engines specific to the topics they are exploring

• have a basic understanding of prompt engineering when using generative AI, but then critically evaluate the reliability and validity of the information obtained

• not rely on content generated by AI tools, nor on unvetted or unattributed sources found on the internet

• keep a detailed lists of prompts used in querying AI tools to generate content

• keep a detailed record of all sources consulted, in accordance with the IB’s requirements on citation and referencing. 

  • For example, they should ensure that the URL of an internet source is recorded fully along with the date the site was accessed. The researcher’s reflection space is a good tool for supporting this practice.

Generating ideas

• During the preparation and planning phase, students can use internet search engines or generative AI tools to identify ethical issues related to their career interest. 

• They can refine their search to further explore those ethical issues and generate a list of ethical dilemmas. 

• Students can then seek information on various contexts and perspectives relevant to the ethical dilemma they choose.

This can be especially helpful for students who struggle to get going. However, it is only a starting point—students must use critical thinking to filter through the information provided and evaluate their sources for reliability and bias. 

They must also think critically in refining their research questions, and use additional vetted sources to conduct, analyse and synthesize research. 

Summarizing research

• If students find that a potentially useful but lengthy text resource does not have its own summary abstract, they could use AI tools to summarize the resource for them. 

• This will allow them to determine quickly whether it contains information relevant to their research. Once it is determined that a resource is worth further investigation, students must then explore it more thoroughly.

Data analysis

• For students conducting primary research, AI tools can support data analysis, especially if students are using large data sets. 

• Data analysis tools with visualization options can create data charts and graphs. These can enhance student presentations or projects where data visualization is important to communicating key information in the student’s essay.

Writing and editing

• Writing assistants are built into most word-processing programs and are commonly used to provide immediate feedback on grammar, punctuation, structure and word choice. Generative AI can augment writing assistance further, supporting students in exploring and adhering to stylistic conventions. These could be valuable tools for students who want to consider different options when refining their writing. 

• However, students must not use generative AI to write any part of their extended essays.

Prompt Engineering 

• A good strategy to consider is requiring students to record prompt histories when using generative AI tools. 

• This can help teachers to confirm the authenticity of student work and can help students learn how to make better use of AI tools.

• For any IB student work where an external source has been used, including information sourced or generated through AI tools, a citation must be included at the point of use which should link to a full reference in the bibliography. 

• Students should be clear that if they use content produced by an AI tool—by copying or paraphrasing text or modifying an image—they must clearly reference it in the body of their work and add the reference in their reference list or bibliography.