World studies uses the same marking criteria as all other extended essay. Below is how the criteria are interpreted for world studies
(Strands: Topic, Research question, Methodology)
The student should identify an issue (topic) of global significance and examine it through one or more local manifestations.
The significance and importance of the global issue must be established in the introduction (this might take rather longer than in other subjects).
In this way the issue is accurately and effectively communicated.
The research question should appropriately connect the global issue to the local manifestation. Early in the essay, students should:
• explain or justify their research question
• identify the IB academic disciplines and appropriate key concepts they are going to use
• explain why the research question requires an interdisciplinary approach and indicate the benefits of an integrative approach
• highlight the materials, sources, data and evidence from the two subjects they will be using, with some explanation of why they have been chosen.
Students must show clearly that they have chosen a suitable range of relevant sources. These could be primary or secondary.
Primary sources include:
• works of art
• film
• music
• interviews
• self-generated survey data
• reports of experiments.
Secondary sources should be capable of conveying academic context or be susceptible to academic evaluation, though journalistic, online and media sources are permitted.
Students’ sources must provide sufficient evidence to develop and support arguments that are relevant to the research question.
If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered, no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion. This applies to WSEE essays where the issue is not contemporary. (“Contemporary” is defined here as an issue that is relevant during the student’s
lifetime.)
(Strands: Context, Subject-specific terminology and concepts)
Students should select concepts, theories, perspectives, findings or examples from two Diploma Programme subjects. They need to demonstrate a sound grasp of:
• the knowledge bases of the different subjects
• modes of understanding of the different subjects
• methods of communication of the different subjects.
Students should demonstrate familiarity with the terminology and usages of the subjects. They should place the issue in academic context and where possible indicate the limitations of individual subjects in terms of considering the issue.
The award of achievement levels of 2 or above requires evidence that two subjects have been used in the essay. Higher levels (3 or 4) require increasingly explicit awareness of the strengths and limitations of the individual subject concepts or ideas.
Students should show that they understand the conceptual framework of both subjects, even of one they are not studying for the Diploma Programme. For example, if a student is using history to explore an issue, they must use the skills of the historian such as establishing causation, partiality, reliability of sources etc.
Simple narrative is never enough.
Use of language must be effective and include terminology and concepts relevant to the issue and subjects under study. Students should define contested or ambiguous terms when necessary. The essay should be accessible and acceptable to audiences from the different subjects being integrated.
If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered, no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion. This applies to WSEE essays where the issue is not contemporary. (“Contemporary” is defined here as an issue that is relevant during the student’s lifetime.)
(Strands: Research, Analysis and Discussion and evaluation)
Research can incorporate the methodologies of the two subjects chosen, such as:
• experimental laboratory work
• library and online research
• generation of primary data through questionnaires
• or many others.
Research should be undertaken with the same integrity as within individual subjects. It must be relevant to the research question. Students should address the value and limitations of research materials.
Students should analyse and evaluate their evidence in a manner appropriate to the research question and the Diploma Programme subjects employed in the essay.
Students should present their ideas in the form of a logical and coherent argument that is relevant to the research question. The argument should be substantiated with evidence and examples. Straightforward descriptive or narrative accounts that lack analysis do not usually advance an argument and should be avoided.
Successful interdisciplinary essays require an integrative argument or explanation—that is, the different subjects should be coherently brought together to address the question through, for example:
• a complex causal explanation
• a leading metaphor
• a model
• an analogy.
At the highest level, students should demonstrate:
• effective and nuanced analysis and evaluation of information and findings
• evaluation of the success and limitations of their own integrative approach to the issue.
In a world studies EE there is an element of risk: it may be that evaluation of the findings of a two-subject approach leads to new and original conclusions, or that conclusions are uncertain, or that it is not possible to make conclusions. Failure to integrate the two subjects’ analyses into the conclusion or to reach a firm conclusion will not prevent the award of high marks: no news is still news so long as it is true to the research question. Indeed, such outcomes can be used to review opportunities for further research and research lessons learned.
If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered, no more than three marks can be awarded for this criterion. This applies to WSEE essays where the issue is not contemporary. (“Contemporary” is defined here as an issue that is relevant during the student’s lifetime.)
(Strands: Structure, Layout)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication.
Students may provide a section and subsection structure to their essays, with informative headings, if appropriate to the topic of the essay. Subheadings should not distract from the overall structure of the essay.
Any charts, images or tables from literature sources included in the essay must be carefully selected and labelled. They should only be used if they:
• are directly relevant to the research question
• contribute towards the understanding of the argument
• are of a good graphic quality.
Large tables of raw data collected by the student are best included in an appendix, where they should be carefully labelled. It is not necessary to include all responses to questionnaires; a single sample is sufficient. Tables of processed data should be designed to clearly display the information in the most appropriate form. Graphs or charts drawn from the analysed data should be selected to highlight only the most pertinent aspects related to the argument. Too many graphs, charts and tables will detract from the overall quality of the communication.
Only processed data that is central to the argument of the essay should be included in the body of the essay, as close as possible to its first reference. The inclusion of non-relevant or superfluous material will not be rewarded and may actually detract from the argument.
Any tables should enhance a written explanation and should not themselves include significant bodies of text. If they do, then these words must be included in the word count.
Students must take care in their use of appendices as examiners are not required to read them.
All information with direct relevance to the analysis, discussion and evaluation of the essay must be contained in the main body of the essay.
A bibliography is an essential structural element, contributing as far as it is visually presented, to criterion D, in addition to the other presentation requirements: title page, table of contents, page numbers, and so on.
While there is no explicit penalty in criterion D for exceeding 4,000 words, students should be aware that examiners will not read beyond the 4,000-word limit, therefore affecting the application of multiple criteria. Criterion D specifically may be impacted if, in exceeding 4,000 words, one of the structural requirements of the essay (for example, the conclusion, or important illustrative material) is unassessed by the examiner because he or she is not required to read beyond 4,000 words.
Any material that is not original must be carefully acknowledged, with specific attention paid to the acknowledgement and referencing of quotes and ideas. This acknowledgment and referencing is applicable to audiovisual material, text, graphs and data published in print and electronic sources. If the referencing does not meet the minimum standard as indicated in the guide (name of author, date of publication, title of source and page numbers, as applicable), and is not consistently applied, work will beconsidered as a case of possible academic misconduct. Incomplete references and those that do not meet the minimum requirements as detailed in the Effective citing and referencing document are not penalized in criterion D, but examiners are required to alert the IB to candidates who overlook these minimum requirements, for further investigation. Criterion D assesses references and bibliography purely on how they are presented (for example, consistent, laid out in an appropriate academic manner).
(Strands: Reflections on planning and progress)
This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process.
It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context.
Students are expected to provide reflections on the decision-making and planning process undertaken in completing the essay. Students must demonstrate how they arrived at a topic as well as the methods and approach used. This criterion assesses the extent to which a student has evidenced the rationale for decisions made throughout the planning process and the skills and understandings developed.
For example, students may reflect on:
• the approach and strategies they chose, and their relative success
• the Approaches to learning skills they have developed and their effect on the student as a learner
• how their conceptual understandings have developed or changed as a result of their research
• challenges they faced in their research and how they overcame these
• questions that emerged as a result of their research
• what they would do differently if they were to undertake the research again.
Effective reflection highlights the journey the student has engaged in through the EE process. Students must show evidence of critical and reflective thinking that goes beyond simply describing the procedures that have been followed.
The reflections must provide the examiner with an insight into student thinking, creativity and originality within the research process. The student voice must be clearly present and demonstrate the learning that has taken place.