Conclusions

Let’s talk extended essay conclusions.

This webpage goes over the qualities of a good extended essay conclusion, and what should and should not be included.

Extended essay conclusions, like extended essay introductions, refer to a section of an essay--not a singular paragraph. And just like the introduction, it should be clear, concise and relatively brief. It should be written using academic language and an academic tone. While there are some standard parts to every conclusion, differences may arise depending on your own research process and conclusions.

So how to you start writing an extended essay conclusion?

I recommend starting by writing a conclusion thesis statement. Although ultimately this will not be the first sentence of your conclusion, it will help you keep your conclusion on track as you write around it.

So what’s a conclusion thesis statement?

It is one or two sentences that clearly and concisely answer your research question.

Based on the research you have presented in the main body of your extended essay, what is the answer to your research question? I mean this very specifically. You have registered your research question with the IB via ManageBac. You have written the same research question on your extended essay title page. You have bolded this exact same research question in your introduction. Now, in your conclusion, you need to answer the same research question clearly and concisely.

This is a skill you’ve worked on in TOK as you’ve attempted to answer knowledge questions with claims. It is time to transfer this skill to the extended essay.

Why do I suggest you do this first?

With longer essays, like the extended essay, there is sometimes the temptation to drift off topic in the main body and thus answer a slightly different question or focus. By forcing yourself to write a conclusion thesis based off of the research you have presented in the main body, you are also forcing yourself to assess how well you have stayed focused.

If you realize you have drifted off track in the main body, you need to ask yourself some simple questions:

• Can you course-correct the main body? This may mean removing some parts of the main body and/or adding additional research.

• Could a small but appropriate adjustment be made to the research question so that your question matches your main body? If you are considering this, you must carefully review the subject-specific guidance and consult with your supervisor to make sure the change would be acceptable.

By writing your conclusion thesis and thereby testing the focus of your main body, you can identifying any focus problems before writing the conclusion. This will save you so much time.

Now if you can answer your research question based on the main body, but the answer isn’t what you had initially thought, or if the answer is somewhat inconclusive because of problems with existing theories, research, or other unavoidable problems… don’t worry. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

Now that you have a functioning conclusion theory, what else goes into the conclusion and in what order should it be featured?

It is best to start with a clear and concise summary of the main points featured in your main body. We are talking just a few sentences maximum. This is a brief “recap” and it should not sound repetitive.

Depending on your essay, you can synthesize these main points as you summarize them. (This means indicate how these main points interact.) Or you can do this in the next short paragraph. You should finish this paragraph by explicitly linking this analysis to your research question question. And here’s where you can finish the paragraph with your beautiful conclusion thesis.

At this moment you run into a few situations, and if you face these situations you can address them in a paragraph immediately following your conclusion thesis.

• What happens if you answered your research question, but the answer does not align with your initial thesis. Is it bad if your research and main body disprove your thesis?

  • Actually, it isn’t bad at all. These kinds of things happen all the time in fields of research.

  • Take a moment here to explain how and why your final answer to your research question actually disproves your initial thesis.

• What happens if your research resulted in inconclusive findings or multiple interpretations?

  • This is okay, but you need to address this in the conclusion.

  • Explain the situation, why it exists, and what might be the implications of the situation.

Whether the research reaffirmed your initial thesis, shifted it, disproved it, or even left you somewhat in limbo, you should use the last paragraph in your conclusion to acknowledge the limitations of your extended essay.

By this I mean you should evaluate the value and limitations of your methodology, this includes the processes you used and sources you used. So long as you have made a best effort to use academic processes and resources--and not questionable methods, wikipedia, Quora, and other unreliable sources--an honest reflection on the strengths and shortcomings of your process and sources is a great way to reinforce Criterion A: Focus and Method.

Also if you have any additional or unresolved questions that have come out of your research, this is a great place to mention them. When you do mention them, make sure you explain why they have arisen and why the answers to these questions go beyond the scope of your extended essay.

And that’s what makes a good extended essay conclusion.

Just as a word of caution:

• You should avoid introducing new material in the conclusion. This even includes quotes. If it is important to add more information, make another subjection in the main body of the essay.

• You should keep the conclusion professional. Do not use emotive language and do not include anything personal in the conclusion.

• You should also keep impartial. It is not your place to judge. You are presenting this information and your conclusions are a researcher--and as we’ve discussed in TOK, reason is valued above all when it comes to credible research.

• Make sure you do offer a conclusion. Even if the research brought you to an uncomfortable place where your conclusion is incomplete or partial, you need to conclude these findings as explained previously.

• And finally it is imperative that you answer the research question you have proposed, and not an alternative one. I know I’ve already mentioned this, but the importance of this cannot be understated. Answer your research question.

I hope this was helpful. For more EE support material, check out my other EE support materials.