FORMATTING AND PRESENTATION

Required Contents page

A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered. 

Required Introduction

Your introduction should tell the reader what to expect in your essay. You should make  the focus of the essay clear, the scope of your research, give an indication of the sources you are using, and provide an insight into the line of argument you are taking, i.e. set out your thesis. 

Required Body of the essay (research, analysis, discussion, and evaluation)

You should present the body of your essay in the form of a reasoned argument. The exact form will vary according to the subject, but as the argument develops it should be clear what relevant evidence you have discovered, where/how you discovered it, and how it supports your argument. In some subjects (e.g. the sciences), it is a convention to use sub-headings within the main body of the essay, and these will help the reader to understand your argument. You should take into consideration the expected conventions of your subject and get advice from your supervisor. 

Don't include information that is important to the argument in appendices or footnotes/endnotes, because the examiner won't read them.

Required Conclusion

Your conclusion should say what you have achieved, including notes of any limitations (eg experiments that didn't work out) and any unresolved questions. Your conclusion(s) must relate to your research question.

Required Bibliography

Remember, we use the APA-7 citation format, and you should get into the habit of noting and including citations within the body of your essay from the beginning of the writing process. You should also note the full citation details for inclusion in your bibliography. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT because not doing so could mean the IBO fails your extended essay for plagiarism. Click the picture below to find more information on citation.

In your bibliography (which you place on a new page after your conclusion), you must list your sources in alphabetical order of the author's surname. For the most professional look, use a hanging ident to clearly delineate each source:

Along the top menu, click on "Format," then go down to "Align & indent," then click on "Indentation options." In the Indentation options menu, under "Special," select "Hanging." Click "Apply."