Tips for writing the interim reflection are found at the bottom of this page. 

Your preparations

You must discuss the following...

• The quality and appropriateness of your research question -- this is strongly linked to Criteria A and the quality of the question has a significant effect on the overall essay

• The research you have done. How many sources you have, the quality of your sources, how you are evaluating sources, how you are using these sources in your essay. 

  • For those of you doing an experiment, this should also include a discussion of the data you are gathering and the value of that data. The design of the experiment and potential limitations should also be discussed. 

• Your essay's argument: since the EE aims to answer your research question, you and your supervisor need to discuss your essay's main idea and how it will be supported. It is totally normal for this part of the essay to still be a bit "rough." Remember that arguments evolve as you gather more information and make connections between your sources and/or the data you have. The way you present your argument is also likely to benefit from the feedback you receive after submitting your EE draft in October. 

Similar to the first reflection, use the document below to help you prepare. You should not (and likely cannot) talk about everything in this document, but it's important to discuss the ones that are most relevant to you, your work, and the status of your EE. 

Writing the Interim Reflection

Keep in mind that if you have changed subjects or your EE topic since your first reflection that MUST be addressed in your written reflection.

Your interim reflection should be an evaluation of the progress you've made since completing the first reflection. This has to go beyond just describing what you've done. Essentially, you can use the necessary topics of discussion from the meeting you had with your supervisor to guide what you write about. Please be aware that you may not be able to address everything in 100-150 words; the key thing is then to write about the most significant aspects, and to do them justice. Below are a few areas to consider, followed by tips for how to write...

Habits / ATL

• The way you work is an important part of the process. Have there been organizational tools or resources you've used to keep up with your EE? Have you been successful in your strategy, or have you been forced to change your approach because of earlier shortcomings?

Research Question(s) + Argument

• How has your research question changed for the better? (Is it more focused? Does it point you in a more analytical direction? Did a change in the RQ lead to improvement in other aspects of your work?)

• Do you have a viable argument for your EE? If you do, what has helped you get to that point? (This could be an evaluation of your research and your analysis of the data/information you've found.) If you don't have a viable argument yet, what needs to change and how will you ensure that you get what you need? (Go beyond merely describing; justify what you're going to do next!)

• Has your research led you to re-think things or to see something about your topic in a new way? (If this applies to you, your reflection could be an opportunity to reveal something about your learning and what it has helped you understand about your topic, your subject, etc.)

• What have you done to ensure that you have a range of sources? How has the range of sources helped you? Or, how has a lack of diversity held you back? (Consider the value of different types of sources, different perspectives, etc. -- what this means will vary based on your subject.) 

Triumphs and Challenges

• How have you overcome different obstacles? (Lack of facility access? Difficult to find or access sources? Did you change subject and need to catch up? This is a chance to not just describe what your obstacles were and what you did but to evaluate the effectiveness of your choices. If your strategy worked out, give a sense of how and why. If it didn't, that evaluation is also important.)

• What new skills have you been working on, or what old skills have you been applying in a different way? (For many of us, the EE requires us to do things that we normally don't do in our regular schoolwork. Maybe you need to put something together, or interview people instead of just read. Maybe the independent nature of the EE has forced you to do something on your own that you would regularly do with others, or with an adult.) 

• Have you had a "eureka" moment or a breakthrough at some point in the last few months? (Sometimes, the EE is difficult for a student, until something just... "clicks." The significance of a realization, or the way that a breakthrough changed the way a student worked, is often great fodder for the Interim Reflection.)

CHANGING SUBJECT / TOPIC

• If you have changed your EE subject: You definitely need to justify this, as your original subject was something you discussed in your first reflection. What provoked the change? What setbacks did this create for you? What have you been doing to catch up or stay on track? What positive developments has the change in subject brought about? This topic could be discussed alongside some of the items up above (e.g., sometimes a change in subject leads to more productive work, so it works nicely with discussion of a breakthrough moment or an evaluation of what has been going well in your EE.)

• If you have changed your EE topic (as in, the focus of study, or your research question): This refers to a significant shift in what you are researching (e.g., you discuss topic A in your first reflection but now you're working on topic B.) This is also important to address in your reflection -- do not confuse your examiner by talking about a new topic without explaining why you changed. 

SAMPLES

(Changing EE subject) DON'T: "I was not getting any further in my biology research, so I changed my subject to history instead. It is a lot easier to read articles and book chapters compared to setting up an experiment, so this change has been good."

(Changing EE subject) DO: "Due to COVID lockdowns, I lost access to school laboratories. Rather than wait and see when the lockdown would end, I made the choice to change my EE subject to History, with an essay on _________. I still had database access at home, and the recent work I'd done on my History IA had helped hone my research and source evaluation skills, so I felt confident I could catch up while in lockdown. Since I've been able to do the necessary reading and note-taking on my iPad, I've been able to make a lot more progress on my History essay than I had expected; I have not written much, and feel like I am behind in that regard. BUT I have a really detailed outline and that has made it easier to write the first several sections of the essay so far. " (Justify choices, explain how decisions pay off; reflect on progress and challenges with a positive, forward-thinking mindset.)

(Talking about slow progress) DON'T: "I have not done much on my EE over the last several months. I had to do a lot of summatives at the end of the year, study for the SAT in the summertime, and then we had delayed end of year exams after we came back to school in September. I think it will be hard to catch up on my EE and do a draft on time, but I will try! FIGHTING!" 

(Talking about slow progress) DO: "Working on the EE, or rather not working on the EE, has shown the limitations of my self-management skills. I have a tendency to prioritize tasks for certain subjects, and that took away my progress on long-term assignments like the EE. I saw similar setbacks in some of my CAS activities, so this highlights a real area where I can improve. While it will be extremely difficult to fully catch up on my EE before our draft deadline, I am taking several steps to give myself a better chance at success. During self-study periods, I am working in the library, away from my friends, and dedicating that time to catching up. I also talked with my supervisor about how to break my outline into smaller pieces, which gives me a lot of short 150-200 word sections I can focus on when I sit down to write. I am still not sure how successful I will be, but I feel like these changes will help me make progress and I could even apply them to other assignments." (Don't just explain or narrate; treat this like a reflection, since that's what it is. If you haven't been working on your EE, be genuine about why not and be thoughtful about a path forward.)