By this stage, you have a developing research question or several possible versions. Step 3 helps you decide whether your question is strong enough, clear enough and practical enough to form the basis of a successful Extended Essay. This is the point where you pause, check and refine. A well-tested question saves months of difficulty later.
Check for clarity and focus: A strong RQ is clear and easy to understand, narrow enough to explore in four thousand words, analytical rather than descriptive, written in precise, subject-appropriate language.
Check that the question demands analysis: Your question must require you to interpret, compare, evaluate, argue, analyze patters, causes or effects. If your question can be answered with description alone, it is not acceptable.
Check alignment with your chosen pathway, Subject Specific or Interdisciplinary.
Check ethical considerations: Your question must be researchable in a way that is ethical and safe for you and others.
Check access and practicality: Even an excellent question is not viable if you cannot access what you need. Ask yourself: Do I have access to suitable sources, data, texts, or equipment? Are there enough peer-reviewed studies available? Are the texts I need available in school or online? If working with secondary data, is it credible and usable? Can I collect scientific data safely if needed? Is the case study or context too large or difficult to access?
Check Scope: Your question must be neither too broad nor too narrow. Aim for a question that is focused on one clear idea, rich enough for analysis, and manageable within four thousand words.
Task to Try: Write down your working introduction focus, three to five main sections or themes, what evidence you will use, which method you will apply, what you expect to analyze or compare.