The Extended Essay

  • What is the EE?

    • EE stands for extended essay.

    • The extended essay is one of the 3 requirements outside of classes that must be completed to receive your IB diploma.

    • 4000 word essay written between 1st and 2nd year of IB

    • Great preparation for university: teaches you how to effectively research and write a long research paper

    • Will be done with the assistance of a supervisor who you are required to meet with at least 3 times, and who will help with any questions you may have.

  • Choosing your topic and research question

  • Subject Areas

    • Music

    • Biology

    • Global studies

    • Dance

    • Psychology

    • History

    • Physics

    • Film

    • Theatre

    • Chemistry

    • Language and literature

    • Economics

    • Global politics

    • Social and Cultural Anthropology

    • World studies

    • Others

  • Pitching your research question

    • It is required for every student to pitch their topic and research question to the coordinator and the rest of the class to receive feedback at the initial stages of the EE.

    • After receiving feedback, you are required to pitch your EE to a potential supervisor and ask if they can become your supervisor.

  • Choosing your supervisor

    • It is possible for a student to choose a supervisor that isn't an IB teacher. However, personally I would suggest choosing a IB teacher since they would know the way the EE is marked and how it is assessed.

    • Choose a supervisor that you believe would be able to help you in the best way and achieve your maximum potential.

  • Writing the outline

    • Once you have your supervisor, write down ideas you may have for possible body paragraphs based on previous knowledge and begin writing a brief outline.

  • The researching process

    • Get research out of the way as soon as possible

    • If possible, find a variety of primary and secondary sources

  • The first draft

    • The first draft is done and is given to your supervisor for feedback. Expect to have your second meeting here where your draft will be discussed as well as ways of improving.

  • Writing a proper bibliography

    • If you have a science paper, use APA, otherwise use MLA. Websites such as citethisforme.com or the citation machine can be extremely helpful

  • Importance of the meetings with supervisor

    • You will be assessed based on the number of hours you have spent with your supervisor, there for it is extremely important that you have at least 3 to 4 meetings with your supervisor.

  • Importance of the RPPF form and reflection.

    • There is an entire section for the RPPF form in the EE Rubric, therefore the reflections are vital.