Candidates may choose from any of the IB subjects, regardless of whether or not the student is studying the subject. However, care should be taken to choose a subject that the candidate has sufficient knowledge and passion for. Picking a topic that personally interests you is a huge factor in taking on a project of this task. The topic should be limited in scope and sufficiently narrow to allow candidates to examine an issue or problem in depth. The topic should also provide an opportunity for the candidate to collect or generate information and/or data for analysis and evaluation.
All students, regardless of the subject chosen, must frame their research question as a question. A hypothesis or statement of intent is not acceptable. The reason for this is that a question helps students to retain focus throughout the essay.
A research question is a clear and focused question centred on a research topic. Research questions usually emerge when questions are asked about a particular issue that a student is interested in or curious about.
A research question helps to focus the research, providing a path through which students will undertake the research and writing process. A clear and well-focused research question, which has a specific aim, will allow a student to work towards developing a reasoned argument within the scope of the task, rather than the kind of “all about” essay that an unfocused research question can lead to.
Sometimes students may need to revise their research question; therefore, a research question should always be considered provisional until they have enough research data to make a reasoned argument.
Creating an Outline is a vital step in the EE process. The outline will allow you to organize your thoughts and will help you figure out where you may have gaps in your research. Below are a couple different sites that give good examples of what an Outline could look like