More guidelines for the Extended Essay (for seniors)

GENERAL GUIDELINES

The Nature of the Extended Essay

The extended essay is defined as an in-depth study of a limited topic within a subject. Its purpose is to provide candidates with an opportunity to engage in independent research. Emphasis is placed on the process of engaging in personal research, on the communication of ideas and information in a logical and coherent manner, and on the overall presentation of the extended essay in compliance with these guidelines. Many of these general issues, such as the way in which information is handled, the level of analysis and the quality of argument, are assessed through the general assessment criteria. This is reflected in the relative weighting of relative weighting of 2:1 between the general and subject assessment criteria.


The topic of the extended essay is the particular area of study within the chosen subject. Before a final decision is made about the choice of topic the relevant subject guidelines should be carefully considered.

Candidates should aim to choose a topic that is both interesting and challenging to them. The topic chosen should be limited in scope and sufficiently narrow to allow candidates to examine an issue or problem in depth. It should present the candidate with the opportunity to collect or generate information and/or data for analysis and evaluation. Candidates are not expected to make a contribution to knowledge within a subject. A broad topic is unlikely to result in a successful extended essay. A topic which requires no personal research and/or requires an essentially narrative or descriptive approach is not suitable for an extended essay. Similarly, although a reliance on secondary sources is sometimes necessary, an extended essay which only provides a summary of such sources will not be successful. Writing a precis of a well-documented topic is unlikely to result in a successful extended essay.

The Research Question

When an appropriate topic has been chosen, candidates should narrow the focus of the
investigation and formulate a specific research question. For many extended essays this will be phrased in the form of a question, but alternatives such as launching the investigation with a hypothesis are acceptable. By frequently referring to this research question, candidates should be able to maintain the purpose and orientation of the investigation. Candidates are encouraged to formulate a challenging research question but to ensure that it can be explored within the constraints of essay length, time and resources available to them.

The Research Process

Owing to the diversity of subjects and the different approaches to research, this guide does not offer detailed advice on the methods and skills of research. However, a systematic process, shaped by the nature of the subject, is essential to generate and gather information and ideas that can be used to develop a convincing answer to the specified research question.

Organizing the Essay

After careful outlining and drafting, it is likely that the majority of extended essays will follow a structure similar to that described below.

Introduction

The introduction should include: an indication of why the topic chosen is interesting, important or worthy of study some background information and an attempt to place the topic in an appropriate context an indication of whether the topic has been narrowed to a focus of more manageable proportions; a clearly and precisely stated research question; a clear concluding statement of the thesis and argument, i.e. the response to the research question that will subsequently be developed in the body of the essay.

Body/Development

The essential feature of the major section, or body, of the essay is the systematic development of a convincing answer to the research question. The structure and the approach to this section will be shaped by the conventions of the particular subject in which the extended essay is being undertaken. Some subjects may require sub-headings for major sections within the main body. For example, scientific investigations will usually have separate sections for method and results. In some other subjects, however, sub-headings should be avoided because they disrupt the flow and unity of an essay.

Conclusion

The requirements of the conclusion are that it
- is clearly stated
- is relevant to the research question being investigated
- is substantiated by the evidence presented
- indicates issues, unresolved questions and new questions that have emerged from the
research.

Formal Presentation

The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal style appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. The use of typewriters or word processors is encouraged.

The Length of the Extended Essay

The upper limit is 4000 words for all extended essays. This upper limit includes the
introduction, the body, the conclusion and any quotations, but does not include:
- the abstract acknowledgments
- the contents page
- maps, charts, diagrams, annotated illustrations and tables
- the references/bibliography
appendices.

Essays in excess of 4000 words are subject to penalties and examiners are not required to read material in excess of the word limit.

Title

The title should provide a clear indication of the focus of the essay. It should be precise and not necessarily phrased in the form of a question.

Abstract

An abstract not exceeding 300 words must be included. It does not serve as an introduction but presents a synopsis of the extended essay, and therefore should be written last. The inclusion of an abstract is intended to encourage candidates to examine closely the development of an argument within the extended essay and the pertinence of any conclusions that are reached. It is also designed to allow readers to understand quickly the contents of the extended essay.

The minimum requirements for the abstract are to state clearly:
- the research question being investigated
- the scope of the investigation
- the conclusion/s of the extended essay.

The abstract should be typed or word processed on one side of a sheet of paper, and placed immediately after the title page.

Contents Page

A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered. An index is not required.