Extended Essay- The Basics

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This guide explains the process required to complete the IB Extended Essay - from the initial step of choosing a research topic, through effectively searching for information and organizing your sources to presenting your findings with accurate references and citations.

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On this page you can find information on:

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What is the Extended Essay?

Extended Essay Timeline, Class of 2022 (Due Dates and Assignments)

Extended Essay Forms, Contracts, and Assignments - Class of 2022

Extended Essay Timeline, Class of 2022 (Full Timeline, with detailed descriptions of assignments)How to Get Started - the Twelve-step Plan for Researching the EE
IB Extended Essay Guide, first exams 

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Extended Essay Timeline

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• Extended Essay Timeline, Due Dates and Assignments

  Deadlines for turning in various components of the Extended Essay, for IB Diploma Candidates and IB Course Students in the Class of 2022.​

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This is the abbreviated version of the Extended essay timeline for the Class of 2022, with dates and assignments only. See the full timeline in the box below for detailed descriptions for each item listed.

                                     

 Summer Break

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Extended Essay Forms, Contracts, and Assignments 

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• Individual Extended Essay Proposal - Request for Alternate Subject  

  WSA recommends that IBDP candidates in the Class of 2022 submit Extended essays in one of seven IB subjects: English A: Language and Literature, Literature and Performance, Global Politics, Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual Arts. Any student wishing to write an Extended essay in an alternate IB subject (one that is not in the list of seven recommended subjects) needs to complete this form and submit it to the EE Coordinator, Susan Trower, no later than January 15, 2021.

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• Extended Essay Student Undertaking Contract -

       ​Due January 22, signed by both student and parent.

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• Extended Essay Subject and Topic Form 

  Due January 22, . Include one or two proposals, each with EE subject, chosen from one of the IB EE subject areas available at WSA; specific topic area or initial research question; and rationale for choosing this topic area. NOTE: • Students who have had an ‘Individual EE Proposal – Request for Alternate Subject Form’ approved do not need to submit this form.

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• Extended Essay Research Readiness Form 

  Due February 12, signed by both student and supervisor.

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• Extended Essay Café Slide Presentation format 

  Requirements for the Extended Essay Café Slide Presentations, to be given in Extended Essay class the week of April 26-30, during 3rd period. Slide decks should be submitted to the EE Google Classroom by 3:30 PM on April 26.

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• Extended Essay Café Presentation Slide Template

  PowerPoint slides to use as template when preparing the presentation for the Extended Essay Café

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• Extended Essay Writing Readiness Form  

  Due April 30, initialed by both student and supervisor.

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• Extended Essay Progress Check Form 

  Due May 19, completed and initialed by both supervisor and student.

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Extended Essay Timeline, (Full Timeline, with detailed descriptions of assignments)

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Extended Essay Timeline, Class 

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Deadlines for turning in various components of the Extended Essay, for IB Diploma Candidates and IB Course Students in the Class of 2022. Includes due dates and full descriptions of all assignments.​

 

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EE grade for 2020-2021 is ¼ credit, Pass/Fail, and is posted in Mod F.

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Juniors have a 7th-period class with EE Coordinator, Susan Trower. The URL for the Zoom meeting room is posted in the Extended Essay Google Classroom. Class time will be devoted to:

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• Introduction to Extended Essay (EE) 

• Choice of EE subject and topic

• Generating research questions

• RPPF (Reflections on planning and progress form)

• RRS (Researcher's reflection space)

• EE Assessment Criteria 

• IB's ethical guidelines related to academic honesty, citing and referencing, and (if applicable to your subject and topic) research and fieldwork, and use of animals

• Research methods, referencing skills, literature review skills

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DUE: ‘Individual EE Proposal – Request for Alternate Subject Form’ 

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• Document emailed to Susan Trower 

• Only required of students who want to do an EE in a subject other than English A: Language and Literature; Literature and Performance; Global Politics; Dance; Music; Theatre; Visual Arts.

• Document will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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DUE: ‘Student Undertaking Contract’ to Susan Trower, signed by both student and parent

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DUE: ‘Proposed Subject and Topic Form’ to Susan Trower 

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• Documents scanned and emailed or delivered in person by 3:30 PM on 01/22/2021. 

• Each document will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

• Students who have had an ‘Individual Proposal for Subject and Topic Form’ approved do not need to submit the ‘Proposed Subject and Topic Form’.

• Include one or two proposals, each with:

  • EE Subject, chosen from approved Subject list 

  • Specific topic area or initial research question

  • Rationale for choosing this topic area

• Documents will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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DUE: ‘Feasibility Study’ completed in NoodleTools  

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Assignment is to be completed in your NoodleTools project, shared with Susan Trower’s Class of 2022 EE inbox in NoodleTools. Include:

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• A list of at least five sources relevant to your subject and topic proposal, each with an annotation that has:

  • An explanation of the main points and/or purpose of the work

  • Verification of the authority or qualifications of the author

  • Comments on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of your research

  • The point of view or perspective from which the work was created

• All components of assignment will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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DUE: ‘Notecard Assignment’ completed in NoodleTools 

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Assignment is to be completed in your NoodleTools project, shared with Susan Trower’s Class of 2022 EE inbox in NoodleTools. Include:

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• At least ten Notecards in NoodleTools for at least five different sources in your project. Each Notecard:

  • Should answer this question: What information does the source contain that is relevant to your project (i.e., some important details about the topic that you have learned about from this source)?

  • Must include at least 3 bulleted notes on relevant factual data and include corresponding page numbers.

  • The goal is to prove viability of the proposed research question 

• All components of assignment will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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January

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Extended Essay Supervisors assigned

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 Schedule appointment with supervisor and meet for the first time

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• This is your Initial Reflection Session

• Scheduled by student in advance at discretion of Supervisor

• Meeting can take place in Supervisor’s Zoom room

•  Students should be prepared to discuss the following:

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1. Criteria:  you should go over the subject-specific assessment criteria 

2. Research question: 

   1. At this initial meeting, work with your supervisor to narrow your topic/question down to a manageable scope (capable of being covered in 4,000 words)

   2. Investigate the viability of your topic.  Will there be need for special equipment?  Are the needed resources available locally? (This is especially important if the nature of your question requires you to conduct primary research.)

   3. If you have a wildly interesting but impractical question:  be prepared to heed the advice of your supervisor!

   4. It's up to you.  Your supervisor will not prescribe or create a research question for you.

3. Exemplars:  ask for exemplars in your chosen subject from the EE coordinator or your supervisor.

4. Library:  Be sure to check with the WSA Librarian for help in getting access to publications or online journals that would apply to your topic.

5. Structure: Work with your supervisor to devise a plan as t how your research question could be structured or go to the session with a proposed structure you have in mind for review (chapter headings, for instance.)  MindMap® of ideas, flow charts, and other models could prove useful here to help you visualize your structure at this early stage.

6. Time Management: If you are finding it difficult to plan your time due to other assessment pressures or extra-curricular demands, then it may be useful to speak to your supervisor with regards to creating a structured research timeline or more specific timetable to help you to see exactly what is required and when.

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DUE: Research Readiness Form' to Susan Trower, signed by both student and supervisor

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• Document scanned and emailed or delivered in person 

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DUE: Initial reflection (150-175 words)

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• Reflection submitted to Google Classroom 

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Students can schedule occasional meetings with their supervisors 

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Juniors have a 7th-period class with EE Coordinator. The URL for the Zoom meeting room is posted in the Extended Essay Google Classroom. During those weeks in Mod F when we are able to have on-site instruction, this class will meet in the Conference Room in Baker Hall.  EE grade for  ¼ credit, Pass/Fail, and is posted in Mod F. Class time will be devoted to:

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• Reviewing EE assessment criteria, especially Criterion A (Focus and Method)

• Discussing requirements of the Extended Essay Café presentations

• Extended Essay Café presentations to audience of EE Coordinator, IB Coordinator, and EE supervisors

• Time for research and note-taking

• Individual student meetings with EE Coordinator

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 Meet with supervisor to discuss plans for EE Café presentations

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• Scheduled by student in advance at discretion of Supervisor

• Meeting can take place in Supervisor’s Zoom room

• Other issues to be prepared to discuss with your supervisor:

  • Passivity - If you haven't done as much as you had hoped for since your first meeting, discuss the reasons and causes for this with your supervisor and ways to overcome or avoid this in future sessions.

  • Reading - Discuss your reading and/or research.  What have you found out?  Any surprises? Any useful lines of thought or approaches to the question?

  • Notes - Do you have a workable note-taking system in place?

  • Essay plan - Go over how to best structure your essay.

  • Exemplars - Try marking up a pre-existing essay with the assessment criteria, then go over this with your supervisor.  This will allow you to write with the assessment criteria firmly in mind.

  • Time-management - Be prepared to adjust your normal routines to accommodate any delays or issues with your EE so far. Sticking to deadlines will ensure you get this done!

  • Writing - Commit to getting started on your writing!

  • Research question - Tweaking at this point is OK, but not big changes to your topic area or question.

     •  Continue to use your RRS (Researcher's reflection space) to record reflections on what you are reading, writing, and thinking.

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Extended Essay presentations are given to Supervisors and Class 

• Will be scheduled during EE class.

• Slide deck submitted to Google Classroom 

• PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation, 7 slides, using template provided by EE Coordinator:

  • Slide 1: Introduction

  • Slide 2: Subject and Research Question

  • Slide 3: Background (what your EE is about)

  • Slide 4: Chapter Headings/Working Outline 

  • Slide 5: Detailed summary of one or two chapters or sections

  • Slide 6: Problems encountered / Solutions found

  • Slide 7: Bibliography, accurately referenced with chosen citation style

• Slide deck and presentation will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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DUE:  'Writing Readiness Form' emailed , initialed by student and supervisor.

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• Complete this form AFTER the Extended Essay Presentation 

• Students complete these parts of the form:  Student Name, Supervisor, IB Extended Essay Subject (or WSEE theme and subjects), Refined Research Question, Student Initials, and Date (date of last meeting)

• Students send this form to the supervisor to complete

• Supervisors email the forms 

• Document will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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DUE: EE Introduction/Criterion A

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• Document submitted to Google Classroom and emailed to Supervisor .

• Required components: Context, Outline of argument, Scope, and Worthiness as explained in EE textbook, pp. 62-64 AND pp. 102-105

• Recommended word count: 300-450

• Meets requirements of Criterion A (Focus and Method) for EE Assessment as presented in EE textbook and the EE guide for your subject

• Required format:  Readable font (such as Arial), 12-point font size, double-spaced text, numbered pages, indented paragraphs, appropriate margins (1" on all sides is acceptable)

• Acceptable file type:  Google Doc, DOCX or PDF

• Document will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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Meet with Supervisor

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• The meeting may be held remotely

• Discuss your EE Introduction/Criterion A writing assignment

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DUE:  'Extended Essay Progress Check Form' emailed , initialed by student and supervisor.

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• Complete this form AFTER your meeting May 11-18 

• Students complete these parts of the form:  Student Name, Supervisor, IB Extended Essay Subject (or WSEE theme and subjects), Refined Research Question, Student Initials, and Date (date of last meeting)

• Students send this form to the supervisor to complete

• Supervisors email the forms 

• Document will be assessed Pass/Fail. EE grade is posted in Mod F.

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June Term (Mod G): 

 

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Juniors have ½ day June Term class, EE Coordinator,  and Alayna Garvin, IB Language and Literature teacher.  Class time will be used to work on IB Language and Literature HL assignments, college application essays, and Extended essays. The EE portion of the class will cover:

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• Outlining and organization of your essay

• Citations and references

• EE Assessment Criteria, especially Criterions B, C, and D

• How to demonstrate analysis in your writing

• Things to avoid when writing an academic research paper

• Time management

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Meet with Supervisor

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• The meeting may be held remotely

• Discuss writing completed in EE June Term

• Discuss summer plans for working on your EE

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Students work on first draft of their Extended essays.

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 Summer Break

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EE grade for  ¼ credit letter grade, and is posted to transcript .

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DUE: First 10 pages due to Supervisor a

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• Document submitted to Google Classroom and emailed to Supervisor  

• Worth 100 points towards EE grade, posted to transcript in March,

• Late paper = 0 points

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INTERIM REFLECTION SESSION WITH SUPERVISOR

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• Meeting with Supervisor regarding quality of writing

• In preparation for the interim reflection session, students should have:

  • Attempted to refine a focused and appropriate research question

  • Significantly deepened their research and recorded pertinent evidence, information or data in the Researcher’s reflection space

  • Reviewed and consolidated the methodologies they are using

  • Formulated arguments based on the evidence that they have collected

  • Added to the working bibliography for their research.

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DUE: Interim reflection (150-175 words) 

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• Reflection submitted to Google Classroom and emailed to Supervisor

• Worth 50 points towards EE grade, posted to transcript in March

• Late reflection = 0 points

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DUE: Complete draft due to Supervisor 

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• Document submitted to Google Classroom and emailed to Supervisor 

• Draft must conform to IB Formal Presentation Requirements as provided to Candidate

• Required components: Title Page, Table of Contents, Introduction, Body of Paper, Conclusion, Works Cited

• Required format:  Readable font (such as Arial), 12-point font size, double-spaced text, numbered pages, indented paragraphs, appropriate margins (1" on all sides is acceptable)

• Acceptable file type:  Google Doc, DOCX or PDF.

• Worth 100 points towards EE grade, posted to transcript in March, 2022

• Late paper = 0 points

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Mandatory draft (revision) conference with Supervisor

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• Scheduled by student in advance at discretion of Supervisor

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FINAL COPY DUE to Supervisor 

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• Document submitted to Google Classroom and emailed to Supervisor  

• Final copy must conform to IB Formal Presentation Requirements as provided to Candidate (see note above)

• Worth 100 points towards EE grade, posted to transcript in March

• Late paper = 0 points

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FINAL REFLECTION SESSION WITH SUPERVISOR (VIVA VOCE)

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• Final session with Supervisor, scheduled by student in advance at discretion of Supervisor

• Students should bring the following to this session:

  • Extracts from their RRS that illustrate how they have grown as learners through the process of reflection

  • A willingness to share their personal experience and to discuss the skills and development of conceptual understandings that they have acquired through the completion of the extended essay.

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DUE: Final reflection (150-175 words) 

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• Reflection submitted to Google Classroom and emailed to Supervisor 

• Worth 50 points towards EE grade, posted to transcript 

• Late reflection = 0 points

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