IB Extended Essay General Guide. Archive copy.: EE Blog

EE Investigation Days - Wednesday 26th, Thursday 27th and Friday 28th Feb 2020

Welcome back! Hopefully you have already started your background reading for your EE, but on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week you have the amazing luxury of being off-timetable for 3 dedicated Investigation Days. What does this mean and what should you expect?

You are expected to:

1. Be upstairs in the Library during normal lesson time for all three days unless you need access to equipment (for example for a group 4 EE) or are meeting with your supervisor. Mr Russell will be checking intermittently that you are where you are supposed to be. Please bring your laptop as we cannot guarantee computer access for all, and note that this area remains a silent space and you should be working alone.
2. Read actively. You need to make notes as you read (preferably using the Investigative Journal) and keep clear records of all your sources – don’t forget to record page numbers for any interesting quotes you find. If you have not yet set up your Researchers Reflection Space, now is the time to do so. Look at the Working with Ideas tab of your subject LibGuide for a downloadable version of the Investigative Journal and advice on note taking strategies.
3. Use the support available. I (Mrs Toerien) will be based in The Refinery (the room on the left as you enter the Upper Library) for most of the Investigation Days to offer individual support, particularly with locating resources – please drop in as necessary or make an appointment. There will be a timetable on the door to show when I am available. There will also be an optional workshop on Finding Resources (see below).

 You should expect to come out of the Investigation Days:

1. With a very clear idea of the direction of your inquiry – and be well on your way to settling on your final Title and Research Question. These may shift and change slightly as you work your way towards the Writing Days but if you make major changes now you will be putting yourself under a lot of pressure. Use the Developing a Line of Inquiry tab of your subject LibGuide to help you with this.
2. Having located all the main resources you intend to use for your EE. Of course you may find leads that you want to follow up as you work your way through these, but at some point you need to stop looking for new resources and start working on understanding and using what you have found. Use the Finding and Selecting Sources tab of your subject LibGuide for subject-specific advice on locating resources, attend the optional workshop (above) if you need advice on searching for resources, and come to see me in The Refinery if you need more specific help.