Choosing a subject and topic
For your EE you have the freedom to focus on almost any topic and you will write your own question to answer. However, your topic must fit into a single DP subject (unless you choose to write an interdisciplinary essay, such as a World Studies EE that covers a topic “of contemporary global significance” and is likely to encompass two subject areas).
Given the academic challenge and level expected of an EE, you are strongly advised to choose a subject that you are currently studying, preferably at Higher Level.
|
On this page you will find guidance including: |
As well as resource boxes in the sidebar containing: |
What is the Extended Essay?
*It is possible, under certain circumstances, to combine two subjects and do a World Studies essay but we do not currently recommend this.
This guide is just to get your thinking started.
You are going to be spending nine months on your Extended Essay - it is very important to choose a topic that actually interests you, or it is going to be a very long nine months...
Good preparation is much more effective for finding inspiration than last minute panic!
CALVIN AND HOBBES © Watterson. Reprinted with permission of ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION. All rights reserved.
Generating initial ideas:
Now have a look at the Subject Group Overviews, below, to see what an EE in that group might involve. It is worth comparing a couple of different subject groups.
"An extended essay (EE) in studies in language and literature gives students an opportunity to undertake independent research into a topic of special interest to them within the subject. It is intended to promote advanced research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity. The essay is open to students who are writing in a language that they would be capable of offering as a language A. It must be written in the language for which it is registered. Students must not submit a group 1 EE in their group 2 language. Studies in language and literature EEs are divided into three categories:
Students and teachers must indicate at the point of upload which category of essay they are submitting."
From: IBO (2020) Extended Essay: Studies in language and literature
"An extended essay (EE) in language acquisition or classical languages gives students the opportunity to pursue their interest in language.
Students working on a language acquisition EE must demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the language, culture and society or literature studied. This understanding must be shown in the form of:
For those undertaking a classical Greek or Latin EE, the focus is on demonstrating an understanding of a relevant or significant aspect of the language, literature and civilization of ancient Greece or Rome."
From: IBO (2020) Extended Essay: Language acquisition including classical languages
Note that you may not do your EE in a language you are studying at ab initio level.
"An extended essay (EE) in individuals and societies is intended for students who are interested in undertaking research in an area of business management, economics, geography, global politics, history, ITGS, philosophy, psychology, social and cultural anthropology or world religions.
The individuals and societies EE is intended to encourage the systematic and critical study of:
Students’ choice of topic should enable them to recognize that the content and methodologies of the subjects are contestable and that their study requires critical thinking.
Students must have sufficient grounding in the subject under which they submit their essay: reading a textbook or consulting an encyclopedia while writing the EE will not compensate for a lack of proper background knowledge."
From: IBO (2020) Extended Essay: Individuals and societies
Note: The IB considers Environmental Systems and Societies EEs to be interdisciplinary, so materials for these can be found under the Interdisciplinary essays tab, above.
"An extended essay (EE) in the sciences gives students an opportunity to apply a range of skills while researching a topic of personal interest in the field. Students working on a science EE must demonstrate an in-depth analysis of the subject matter studied, be it biology, chemistry, computer science, design technology, physics or sports, exercise and health science. This understanding must be shown in the form of a research paper involving a wellformulated research question. Students should be advised that while there is overlap between the subjects, their study should reflect one specific science area. For example:
...The nature of the topic under investigation should be different for each subject area and students should be careful if they undertake essays that may blur the boundaries between two science subjects. For example, when studying the pH of a body of water, students may investigate the chemicals responsible for the observed pH (chemistry), or the effect of the pH on the biota (biology)."
From: IBO (2020) The Sciences: an introduction from Extended Essay: The sciences
Note: The IB considers Environmental Systems and Societies EEs to be interdisciplinary, so materials for these can be found under the Interdisciplinary essays tab, above.
"Students must demonstrate an in-depth analysis of a question or problem that has a mathematical focus. This investigation might be, for example:
Students should be advised on the importance of formulating logical and coherent reasons for selecting a particular topic for the EE, the need to identify a well-thought-out research question and the requirement to search for the mathematical problems that require a solution. Students must be advised that mathematical research is a long-term and open-ended exploration of a set of related mathematical problems that are based on personal observations. The answers to these problems connect to and build upon each other over time."
From: IBO (2020) Extended Essay: Mathematics
"An extended essay (EE) in the arts provides students with an opportunity to undertake an in-depth investigation into a topic of particular interest to them. Students working on an arts EE must demonstrate in-depth analysis of the subject matter studied, be it dance, film, music, theatre or visual arts. This understanding must be shown in the form of:
Each subject area poses its own unique set of challenges. Therefore, the approach to the topic of investigation should reflect the particular methodology most appropriate to the arts subject being studied. Students should have logical and coherent reasons for selecting a particular topic for their essay, a well-thought out research question and an approach that allows them to develop a reasoned argument.
...While there may be overlap between the subjects in the arts and common approaches, the research topic must clearly relate to one specific arts area. If a student chooses a research area that blurs the boundaries between two arts subjects, they must ensure that their essay’s emphasis clearly lies within the arts subject for which they are submitting it. Crucially, the topic selected should reflect each student’s particular interest and enthusiasm within that subject area."
From: IBO (2020) Extended Essay: The arts
"An interdisciplinary extended essay (EE) gives students an opportunity to undertake an in-depth and independent investigation into a topic of their choice that considers the relationship between subjects and allows for meaningful connections to be made in relation to their chosen area of research.
For example, in literature and performance, students focus on the nature of the relationships that occur between a chosen text and its adaptation for performance; in world studies an issue of contemporary global significance is explored through the lenses of two subjects; and in environmental systems and societies the interaction and integration of natural environmental systems and human societies are explored
Students undertaking one of these options must demonstrate a solid understanding of their area of research, taking a fully integrated approach. This examination must be shown in the form of:
The most critical stage in preparing for the EE is the formulation of a logical and coherent rationale for selecting a particular topic for the extended essay, a topic that offers enough scope to provide material for a substantial essay, and the development of ideas around the topic and research question that examine existing views and argue against them."
From: IBO (2020) Interdisciplinary essays: an introduction from Extended Essay: Interdisciplinary essays
We do not recommend undertaking an EE in World Studies. If you choose to do so anyway, make sure that you consider very carefully whether your topic would fit the requirements of a single subject discipline instead. It can be challenging to juggle the requirements of two different subjects while undertaking a piece of academic research like this for the first time, particularly if you do not currently study one or both of the subjects.
Note that the Treatment of the Topic section of the Subject Guide for World Studies says that:
"It is expected that students will have a good grounding in at least one of the Diploma Programme subjects used in the EE.
If they are unfamiliar with a discipline used, they must access its syllabus so that they can identify the concepts, terminology and modes of thinking required for their EE. (Many IB syllabuses contain lists of key concepts.)"
This means that whether or not you are currently studying either or both of the subject areas your World Studies EE is based in you will need to use DP Level concepts, terminology and modes of thinking appropriate to both subject areas.
Use the links below to explore the Subject-Specific Guidance for your chosen subject. Note that it is very important to use the side navigation menu to make sure you have read ALL the relevant guidance (see example for Biology, below).
You MUST read the subject-specific guidance before completing your Supervisor Application Form, and reread it before completing your Research Proposal Log. You might find it helpful to take notes using the Using the Subject-Specific Guidelines table.
Electronic versions of these can be found at the top right hand side of this page (follow links). If you wish to submit your handwritten version to ManageBac, you may upload a (legible!) photograph.
You must address the IB ethical guidelines in your Research Proposal and follow them throughout the EE process. Some Subject Guides will contain specific ethical guidelines for that subject, but here are some general guides you might need to refer to:
Past essays
It can be really useful at this stage to look at essays from previous Oakham students, to see what kinds of topics they investigated and what their final essays looked like. These are upstairs in the library and can be looked at while you are here.
Please remember:
You may take photographs of individual pages (such as the contents pages). You may not photograph or photocopy whole essays.
Go back to your brainstormed list of topics from the first session:
Before deciding on a topic you should do some preliminary research to see what information is out there. Make a few brief notes as you go.
Put your notes away, forget about what you have read for a few days, then see what you remember. This time and distance is important as it is likely that you will remember what is of most interest to you, and so the angle you should develop.
Aim to have three suggestions for topic areas you might like to explore for your EE to explore further before making a decision.
You are likely to have used our databases in the past to search for information on specific topics, but many of them are also excellent when browsing for ideas. I have made some suggestions below. You will need to access them from the list on our Subscription Databases page (using the log in information given if you are not on the school network).
Oxford Very Short Introductions
An excellent series of ebooks providing a short, academic introduction to a wide range of topics. Choose 'Browse by subject' from the menu bar to explore them (or use the excellent search facility if you know which topic you are interested in).
An online encyclopaedia that you can trust and cite! Choose 'Advanced' then 'Explore: Articles' to browse Britannica in a range of different subject areas.
Although aimed at A-level students, browsing these Review magazines may be a good way to identify a broad topic of interest. After you log-in, you can choose to search the whole database or choose a specific subject and browse/search within it.
Gale in context: Opposing viewpoints is good for looking at both sides of a debate. It contains text and video resources from newspapers, magazines, academic journals and websites, and is easy to browse by topic.
Other, subject-specific resources
This table will help you work with the Subject-Specific Guidelines as you choose your topic. You are not required to submit this form to your supervisor, but you might find it helpful when filling in your Supervisor Application Form and Research Proposal.
This Prompt Catcher must be completed if you are using AI tools as part of your initial research. Since examiners cannot access the exact AI-generated content subsequently, you must cite and reference the tool in your essay and include a copy of the Prompt Catcher containing the generated content and the prompt you used to generate it in an appendix.
This resource will help you to keep track of all the different sources you find. Once you start working with each source in more detail, you will also need a tool like the Investigative Journal to organise your notes.
Normal term-time Library opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 08:30-21:15
Sat: 08:00-16:00
Sun: 14:00-18:00 (Summer Term only)
