An International Baccalaureate School

Extended Essay Handbook and Guide

This handbook belongs to:________________

Principal: Gail Bentley

IB coordinators: Doina Apperti and Gurpreet Grewal

EE coordinator: Shelly Stevenson

Extended Essay Short FAQ

What is an EE?

EE is a 4,000-word essay, in-depth study in a specific IB subject of your choice.

Who does an EE?

All IB candidates entered for the IB diploma program.

Must the EE be one of the student’s examination subjects?

No, but it is strongly recommended to be in one of your HL subjects. Other subject areas may be chosen

(except TOK); however, there must be a subject teacher who will agree to act as the EE supervisor and,

if you are not currently taking the subject area, you must have significant prior education in the subject.

What benefits does the EE offer?

Important Skills

independent research, investigation

in-depth analysis of a subject

organization, communication

Points toward the IB Diploma

Note: if the EE is not done or is done badly, the IB diploma may not be awarded

How does the school organize the EE?

Remember, the EE is designed to be independent of a classroom. As such, we can scaffold only so

much:

requires an introductory meeting

gives deadlines/guidance to identify a mentor prior to research

gives dates for different stages of progress and completion

these deadlines are designed to ensure the EEs are completed in stages that allow time for all other IB

diploma requirements

suggests about 40 hours of total work on your part

suggests about 2-4 hours of review with your EE supervisor

How is it scored? With TOK (up to 3 points)

The Extended Essay itself (out of 36 marks, based on 11 different assessment criteria)

How does the student choose what to do?

Choose your topic by evaluating your own interests and academic strengths, and through the advice of

your chosen EE supervisor.

What is the role of the EE supervisor?

Your EE supervisor will provide you with advice and guidance but is not permitted to edit the drafts

you submit. It’s your responsibility to correct mistakes and to verify the accuracy of the contents of the

essay.

When should I start?

Start during spring semester of your junior year.

How should I tackle the EE process?

1. Choose a Subject Area of interest, and read the assessment criteria

2. Choose a topic within the subject (by preparatory reading).

3. Narrow the topic by focusing on a defined specific area and identifying a teacher to serve as your

EE supervisor.

4. Write the research question and develop a fleshed-out thesis.

5. Carry out in-depth research, making notes as you go and taking care to include exact references.

6. Outline the topic, including quotes from your research. This will serve as your plan for the

structure of your EE.

7. Adjust your research question / thesis as needed.

8. Write! Write! Write!

9. Discuss progress with EE supervisor, and receive feedback on drafts.

10. Revise! Revise! Revise!

11. Submit the final product in person and to turnitin.com.

Topics for EE: The topic for an EE must be derived from an IB-recognized subject listed below. Please remember

you are at a significant disadvantage if you choose to write an EE in a subject in which you have not taken an

associated IB course.

Group 1 (Literature in native language)

Group 2 (Foreign language. Essays can be on the language itself, culture and society, or literature)

Biology

Mathematics

Business and Management

Peace and Conflict Studies

Philosophy

Computer Science

Physics

Design Technology

Politics

Economics

Psychology

Environmental Systems

Social Anthropology

Geography

Theatre Arts

History

Visual Arts

Information Technology in a Global

Society (ITGS)

World Religions

Dance

Film

Human Rights

World Studies

According to the IBO: [Adapted From the IBO Extended Essay Guide, 2013]

The aims of the Extended Essay are to provide students with the opportunity to:

pursue independent research on a focused topic

develop research and communication skills

develop the skills of creative and critical thinking

engage in a systematic process of research appropriate to the subject

experience the excitement of intellectual discovery

All Extended Essays are externally assessed by examiners appointed by the IBO, and are marked on a

scale from 0 to 36. This maximum score is made up of the total criterion levels available for each essay.

The total score obtained on the scale 0 to 36 is used to determine in which of the following bands the

extended essay is placed. This band, in conjunction with the band for Theory of Knowledge, determines

the number of diploma points awarded for these two requirements.

A student who:

writes a good Extended Essay and whose performance in Theory of Knowledge is judged to be

satisfactory will be awarded 1 point.

who writes a mediocre extended essay and whose performance in theory of knowledge is judged

to be excellent will be awarded 2 points.

who fails to submit an extended essay will be awarded N for the extended essay, will score no

points, and will not be awarded a diploma.

performs in both the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge at an elementary standard will

fail to be awarded of the diploma.

earns 28 points overall will be to be eligible for the diploma if the student attains an ‘E’ grade in

either the extended essay or theory of knowledge.

earns a grade ‘A’ in one of the requirements earns an extra point, even if the other is a grade ‘E’.

attains a grade ‘E’ in both the extended essay and theory of knowledge continues to represent an

automatic failure.

Possible Grades assigned for the EE:

A = Work of an excellent standard

B = Work of a good standard

C = Work of a satisfactory standard

D = Work of a mediocre standard

E = Work of a poor standard

The band descriptors for the Extended Essays grading are described in detail on the next page.

Below is a simplified matrix for awarding points toward the diploma.

(From the IBO Extended Essay Guide, 2013).

The Extended Essay/TOK Points Matrix

FYI-This is how your essay will be graded:

PREDICTED GRADE FOR EXTENDED ESSAY

STUDENT’S NAME________________________ TOPIC AREA ______________________

MENTOR’S NAME_________________________ FINAL GRADE _____________________

Thank you for serving as a mentor for this student. IB requires all mentors to give a predicted grade for

each extended essay. Listed below are the criteria headings. Please refer to your copy of the General

Assessment Criteria and the criteria specific to your subject area. To find the final grade, add all the

separate criteria scores. Based on this total, choose one of the overall assessment bands listed at the

bottom of this page.

A Research question (0, 1, or 2) _______

B Introduction (0, 1, or 2) _______

C Investigation (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

D Understanding of topic (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

E Reasoned argument (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

F Analytical and evaluative skills (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

G Use of language (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

H Conclusion (0, 1, or 2) _______

I Formal presentation (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

J Abstract (0, 1, or 2) _______

K Holistic judgment (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4) _______

Overall Assessment Bands (circle one)

A -Work of an excellent standard 30-36

B -Work of a good standard 25-29

C -Work of satisfactory standard 17-24

D -Work of a mediocre standard 9-16

E -Work of an elementary standard 0

Regulations

Every IB diploma student must submit an extended essay.

Each student will select a teacher to act as a supervisor. The chosen EE supervisor teacher

needs to accept the offer and be a teacher relevant to the subject chosen.

Extended essays in groups 1 and 2 must to be written in that language. All others must be

written in English.

Malpractice, such as plagiarism will be dealt with severely.

Organizing your Extended Essay

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 appropriate context.

· An indication of whether the topic has been narrowed to a focus of more manageable

proportions.

· A clear 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 body is a convincing answer to the research question. The structure and

approach will depend on the subject in which the essay is being undertaken. Some subjects may require

sub-headings for major sections within the main body. Scientific investigations will usually have

separate sections for method and results. In other subjects, sub-headings should be avoided because they

disrupt the flow and unity of an essay.

Conclusion

The requirements of a 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

whom the topic is drawn. Use a word processor.

The Length of the Extended Essay

The upper limit is 4000 words and essays should be at least 3500 words. The upper limit includes the

introduction, the body, the conclusion and any quotations, but does not include:

the abstract

acknowledgements

the contents pages

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.

Examples:

Title (English A1) -Religious imagery in Wuthering Heights

Research question -What is the nature and function of the religious imagery used in Wuthering Heights?

Title (Mathematics) -An investigation into polynomial functions

Specific Issue -Observations of the characteristics of the polygonal cycloids obtained by rolling regular

polygons along a straight line.

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 minimum requirements for an abstract are to state clearly:

the research question being investigated

the scope of the investigation

the conclusion/s of the essay

It should be placed immediately after the title page.

Contents Page

A contents page must be placed after the abstract and all pages should be numbered. An index is not

required.

Illustrations

Presentation and overall neatness are important, and it is essential that illustrative material, if included,

is well set out and used effectively. Graphs, diagrams, tables and maps are effective only if they are well

labelled and can be easily read. This must be directly related to the text and acknowledged where

appropriate. The use of photographs and postcards is acceptable only if they are captioned and/or

annotated and are used to illustrate a specific point made in the extended essay.

References/Bibliography

The direct or indirect use of the words of another person, written, oral or electronic, must be

acknowledged appropriately as must visual material in the essay, derived from another source. Failure to

do this will be viewed as plagiarism.

The bibliography or list of references should only include those works, such as books and journals that

have been consulted by you. It is good practice to study a major style of referencing appropriate to the

subject of the essay so that you can present your references professionally.

Each work consulted, regardless or whether or not it has already been cited as a reference, must be listed

in the bibliography. The bibliography should specify author/s, title, date and place of publication, and

the name of the publisher following consistently one standard method of listing sources. According to

the IBO, acceptable documentation styles are (1) APSA, (2) APA, (3) Chicago/Turabian, (4) CBE, (5)

Harvard citation guide, (6) MLA, and (7) numbered references.

Our school uses MLA style.

Appendices

Appendices are not an essential section of the essay and examiners are not required to read them, so care

should be taken to include all information of direct relevance to the analysis and argument in the main

part of the essay.

Unless considered essential, complete list of raw data should not be included in the extended essay.

The Use of Other Media and Materials

Apart from graphic material, materials in other media may be submitted only as supporting appendices

and should not detract from the written extended essay.

Computers - the use of computers is encouraged where they are appropriate as tools for analyzing data

relevant to the subject of the extended essay. Material such as hard copy of computer output may be

included in the original essay, but any associated program should be referred to or reproduced, if

original, only as an appendix.

Videotapes - the use of videotapes as supporting material is not acceptable.

Audiotapes - the use of audiotapes as supporting material is permissible, but is not encouraged, and extra

merit will not be given for the inclusion of audiotapes in support of an extended essay. Digital

audiotapes are not acceptable.

Specimen materials - specimen materials used in or produced by investigations do not form part of the

extended essay and must not be submitted. Photographic evidence may be submitted in place of such

material.

Extended Essay Student Checklist

c/o http://www.gre.ac.uk

Judge your essay against these criteria:

Is the essay a reasoned argument in which the writer endeavors to persuade a skeptical reader of the

justifiability of the line of argument adopted?

Is there an argument? Is each part of it clear? Is it easy to understand and does it make sense? (The

argument should be clear from the beginning and not tacked on the end)

Does the essay develop logically through a series of arguments or points?

What evidence is used to support arguments (too little, too much, inappropriate)?

Does the essay show evidence of the imaginative use of a variety of sources?

Is the essay clear and readable? (Pay attention to grammar and spelling)

Does the essay contain repetitive or irrelevant material?

Has a bibliography of all materials consulted been included?

Are all quotations properly footnoted?

Is a word count been included, and is the essay within limits?

Presentation:

Has the essay been word processed, allowing space-and-a-half between lines (not single space) and a 12-

point font?

Multimedia/Web features of the essay:

Is the essay attractively laid out?

Is it presented in a readable fashion?

Have gimmicks -- bells and whistles -- taken over from functionality and fitness for purpose?

Are graphics used; do they contribute to the overall thrust of the essay; are they referred to in the

text?

Are links used to Web sites; are they relevant; are there any dead links?

Have any hyperlink pages been created; do they contain relevant additional information /primary

material?

Is navigation easy; do you always know where you are?

Our Agreements [Adapted From the IBO Extended Essay Guide, 2013]

You will read and understand the general guidelines as well as the guidelines specific to the subject

that you have chosen.

You will abide by all the deadlines

You will understand and abide by the school policy with regard to academic honesty, and shall cite all

references and sources of ideas, quotations, data, diagrams, illustrations etc.

You will understand that the role of your supervisor will be to:

Encourage and support you in your efforts

Provide advice of a subject specific nature

Make sure that the work is your own

Complete the supervisor report

You will understand that the role of your supervisor will not be to:

Get you started and tell you what to do.

Give you a research question

Give you the resources

Edit your work

Remind you of the deadlines

Find you to be able to read a draft and offer advice

Advice to Students from Extended Essay External Examiners [Adapted From the

IBO Extended Essay Guide, 2013]

Recommended things to do:

Examiners’ reports frequently emphasize the following positive steps. Before starting work on the

extended essay, students should:

Read the assessment criteria contained in the general EE rubric and the specific subject area

guides which can be found on the

Read previous essays to identify strengths and possible pitfalls

Spend time working out the research question (imagine the finished essay)

Work out a structure for the essay.

During the research process, and while writing the essay, students should:

Start work early and stick to deadlines

Maintain a good working relationship with their EE mentor

Construct an argument that relates to the research question

Use the library and consult librarians for advice

Record sources as they go along (rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end)

Choose a new topic and a research question that can be answered if there is a problem with the

original topic

Use the appropriate language for the subject

Let their interest and enthusiasm show.

After completing the essay, students should:

write the abstract

check and proofread the final version carefully.

Recommended: things to avoid

Examiners’ reports also mention these things to be avoided at all costs. Students should not work with a

research question that is too broad or too vague, too narrow, too difficult or inappropriate. A good

research question is one that asks something worth asking and that is answerable within 40 hours/4,000

words. It should be clear what would count as evidence in relation to the question, and it must be

possible to acquire such evidence in the course of the investigation. If a student does not know what

evidence is needed, or cannot collect such evidence, it will not be possible to answer the research

question.

In addition, students should not:

forget to analyze the research question

ignore the assessment criteria

collect material that is irrelevant to the research question

use the internet uncritically

plagiarize

merely describe or report (evidence must be used to

support the argument)

repeat the introduction in the conclusion cite sources that are not used.

Due Dates

It is very important that you keep to this time line and meet with your advisor. Keep all outlines and

drafts of your work and an extra backup disk.

On the following dates, you must submit one copy to your advisor and one copy to EE coordinator.

Date You will have and completed the Form

April 30th Decided on a subject, topic, research and chosen an EE supervisor- E1a/b

May 15th An outline of a plan for your research and/or experiments –E2

May 28th Prepared a working outline of your essay -E3

August 19th Completed your first draft –E4

November 1st Given your final draft to your EE coordinator and EE supervisor- E5

Dec, 1st Two copies of your essay to EE coordinator bounded and ready to be sent

IB Extended Essay Definitions You Need to Know

Extended Essay (EE): An in-depth study of a limited topic within a subject. The purpose of the EE is to provide candidates

with an opportunity to engage in independent research at an introductory level. Essay length must be 3500 - 4000 words (10

or more pages).

Subject Area: IB specifies the subject areas in which you may choose to write an EE. See the "Guidelines for Choosing an

Extended Essay Topic “for a list of possible subject areas.

Topic: Particular area of study within the chosen subject area. The topic should be limited in scope so that you can provide

in-depth analysis. Choose something that is interesting to you, something on which you can give personal input, and

something that will provide you with an argument.

Research Question: This is the specific issue you will be investigating. It is a good idea to formulate an actual research

question to help you narrow your topic focus.

Faculty EE supervisor: Your supervisor must be a Foothill High School teacher of your choice. He or she can provide

advice of a subject-specific nature, help you define a suitable topic, and suggest appropriate research resources. Your EE

mentor must verify to IB that the work you do on your extended essay is your own. This verification is one of the reasons

your EE mentor must see your essay as it develops. Submit reports to the IB on their students’ EE, and submit a predicted

grade.

Mentor: This is any "expert" on your topic who can help you with the material of your essay. (S)He may not be a Foothill

teacher but may instead be a family friend that has significant knowledge in your chosen topic. Such a person can be valuable

to the process of creating your EE.

Timelines: IB recommends that you spend about 40 hours on your EE. Experienced EE coordinators and faculty mentors

believe that this estimate is low and hold that most students will spend 60 hours working on their EE. Before the end of first

semester Junior Year you be provided with a calendar so that you can complete the extended essay in a timely fashion. If you

are falling behind for any reason, you need to immediately make your supervisor and the extended essay coordinator aware of

your progress.

Final Version: This is the version of your essay which will be turned into IB. It will be due on a given date. You will have

produced several drafts of your essay, and have acted upon comments made by your EE supervisor on your penultimate draft

so that the final version should be extremely polished.

Plagiarism: The IB EE guide calls this malpractice, and will automatically disqualify you from getting the diploma if this

occurs. Always give full credit to other people's ideas and writing.

Dual Submission: Any same piece of work cannot be submitted to meet the requirements of both the EE and another

assessment component of a subject contributing to the Diploma.

Foothill High School – Extended Essay Sheet E1(a) To be completed and submitted to EE Coordinator by April 30th

EE MENTOR SELECTION SHEET Student Name: ___________________________ Proposed Faculty EE Supervisor: ___________________________ Department Affiliation of Proposed EE Supervisor: ___________________________ Date of Submission: ___________________________ IB Subject Area(s) which will be focus of the EE: ___________________________ Please describe the reasons behind your choice of faculty EE Supervisor: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student Initials EE Supervisor Initials

Shared topic and question

Reviewed appropriate subject area guide

Determined approach to topic

Reviewed time table and completed calendar of proposed supervisory meetings (attach to Sheet E1)

Signature of Student: __________________________________ Date_______________ Signature of Proposed Faculty EE Supervisor _________________ Date____________________ Signature of EE coordinator______________________________ Date___________________

Foothill High School – Extended Essay E1(b)

Proposed Time table for meetings with EE supervisor

Discuss posible meeting times with your EE Supervisor and log it in

the table below.

Date and time duration

Student signature

EE supervisor signature

Dates fulfilled

Foothill High School – Extended Essay Sheet E2

To be completed and submitted to EE Supervisor and EE Coordinator by May 15st.

EXTENDED ESSAY

Name: ______________________________________________ ID:______________ Subject: _____________________________________________________________________ Topic: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Research Question/ experiments: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Outline of a plan: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Faculty EE Supervisor’s name _____________________________________________________________________ Faculty EE Supervisor’s signature: _________________________________ Date:________

Foothill High School – Extended Essay Sheet E3

To be completed and submitted to EE a Supervisor and EE Coordinator by May 28th.

PRELIMINARY OUTLINE Student Name: ___________________________ Faculty EE Supervisor: ___________________________ Date of Submission: ___________________________ Subject Area: ___________________________ Topic: ___________________________ Question You Are Addressing: ______________________________________________________________ Title: ___________________________

Please attach typed copy of preliminary outline to this sheet.

Pertaining to the Preliminary Outline (To be completed by EE supervisor during consultation visit with student) Is the preliminary outline sufficient for the proposed essay?

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Foothill High School – Extended Essay Sheet E4

To be completed and submitted to EE Supervisor and EE Coordinator by first day of school.

EXTENDED ESSAY ROUGH DRAFT COVER SHEET Student Name: ________________________________________________ Faculty EE supervisor: ____________________________________________ Date of Submission _____________________________________________ Subject: ______________________________________________________ Topic: _______________________________________________________ Title: ________________________________________________________ Date that Appointment with EE mentor in which draft review will take place: ______________________________ I have acknowledged receiving a hard copy first draft of the above named student’s Extended Essay: Faculty EE Supervisor’s signature: _______________

Foothill High School – Extended Essay Sheet E5

To be completed and submitted to EE Supervisor and EE Coordinator by November 1st

EXTENDED ESSAY FINAL DRAFT COVER SHEET Student Name: ___________________________ Faculty EE Supervisor: ___________________________ Date of Submission: ___________________________ Subject: ___________________________ Topic: ___________________________ Title: ________________________________________________________ I have acknowledged receiving a hard copy final draft of the above named student’s Extended Essay Faculty EE Supervisor signature:____________________________________ Date:________________