The aims of the extended essay are for students to:

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NewsTrust: "Your guide to good journalism"

The EE is an in-depth study of a focused topic. It gives students the opportunity to:

All students must:

Students should identify a working research question early on but be prepared to change, eg if too little information is available to permit the intended investigation.

Students should be guided by the idea that what they are writing is important because:

The research question should therefore be non-trivial and follow from the existing body of literature on the topic. It must be:

Students need to avoid researching questions that are too narrow or too obvious as this will limit their ability to formulate reasoned arguments.

Their answer to the question must be analytical rather than descriptive.

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World Historical Newpapers. 

Eyewitness to History
Repositories of Primary Sources (over 5000 online sites)
Avalon Project
EuroDocs
Korean National Digital Library
Portal to Asian Internet Resources
American Memory

UC: World of Primary Sources
Voice of the Shuttle: History Sources
Temple U: European Collection

Museum of Online Museums
Historical Newspapers

East Asia Primary Sources
http://www.anc.org.za/# (Click on Documents)

Rwanda Genocide Archive

It gives students the opportunity to:

The act of reflection:

Through reflection, students develop an objective understanding of themselves as learners.

Reflection can inform action.

Modes of reflection

Students should leave a space at the bottom of every page of any record of reflection specifically marked “Secondary reflection”.

As well as giving students a space to write, it also reminds them that:

Use the RRS to:

Students are expected to share excerpts from the RRS in discussions with their supervisor. Using these reflections as a point of reference in their supervision sessions, students will be able to:

These conversations are comprised of:

It is easier to reflect on something concrete, so it is recommended that the supervisor and the student use reflection prompts to encourage discussion.

Reflection prompts can be:

It may help supervisors to think in terms of the three mandatory reflection sessions corresponding to the three levels of reflection.

Session 1—more descriptive reflections
Session 2—more analytical
Session 3—evaluative

Podcasts

Magazines

Podcasts

Magazines

- Organize information into appropriate categories (sources that support or belong to specific parts of my EE)

- Analyze and evaluate research

- Recognize and reflect on limitations

- Making connections between ideas, papers, etc.
Communication
- Write down thoughts, understandings, and conclusions that can relay information to both the lay person and a person in the field (I liken this to explaining the details of your job to someone who works in the field versus a neighbor that asks what you do for a living - we should have appropriate and understandable responses for both scenarios that are engaging and prompt questions and feedback that allow you to carry on a meaningful conversation).
- Be able to do the above verbally
- Active listening to feedback
- Discuss ideas that are in support of and opposed to your views
- Create and explain visuals
Social
- Read, understand, and appropriate reply to social cues (watching documentaries or video sources for information)

- Recognize that your opinion and interests are your own - other people may have similar or differing opinions and interests. Active listening, reading, and watching can help students share and receive valuable feedback.
- Awareness of the sensitivity of topic (Flint, Michigan water; individual access to clean water; osteoporosis or bone disease in family; environmental factors)
Self-Management
- Establishing, following and adjusting a timeline

- Creating manageable goals and subgoals to complete EE

- Allocate time/space for EE work

- Create and use RRS

- Grit: researching this topic may prove difficult but being resilient and not giving up

- Acceptance: balance with grit - adjustments may need to be made to RQ if research findings are inadequate

- Discipline: stay in line with the timeline and goals established. It is easy to postpone items when you don't have an immediate "hard" deadline.
- Reflect
Research
- Proper reference & citation

- Using appropriate resources (ie. Peer reviewed vs wikipedia)

- Annotate and summarize findings

- Recognize limitations of experiments

- Utilizing the references in primary sources

This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. It assesses the explanation of the focus of the research (this includes the topic and the research question), how the research will be undertaken, and how the focus is maintained throughout the essay. 

This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore the research question, or in the case of the world studies extended essay, the issue addressed and the two disciplinary perspectives applied, and additionally the way in which this knowledge and understanding is demonstrated through the use of appropriate terminology and concepts.

This criterion assesses the extent to which critical-thinking skills have been used to analyse and evaluate the research undertaken. 

This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication. 

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context. Only the first 500 words are assessable.

The topic and context of the economics extended essay must be clearly established at the beginning of the essay. This should include the theoretical area of economics to which the essay relates with a clear indication as to how the topic fits into this area and why it is worthy of investigation.

If the topic relates to a specific event, issue or policy, it should date from within the last five years. It should not concern a future or hypothetical event.

Students must express their topic in the form of a research question. The question must be specific, sharply focused and capable of being discussed effectively with the help of economic theory and within the word limit.

The question should not be “double-barrelled”, ie made up of more than one question.

The research question should be genuine, requiring research to find an answer. That is, the answer to the research question should not be obvious.

Students must demonstrate that they have selected a suitable range of appropriate and relevant sources. This includes secondary research into the case study itself and relevant economic theory, including current or recent academic analysis in the area.

Students can choose to undertake primary research, such as interviews with relevant people with pertinent knowledge and background, or surveys and questionnaires. Surveys and questionnaires must be carefully planned and only elicit information that is relevant to the research question. The results must be based on an appropriate range of respondents and be statistically significant. Primary research is not a requirement.

In the early part of the essay, there should be an explicit methodology outlining the steps of the research and the nature of the data collection.

If the topic relates to a specific event, issue or policy, it should date from within the past five years. It should not concern a future or hypothetical event.

If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered, no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion. This applies to economics essays that breach the 5-year rule.

The essay must demonstrate an effective understanding of relevant economic theory and the way that this theory and the data gathered may be used to address the research question. All data and theory used in the essay should be clearly relevant and appropriate to the research question.

Students need to demonstrate a sound understanding of economic theory through appropriate and accurate application of relevant models. As much as possible, the application of the models should be based on specific real-world information acquired about the topic.

Knowledge and understanding may be effectively shown through appropriate use of economic terminology. Definitions should not be included as footnotes.

Knowledge and understanding may also be effectively shown through accurately drawn and labelled diagrams along with appropriate explanations. Students should not use generic diagrams from secondary sources. They must place the diagrams into the context of the essay by using relevant labels and numbers.

To illustrate that there is knowledge and understanding in context, background theory and terminology should be integrated at all times with the relevant research, and not presented as a separate section. Diagrams should only be included if they are supported by the evidence that makes them relevant.

If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered, no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion. This applies to economics essays that breach the 5-year rule.

“Research” refers to both research into relevant economic theory and information collected about the topic. The research used must be consistently relevant to the research question. The inclusion of material that is not clearly relevant to the research question will detract from the analysis and limit the ability of the student to score well against this criterion.

The student is expected to construct the discussion by weaving together economic theory and real-world evidence to present a well-supported answer to the research question. The points contained in the analysis must at all times be supported by specific, relevant material chosen from the student’s research. A clear and logical argument may be made by regular reference to the research question. Essays that are largely descriptive in nature do not show evidence of analytical skills and will not do well against this criterion.

All data in the form of diagrams, charts, tables, images and graphs must be analysed within the essay, as close as possible to the data itself. No data should be included if it is not being used to answer the research question, and no analysis should be left up to the reader.

When formulating their argument, students must demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the limitations of their own research and the limitations of the economic theory they have used. They should critically assess the extent to which economic theory may or may not explain the realities present in their case study. Such evaluation should not be contained in a separate section of the essay or solely in the conclusion but should be integrated into the text where it can effectively support the analysis.

Conclusions must be stated and be consistent with the evidence and analysis presented in the essay. Students may draw conclusions throughout the essay in response to the arguments presented. There must be a summative conclusion of the student’s response to the research question. Questions that have arisen as a result of the research may be included at the end as evidence of critical awareness.

Failure to follow the five-year rule will limit the grade in this criterion to a maximum of three.

If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered, no more than three marks can be awarded for this criterion. This applies to economics essays that breach the five-year rule.

This criterion relates to the extent to which the essay conforms to accepted academic standards in relation to how research papers should be presented. It also relates to how well these elements support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the essay.

Students may provide a section and subsection structure to their essays, with appropriate informative headings. Subheadings should not distract from the overall structure of the essay or argument presented.

Any graphs, charts, images or tables from literature sources included in essays must be carefully selected and labelled. They should only be used if they are directly relevant to the research question, contribute towards the understanding of the argument and are of a good graphic quality.

Large tables of raw data collected by the student are best included in an appendix, where they should be carefully labelled. Too many graphs, charts and tables distract from the overall quality of the communication.

Only processed data that is central to the argument of the essay should be included in the body of the essay, as close as possible to its first reference.

Any tables should enhance a written explanation and should not themselves include significant bodies of text; if this is the case then these words must be included in the word count. Students must take care in their use of appendices as examiners are not required to read them. All information with direct relevance to the analysis, discussion and evaluation of the essay must be contained in the main body of the essay.

A bibliography is an essential structural element, contributing as far as it is visually presented, to criterion D, in addition to the other presentation requirements: title page, table of contents, page numbers, and so on.

While there is no explicit penalty in criterion D for exceeding 4,000 words, students should be aware that examiners will not read beyond the 4,000-word limit, therefore affecting the application of multiple criteria. Criterion D specifically may be impacted if, in exceeding 4,000 words, one of the structural requirements of the essay (for example, the conclusion, or important illustrative material) is unassessed by the examiner because he or she is not required to read beyond 4,000 words.

Any material that is not original must be carefully acknowledged, with specific attention paid to the acknowledgement and referencing of quotes and ideas. This acknowledgment and referencing is applicable to audiovisual material, text, graphs and data published in print and electronic sources. If the referencing does not meet the minimum standard as indicated in the guide (name of author, date of publication, title of source and page numbers, as applicable), and is not consistently applied, work will be considered as a case of possible academic misconduct. Incomplete references and those that do not meet the minimum requirements as detailed in the Effective citing and referencing document are not penalized in criterion D, but examiners are required to alert the IB to candidates who overlook these minimum requirements, for further investigation. Criterion D assesses references and bibliography purely on how they are presented (for example, consistent, laid out in an appropriate academic manner).

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context.

Students are expected to provide reflections on the decision-making and planning process undertaken in completing the essay. Students must demonstrate how they arrived at a topic as well as the methods and approach used. This criterion assesses the extent to which a student has evidenced the rationale for decisions made throughout the planning process and the skills and understandings developed.

For example, students may reflect on:

Effective reflection highlights the journey the student has engaged in through the EE process. In order to demonstrate that engagement, students must show evidence of critical and reflective thinking that goes beyond simply describing the procedures that have been followed. Reflections must provide the examiner with an insight into student thinking, creativity and originality within the research process. The student voice must be clearly present and demonstrate the learning that has taken place.

The topic of the biology EE must be outlined at the start of the essay and should clearly establish the context of the research question. This should include the area of the research and the purpose and focus of the essay.

It is usually appropriate also to include the general background biological theory required to understand how the research question has arisen. For example, an essay’s topic may be “Factors affecting the distribution of seagrass in Californian bays”. The explanation of this topic may include reference to inshore ecosystems, pollution, the decline in seagrasses and the possible relationship to sea otter populations.

The research question is best expressed in the form of a question. It should be the precisely formulated question that the research will attempt to answer. The research question based on factors affecting the distribution of seagrass in Californian bays could be: “How do different concentrations of ammonium nitrate in sea water tanks affect the growth of seagrass ( Zostera spp) over a three-month period?”

The research question must be:

The student can then use the research question to formulate a hypothesis, or hypotheses, which can be tested.

Students need to demonstrate within the essay that the research has been well planned. They should show that they have researched the topic and selected an appropriate biological approach to address the research question. This applies both to their literature research and to practical data collection.

Students must demonstrate that their chosen methods and materials are appropriate for addressing the research question. They should explain their rationale for choosing practical methods. If they undertake experimental work, they must include sufficient information on their methodology for the work to be repeated.

The sources consulted must be sufficient and each must contribute to the research focus of the essay. If the study is based on the research of secondary data, students need to ensure that their selection of sources is sufficiently wide and reliable.

If students have undertaken an investigation under guidance in an external laboratory, they must clearly demonstrate:

If students are investigating a well-documented or standard topic, they should attempt to look for a new perspective on the issue.

Experimental work is not a requirement for a biology EE. However, a theoretical dimension must be part of any empirical investigation.

The source materials accessed should be:

Students need to show a mastery of, and fluency in, the use of appropriate terminology. At the same time, students need to avoid excessive use of jargon and focus on communicating clearly.

Any technical terms that are used should be explained and the student must demonstrate an understanding of these terms by using them appropriately within the text.

The student must try to maintain a consistent linguistic style throughout the essay.

Symbols, equations, significant digits and SI units should be applied appropriately and consistently.

The “research” refers to both literature sources and data collected and processed by the students themselves. This research must be consistently relevant to the research question.

Students must demonstrate the ability to apply their selected sources and methods effectively in making relevant connections and in support of their argument.

The student is expected to analyse the data and sources and related uncertainties. This analysis will often include:

If the data are analysed statistically, the student must clearly show understanding in the body of the essay of:

If graphs are used, they must be correctly selected and drawn to illustrate key elements of the analysis. They should only be included if they improve communication.

Students must analyse and present their data in such a way that they support and clarify the argument leading to the conclusion.

Students must make a special effort to maintain a reasoned, logical argument that focuses on the research question. Essays that attempt to deal with a large number of variables are unlikely to be focused and coherent. A clear and logical argument can be achieved by making repeated reference to the research question and to the hypotheses derived from it.

An assessment of the extent to which the hypotheses are supported, or the question is answered, by the data or information accessed should form part of the argument.

The stated conclusion(s) must be based on, and consistent with, the research presented in the essay. Biological research often reveals unexpected outcomes and these should be pointed out.

The original research question may not be fully answered by the investigation. In these cases, the student may point out unresolved issues and may make suggestions as to how these might be further investigated.

The student must comment on the quality, balance and quantity of the secondary sources and data used. They are also expected to show an awareness of any limitations or uncertainties inherent in their approach. In particular, they should critically comment on the validity and reliability of their data relative to their management of variables within the investigation.

This criterion relates to the extent to which the essay conforms to accepted academic standards in relation to how research papers should be presented. It also relates to how well these elements support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the essay.

Students may use numbered and headed paragraphs to impose a clear structure. Subheadings should not distract from the overall structure of the essay or argument presented.

Students should aim for scientific paper style, rather than a cookery book recipe approach. The record should include:

Students should avoid including minor or irrelevant details and repetitions, but must include those elements needed for reliability and replicability.

A bibliography is an essential structural element, contributing as far as it is visually presented, to criterion D, in addition to the other presentation requirements: title page, table of contents, page numbers, and so on.

While there is no explicit penalty in criterion D for exceeding 4,000 words, students should be aware that examiners will not read beyond the 4,000-word limit, therefore affecting the application of multiple criteria. Criterion D specifically may be impacted if, in exceeding 4,000 words, one of the structural requirements of the essay (for example, the conclusion, or important illustrative material) is unassessed by the examiner because he or she is not required to read beyond 4,000 words.

Any material that is not original must be carefully acknowledged, with specific attention paid to the acknowledgement and referencing of quotes and ideas. This acknowledgment and referencing is applicable to audiovisual material, text, graphs and data published in print and electronic sources. If the referencing does not meet the minimum standard as indicated in the guide (name of author, date of publication, title of source and page numbers, as applicable), and is not consistently applied, work will be considered as a case of possible academic misconduct. Incomplete references and those that do not meet the minimum requirements as detailed in the Effective citing and referencing document are not penalized in criterion D, but examiners are required to alert the IB to candidates who overlook these minimum requirements, for further investigation. Criterion D assesses references and bibliography purely on how they are presented (for example, consistent, laid out in an appropriate academic manner).

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context.

Students are expected to provide reflections on the decision-making and planning process undertaken in completing the essay. Students must demonstrate how they arrived at a topic as well as the methods and approach used. This criterion assesses the extent to which a student has evidenced the rationale for decisions made throughout the planning process and the skills and understandings developed.

For example, students may reflect on:

Effective reflection highlights the journey the student has engaged in through the EE process. Students must show evidence of critical and reflective thinking that goes beyond simply describing the procedures that have been followed.

The reflections must provide the examiner with an insight into student thinking, creativity and originality within the research process. The student voice must be clearly present and demonstrate the learning that has taken place.

The EE in chemistry must have a clear chemical emphasis and should focus on the chemistry aspect of the investigation.

It should incorporate chemical principles and relate to the study of matter and its chemical changes.

The topic can come from:

However, the emphasis should be on chemistry.

The research question must be formulated as an actual question, such as “Can the spectator ions influence the rate of oxidation-reduction reaction?”

To address the research question the student must research the existing literature on the topic and choose an appropriate methodology to pursue the investigation by:

If practical work is undertaken, the rationale for choosing the procedure should be clearly explained.

If the investigation is undertaken in an external laboratory, students have to show clearly their understanding of the methods and materials, and their role in collecting the data.

Students are expected to show understanding of the relevant chemical principles and ideas and to apply them correctly.

Students must demonstrate clearly the underlying chemistry behind the research question and the techniques and apparatus chosen.

The source materials accessed should be:

Literature cited should predominantly come from acknowledged scientific sources.

The student must try to maintain a consistent linguistic style throughout the essay.

Chemical nomenclature and terminology should be used consistently and effectively throughout the essay. Students should also use appropriately and consistently:

In a chemistry EE, the “research” refers to both literature sources and data collected by the students themselves. This research must be consistently relevant to the research question.

Students must demonstrate the ability to apply their selected sources and methods effectively in support of their argument.

The student is expected to appropriately present and analyse the data. This analysis will often include:

If the data are analysed statistically, the student must clearly show understanding of why that particular test was chosen and what the results mean.

If graphs are used, they must be correctly selected and drawn to illustrate key elements of the analysis. They should only be included if they improve communication.

Students must analyse and present their data in such a way that they support and clarify the argument leading to the conclusion.

Students must make a particular effort to maintain a reasoned, logical argument that focuses on the research question. Essays that attempt to deal with a large number of variables are unlikely to be focused and coherent. A clear and logical argument can be achieved by making repeated reference to the research question.

An assessment of the extent to which the question is answered, either by the data or by information accessed, should form part of the argument.

The stated conclusion(s) must be based on and be consistent with the research presented in the essay.

The original research question need not be fully answered by the investigation. In these cases, the student should point out unresolved issues and make suggestions as to how these might be further investigated.

Inadequate experimental design or any systematic errors should be exposed. The uncertainties of the measurements should be evaluated and discussed.

The student must comment on the quality, balance and quantity of their sources. Students are expected to show an awareness of any limitations or uncertainties inherent in their approach. In particular, they should critically comment on the validity and reliability of their data relative to their management of variables within the investigation.

This criterion relates to the extent to which the essay conforms to accepted academic standards in relation to how research papers should be presented. It also relates to how well these elements support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the essay.

Students may use numbered and headed paragraphs to impose a clear structure. Subheadings should not distract from the overall structure of the essay or argument presented.

Any charts, images or tables from literature sources included in the essay must be carefully selected and labelled. They should only be used if they are directly relevant to the research question, contribute towards the understanding of the argument and are of a good graphic quality.

Large tables of raw data collected by the student are best included in an appendix, where they should be carefully labelled. Tables of processed data should be designed to clearly display the information in the most appropriate form. Graphs or charts drawn from the analysed data should be selected to highlight only the most pertinent aspects related to the argument. Too many graphs, charts and tables will distract from the overall quality of the communication.

Only processed data that is central to the argument of the essay should be included in the body of the essay, as close as possible to its first reference. Tables should enhance a written explanation but not themselves include significant bodies of text. If they do, then these words must be included in the word count.

If an experimental method is long and complex, students may place the raw data in an appendix and include a summary of the methods in the body of the essay. Students who choose this option must be careful to ensure that the summary contains all elements that contribute to the quality of the investigation, since appendices are not an essential section of the EE and examiners are not required to read them.

In other words, any important information that contributes to the evaluation of the method must be in the body of the essay and not the appendix. For experiments where numerical results are calculated from data obtained by changing one of the variables, it is generally good practice to show one example of the calculation in the main body of the essay. The remainder can be displayed in tabular or graphical form.

A bibliography is an essential structural element, contributing as far as it is visually presented, to criterion D, in addition to the other presentation requirements: title page, table of contents, page numbers, and so on.

While there is no explicit penalty in criterion D for exceeding 4,000 words, students should be aware that examiners will not read beyond the 4,000-word limit, therefore affecting the application of multiple criteria. Criterion D specifically may be impacted if, in exceeding 4,000 words, one of the structural requirements of the essay (for example, the conclusion, or important illustrative material) is unassessed by the examiner because he or she is not required to read beyond 4,000 words.

Any material that is not original must be carefully acknowledged, with specific attention paid to the acknowledgement and referencing of quotes and ideas. This acknowledgment and referencing is applicable to audiovisual material, text, graphs and data published in print and electronic sources. If the referencing does not meet the minimum standard as indicated in the guide (name of author, date of publication, title of source and page numbers, as applicable), and is not consistently applied, work will be considered as a case of possible academic misconduct. Incomplete references and those that do not meet the minimum requirements as detailed in the Effective citing and referencing document are not penalized in criterion D, but examiners are required to alert the IB to candidates who overlook these minimum requirements, for further investigation. Criterion D assesses references and bibliography purely on how they are presented (for example, consistent, laid out in an appropriate academic manner).

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context.

Students are expected to provide reflections on the decision-making and planning process undertaken in completing the essay. Students must demonstrate how they arrived at a topic as well as the methods and approach used. This criterion assesses the extent to which a student has evidenced the rationale for decisions made throughout the planning process and the skills and understandings developed.

For example, students may reflect on:

Effective reflection highlights the journey the student has engaged in through the EE process. Students must show evidence of critical and reflective thinking that goes beyond simply describing the procedures that have been followed.

The reflections must provide the examiner with an insight into student thinking, creativity and originality within the research process. The student voice must be clearly present and demonstrate the learning that has taken place.

The topic should allow the student to demonstrate some grasp of how environmental systems and societies function together. For example:

An EE in world studies gives students the opportunity to undertake an interdisciplinary study of an issue of contemporary global significance.

“Interdisciplinary” in this context refers to research that draws on the methods, concepts and theories of two Diploma Programme subjects. It is strongly recommended that students are undertaking a course of study in at least one of the subjects chosen for their essay.

“Contemporary” in this context refers to events that took place during the student’s lifetime.

Students are required to

Each of these have special requirements which may override the single subject-specific guidance for the subject.  As instance, the 5 year rule in Economics and the 10 year rule in History are both suspended when these subjects are used in a World Studies extended essay: it is possible fr a student to write using the disciplinary lenses of Economics and History on an event which took place 8 years ago.

Each WSEE must be registered under one of the six global themes. Students should first decide which of these they are interested in.

Considering the global themes will also enable students to:

Criterion B requires students to:

Questions to consider

Some of the following questions might be considered:

An EE in world studies gives students the opportunity to undertake an interdisciplinary study of an issue of contemporary global significance.

“Interdisciplinary” in this context refers to research that draws on the methods, concepts and theories of two Diploma Programme subjects. It is strongly recommended that students are undertaking a course of study in at least one of the subjects chosen for their essay.

“Contemporary” in this context refers to events that took place during the student’s lifetime.

Students are required to

This provides an opportunity for students to conduct independent interdisciplinary research (not necessarily primary research) that draws on Diploma Programme subjects and integrates them to produce a coherent and insightful analysis of the global issue they choose to investigate.

It should be noted that law and education are not Diploma Programme subjects.

World studies EEs are registered in one of six areas of study: these are not the same as the Diploma Programme subjects. They are:

The interdisciplinary essay is designed to provide students with the opportunity to:

Furthermore, in line with the IB’s mission, the world studies EE seeks to advance students’ emerging global consciousness. This comprises:

Many topics are potentially suitable for a world studies EE. The chosen topic must:

The most successful topics reveal connections between specific or local places, people, phenomena or experiences and the larger global framework in which they take place.

Topics must invite a critical examination of the issue in light of relevant theories, methods and arguments in two subjects.

When choosing a topic, students should remember that it must encourage analysis and evaluation rather than description, unsupported generalizations and value judgments.

Students must also ensure that they can meet the various assessment criteria within the 4,000-word limit. They should avoid topics that are too broad in scope to permit an in-depth study within the word limit. A limited topic thoroughly researched and with a clear focus is preferable to a broad topic that can only be examined superficially.

These examples are just for guidance. Students must ensure their choice of topic is focused (left-hand column) rather than broad (right-hand column).

 Focused topics
The sustainability of high-speed rail travel in China: the case of the Beijing–Tianjin high-speed railway line 

How street art helped to transform black South African communities during apartheid 

An examination of the extent to which subsistence farmers in the Himalayan foothills are influenced by short-term economic motivations and long-term environmental sustainability in determining their farming practices 

The extent to which the policies of the Thai government have prohibited the Karen ethnic group from progressing alongside the rest of Thai society

Students may use journalistic or visual material, interviews or data from the internet, but their EEs should not be based solely on such sources. Students should display a knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, research methods or findings in the selected Diploma Programme subjects.

Students should craft a specific research question that is:

The question should also require the student to collect or generate information and/or data for analysis and evaluation.

The local case study can have a number of functions:

Occasionally, students may choose to compare two local manifestations or examples from different contexts.

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.)

If a student wishes to use studies in language and literature or language acquisition as one of the subject areas to explore their contemporary global issue then this should be done from either the perspective of literature or language. When indicating which subjects have been used, students only need to indicate: literature and psychology or language and film.

Given that world studies extended essays may only be submitted in English, French or Spanish if a student wishes to use language as one of their disciplines for exploring a global issue then they must do so in the context of how the language may affect an understanding of that global issue. For example, they may be interested in exploring attitudes to refugees in Germany and choose to examine how the German language may influence perceptions using newspaper reports, etc. The essay however, will be written in English.

The student’s supervisor should be qualified to give advice in at least one of the subjects used by the student. If other subjects are touched upon in the essay and there are appropriate specialists available in the school, students are encouraged to consult them about research, concepts and approaches.

However, each student must only have one main supervisor who takes on the role as outlined in the introduction to this guide.

The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays. Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit. Please refer to the following guidance on what content should be included in the word count (IB EEG, pp. 82-83): 

Exception: Students writing their extended essay in Japanese or Chinese should use the following conversions:

• Japanese: 1 word = approximately 2 Japanese characters (upper limit 8,000 characters)

• Chinese: 1 word = approximately 1.2 Chinese characters (upper limit 4,800 characters) 

An extended essay (EE) in business management gives students an opportunity to carry out in-depth research in an area of personal interest relating to business management.

The EE gives students an opportunity to develop research skills by:

The EE requires the application of business management theories, tools and techniques to produce a coherent and structured analytical essay that effectively addresses the research question.

Students can choose a topic they have encountered during their Diploma Programme business management course. However, they may also choose to investigate issues that fall outside its scope. For example:

Whatever area they choose, students must root their research firmly in accepted business management theories and use the core principles of business management as the basis for their research.

Students are strongly advised to choose a topic that enables them to carry out research and apply business management theories and techniques in a real-world setting. This setting may be an organization, industry or market in a particular region or country, or globally.

Sources of ideas may include:

Research questions that do not allow a systematic and meaningful investigation using business management theories, concepts and principles are unlikely to be suitable.

Students can choose to investigate past event(s). However, they must ensure that their question will enable them to analyse and evaluate rather than simply describe what happened.

A forward-looking question can enable students to search for conflicting sources to arrive at a well-supported argument and conclusion. But the topic should not be so forward-looking that information and results are not yet available: hypothetical questions based on future events are to be avoided.

These examples are for guidance only. Students must ensure that their choice of topic is focused (left-hand column) rather than broad (right-hand column).

 Focused topics Broad topics
Application of lean production principles to the NGO ABC | Relevance of lean production for NGOs
Relevance of ethical objectives for very small and very large companies in Canada | The link between ethical objectives and organizational size
Use of Herzberg’s motivation theory in productivity improvement at XYZ Ltd | Motivational techniques at XYZ Ltd
The contribution of Just-in-Time production in improving efficiency in the textile industry in Cambodia | Effectiveness of Just-in-Time production techniques

Students’ research should be broad and detailed, using a range of sources. Excessive reliance on a single source, such as a company’s annual report, is unlikely to give students sufficient scope or breadth in their analysis.

Students can include materials sourced from a particular business or organization whose area of business is related to the topic chosen, eg market research companies, industry analysts or think tanks.

Students should use secondary data as the basis of their EE, supported where appropriate by primary research. The sole use of secondary sources is permitted and will allow students access to all levels of the EE assessment criteria.

(Note that this is similar to the research approach of the SL internal assessment task of the business management course and different to the research approach of the HL internal assessment task, where primary research takes precedence.)

A good range of secondary sources should be consulted, including:

Students must plan any primary research well so that it yields genuinely additional and significant insights.

Students and supervisors are required to:

All the research carried out must address the research question. Similarly, the development of the essay must be related to the research question directly and consistently and must not include information that is unnecessary.

A good essay will demonstrate the appropriate use of analytical tools, often supported by numerical data to assist the discussion and evaluation.

Appropriate analytical tools from the business management syllabus include:

Students may also use analytical tools that are not included in the syllabus.

Strategic and conceptual perspectives on the research question can add to the interest and rigour of the essay, for example:

Students should integrate relevant business management theories, tools and techniques with the evidence obtained by the research throughout the essay.

Students should not present theory as a separate section. An essay that delivers theory as a separate section of the essay and does not apply it to the specific research question is unlikely to succeed.

Students should avoid making assertions using business management theories and techniques if they cannot meaningfully link these to their case study with supporting evidence.

Students must ask probing questions and look at all relevant factors when considering the information obtained from their research. Information cannot always be accepted at face value.

A critical approach, in which students display the skills of analysis and evaluation, is essential.

Students should indicate unresolved questions, or new questions that have arisen from their study, in their conclusions.

Students should remember that a business management essay must be written in an objective style without personal bias. Conclusions should be derived from the evidence and not based on any preconceptions of the student.

Once students have identified their topic and written their research question, they can decide how to research their answer. They may find it helpful to write a statement outlining their broad approach. These examples are for guidance only.

Topic | An evaluation of the introduction of total quality management in ABC Ltd
Research question | To what extent has the introduction of total quality management (TQM) improved quality at ABC Ltd?
Approach | A literature review of how quality management techniques have changed with the introduction of TQM, both generally and specifically in the industry of ABC Ltd.Selection of relevant indicators measuring quality and collection of the corresponding data for ABC Ltd.Analysis and evaluation of the ways in which ABC Ltd has adapted its approach to managing quality, and the impact of this on the selected indicators.Topic | An evaluation of the case for strengthening social responsibility practices at multinational XYZ
Research question | Should multinational XYZ strengthen its corporate social responsibility practices in the aftermath of scandal X?
Approach | A review of how various local and international media reported on the reasons for and events around scandal X at multinational XYZ.Analysis of the social responsibility practices at multinational XYZ preceding scandal X, with a particular emphasis on practices and indicators relevant to scandal X.Application of SWOT analysis to these practices.Identification of potential ways of strengthening social responsibility practices from industry leaders.Application of SWOT analysis to these practices.Evaluation, from different stakeholder groups’ perspectives, on whether multinational XYZ should strengthen its social responsibility practices in suggested ways or leave them as is.Topic | Measuring the success of joint ventures: a comparative case study
Research question | How successful has the joint venture between ABC Ltd and XYZ Ltd been as a growth strategy for both companies?
Approach | A literature review of the theoretical benefits and drawbacks of joint ventures.A review on the reporting around the joint venture at the time it happened: what were the reasons given by the companies for the joint venture and how did industry analysts assess the case?An examination of the financial results of ABC Ltd and XYC Ltd prior to and after the joint venture, and comparison of these results with industry benchmarks.Analysis and evaluation of the qualitative and longer term benefits and drawbacks of the joint venture since the joint venture, in comparison with benchmarks in the industry.

Students must ensure that their EE does not duplicate any other work they are submitting for the Diploma Programme. In particular, the EE must not be an extension of the internal assessment task. Students must ensure that they understand the differences between the two.

The EE title promotes the application of the higher order skills of analysis, evaluation and synthesis, rather than encouraging a descriptive essay.

The research question must be specific and sharply focused on a business problem or issue worthy of investigation. It should require the use of business management theories, tools and techniques. Topics that consider generic or broad issues will restrict the possibility of effective treatment within the word limit and will constrain performance on this criterion.

Students must use secondary resources in the first instance. Students should employ high-level academic research and writing skills, and show that the student is capable of intellectual discovery and creativity .

The essay should be based on a comprehensive review of the literature on the topic selected. It must not end up as a practical investigation resembling a higher level internal assessment.

Any essay based heavily on questionnaires and/or interviews will inevitably lose marks on a range of criteria.

If primary research is conducted it must provide information that is not accessible from secondary sources or that significantly enhances the value of the secondary data presented.

All research conducted, whether primary or secondary, should support specific quantitative and qualitative analysis and evaluation directly related to the research question.

Students must demonstrate that their essay has been well planned and that they have designed an appropriate and coherent approach and structure to address the research question.

The student should use the sources to place their topic into a wider business context.

For example, if the focus of the essay is on the role of social media, the student should be able to explain the impact the social media has on a number of business functions, such as marketing and recruitment.

The student must demonstrate that they have a good grasp of business terminology and that they can use this fluently, accurately and consistently when developing lines of argument. They may need to clarify terms or provide further explanation or definition of selected terms or concepts.

The sources collected by the student should be relevant to the research question and applied appropriately, so that an argument can be formed and a conclusion(s) reached.

Throughout the essay, the student is expected to present and analyse business data and sources and to evaluate the insights and significance of these for addressing the research question. To score highly against this criterion, the student needs to demonstrate a sophisticated application of analytical and evaluative skills.

An integrated use of research and business theories, tools and techniques is required to develop an argument and to assess the strengths and limitations of various perspectives on the topic under investigation. Essays that are wholly or largely descriptive in nature will score poorly against this criterion.

The student should develop a reasoned, coherent and logical argument in response to the research question. Where appropriate, conclusions to points should be made throughout, and there must be at least one culminating conclusion that summarizes the student’s response to the research question. Any judgments made should be consistent with the argument presented and supported by evidence.

The student should comment on the quality, balance and quantity of the sources and reflect on any bias or limitations that may weaken the strength or affect the objectivity of supporting materials.

The student should point out any limitations or unresolved issues in the research and suggest further action to address these.

This criterion relates to the extent to which the essay conforms to accepted academic standards in relation to how research papers should be presented. It also relates to how well these elements support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the essay.

Students may provide a section and subsection structure to their essays, with appropriate informative headings. Subheadings should not distract from the overall structure of the essay or argument presented.

Any graphs, charts, images or tables from literature sources included in essays must be carefully selected and labelled. They should only be used if they are directly relevant to the research question, contribute towards the understanding of the argument and are of a good graphic quality. Large tables of raw data collected by the student are best included in an appendix, where they should be carefully labelled.

Too many graphs, charts and tables detract from the overall quality of the communication. Only processed data that is central to the argument of the essay should be included in the body of the essay, as close as possible to its first reference. Any tables should enhance a written explanation and should not themselves include significant bodies of text; if this is the case then these words will be included in the word count.

Students must take care in their use of appendices as examiners are not required to read them. All information with direct relevance to the analysis, discussion and evaluation of the essay must be contained in the main body of the essay.

A bibliography is an essential structural element, contributing as far as it is visually presented, to criterion D, in addition to the other presentation requirements: title page, table of contents, page numbers, and so on.

While there is no explicit penalty in criterion D for exceeding 4,000 words, students should be aware that examiners will not read beyond the 4,000-word limit, therefore affecting the application of multiple criteria. Criterion D specifically may be impacted if, in exceeding 4,000 words, one of the structural requirements of the essay (for example, the conclusion, or important illustrative material) is unassessed by the examiner because he or she is not required to read beyond 4,000 words.

Any material that is not original must be carefully acknowledged, with specific attention paid to the acknowledgement and referencing of quotes and ideas. This acknowledgment and referencing is applicable to audiovisual material, text, graphs and data published in print and electronic sources. If the referencing does not meet the minimum standard as indicated in the guide (name of author, date of publication, title of source and page numbers, as applicable), and is not consistently applied, work will be considered as a case of possible academic misconduct. Incomplete references and those that do not meet the minimum requirements as detailed in the Effective citing and referencing document are not penalized in criterion D, but examiners are required to alert the IB to candidates who overlook these minimum requirements, for further investigation. Criterion D assesses references and bibliography purely on how they are presented (for example, consistent, laid out in an appropriate academic manner).

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context.

Students are expected to provide reflections on the decision-making and planning process undertaken in completing the essay. Students must demonstrate how they arrived at a topic as well as the methods and approach used. This criterion assesses the extent to which a student has evidenced the rationale for decisions made throughout the planning process and the skills and understandings developed.

For example, students may reflect on:

Effective reflection highlights the journey the student has engaged in through the EE process. In order to demonstrate that engagement, students must show evidence of critical and reflective thinking that goes beyond simply describing the procedures that have been followed. Reflections must provide the examiner with an insight into student thinking, creativity and originality within the research process. The student voice must be clearly present and demonstrate the learning that has taken place.

e.g.

❌ I changed my RQ from ‘<waste of words RQ>’ to ‘<more words>’ because...

✅ The decision to change the question worked well because...

❌ After doing something research, I couldn’t find any sources so I asked my teacher and they told me about JStor. I then found three articles. One was by Smith and one was by Bob and they were useful. This will help me at uni.

✅ Developing my academic research skills early on in the process, by learning about JStor and finding articles (Smith, 2010 and Bob, 2017 especially) really added to the analysis of X and I am now confident in searching for more ‘academic’ sources. This will help me at university too because...  

The last entry on the RPPF is really about what they learned from the process, what advice they’d give to themselves/ others just starting the EE, what they’ll take with them in the next stages.