EXTENDED ESSAY GUIDELINES
Mr. Crown's Advice Concerning Your Extended Essay
IN ORDER TO DO WELL ON THIS ASSIGNMENT YOU MUST READ THE EXTENDED ESSAY BOOKLET CAREFULLY. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW ALL OF THE IB GUIDELINES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR YOUR ESSAY DETAILED IN THIS BOOKLET. IN PARTICULAR, EVERYONE MUST CAREFULLY READ PAGES 10-23 (GENERAL GUIDELINES AND GENERAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA) AS WELL AS THE SUBJECT GUIDELINES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR ESSAYS IN YOUR SPECIFIC SUBJECT AREA. FOLLOW THE BOOKLET CAREFULLY WHEN YOU WRITE YOUR ESSAY BECAUSE YOUR ADVISOR AND THE IB WILL REFER TO THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA WHEN YOUR ESSAY IS GRADED.
Also, read and follow the guidelines below.
Title
Page - Place the title ¼ of the way down from the top of
the page. Remember that the title is not the same thing as your research
question or topic. Think of an informative title which conveys the essence of
your essay. In the bottom right corner of your paper include the following:
Extended Essay Final Draft
Advisor: Mr. or Ms.________
TOK Teacher:_____________
Word Count: ______________
Date
Abstract - The abstract should be no more than 300 words. It must be written in 3rd person. The
abstract is a formal synopsis of your
essay which explains the scope of your investigation and states the research
question and conclusion. Include a word count for the abstract at the bottom of
the page. The abstract comes directly after the table of contents.
Page
Numbers – Page
numbers must be included on each page except the title page. Use the
“Insert” menu on Microsoft Word.
Table
of Contents - The table of contents identifies each section of the
paper (Abstract, Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Bibliography, Endnotes,
Appendix, Illustrations, etc.) as well as topical subsections. Page numbers in
the table of contents and the essay must match. Include section and subsection
headings labeled in bold throughout the essay to guide the reader and identify
the different sections of the essay.
Introduction
- Introduce
the topic and provide enough information about your topic in order to enable the
reader to comprehend the significance of your research question. Each
extended essay must have a research
question. The research question
is the central question you are trying to answer through your research and
writing of the extended essay. This question, if properly composed, will enable
you to maintain your focus on a topic of narrow and limited scope while also
help you to maintain the purpose and orientation of your entire investigation.
The research question must be clearly and precisely stated in the early part of
your extended essay. It must be sharply focused so that it is susceptible to
effective treatment within the 4000 word limit. Your extended essay will be
assessed in part according to the extent to which the essay appropriately
addresses and develops the specific research question. The reader will also
evaluate your success in collecting information relevant to the research
question. Include the
research question in the introduction stated precisely and focused in such a way that it is
susceptible to effective treatment within the 4000 word limit. Establish the
significance of the research question and explain why it is worthy of study. You
may also briefly discuss why your topic is of significance to you personally. At
the end of the introduction state your thesis (or hypothesis for science).
Clearly identify the research question and thesis as such. Briefly and concisely
preview your body by providing a “game plan” for the rest of the paper. The
game plan briefly explains how you intend to answer the research question and
support the thesis, that is, how you propose to proceed in the body.
Thesis
– This
belongs in the introduction, preferably at the end. You must take a position,
construct an argument based on evidence, and defend your thesis. The entire
essay must be a response to your research question and a coherent, organized,
structured, logical, critical, in-depth examination and defense of your thesis.
Body
(Methods and Results for science)
- The body will differ depending on your subject. However for all essays
the body be evaluated based on 1) your approach to the research question, 2)
your analysis and interpretation of evidence, including critical analysis and
evaluation of sources, and 3) your own argument and evaluation of this
argument. SEE PAGES 19-20 of the Extended Essay Booklet and the
Assessment Criteria for details. You must convincingly answer the research
question and argue for your thesis, presenting evidence to support your
arguments. You must evaluate your sources and demonstrate an ability to think
and write critically and analytically. You need to plan this section carefully
so that you are able to present your arguments in an organized, structured,
convincing body which is constructed upon evidence. Evidence includes historical
evidence derived from primary and secondary historical sources, textual evidence
from a work of literature, and scientific data and the results of experiments
and research.
Conclusion
- The
conclusion must be clearly stated and relevant to the research question. It must
also be consistent with the thesis and its explanation and development presented
in the essay. Where appropriate the conclusion indicates unresolved questions
and new questions that have emerged from your research. This is more than a
summary. Review how you have demonstrably and convincingly supported your thesis
and answered the research question. Concisely restate your key points and
discuss the broader implications of the thesis. How have you satisfactorily
answered the research question?
Illustrations,
data, charts, graphs, etc. -
If you plan to include these make sure they are labeled and listed in the table
of contents, and make sure you discuss their significance and relevance in the
text of the essay.
Appendix
- Please
note that IB readers are not required to read the appendix thoroughly, so all
essential information must be in the body of your essay.
Documentation
- You must include footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical
citations. You also must include a bibliography. Documentation must be completed
with meticulous concern for accuracy. Use your Guide to Writing Research
Papers or the online Chicago Style Guide and make sure everything is
in the correct style and format. Avoid accusations of plagiarism by treating
documentation with the seriousness it deserves. In the bibliography include only
sources you have cited in the essay. You need at least 15 sources, five of which
must be articles from scholarly journals. The bibliography must be alphabetical
by the author’s last name. Literature essays need six sources and may use
in-text citations. Good history essays will have 30 to 40 footnotes and 15
sources. All history essay footnotes must follow the Chicago Style Guide.
This draft must be typed double spaced in 12 pt. Font and be as close to 4000 words as possible without going over the limit. The 4000 words includes the Introduction, Body, Conclusion, and any quotations. It does not include the Abstract, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Illustrations, Bibliography, Footnotes, Endnotes, or Appendices. Use Times New Roman or Courier font or a similar font; nothing fancy, flashy, or difficult for the eyes. Use black ink.
The
essay must look neat and not sloppy. Do not use run-on sentences and paragraphs
that are too long and attempt to treat too many topics. Do not allow careless
grammatical and spelling errors to lower your grade. Paragraphs must be topical,
readable, and of reasonable length. The essay must be structured and organized
logically with all arguments and analysis presented and developed in a
systematic fashion and order. Use smooth transitions between paragraphs to link
the paragraphs, arguments, and sections of your paper. Use a spelling checker
and make sure several competent people proofread your essay.
Your
extended essay must address each of the following questions.
I. Introduction
What
is your research question?
Why
is the research question significant and worthy of study?
Why
is the research question significant to you personally?
What
is your thesis?
What
is your game plan for the rest of the essay?
What
is the background information needed in order to understand your research
question and thesis?
What
are the distinct elements of your thesis? How can the thesis be divided and
broken down into parts?
What
are the central arguments you will make to defend your thesis?
What
are the topical subsections of your body? Outline each subsection of the body.
How
does each subsection build upon the previous subsection and lead up to the next?
How does each subsection contribute to your defense of your thesis?
What
evidence will you present to support your arguments and thesis?
What are your key sources? How will you integrate the evaluation of your sources in the Body?
How
will you integrate critical analysis into your Body?
III.
Conclusion
How
have you sufficiently answered the research question and defended your thesis?
What
are the major strengths of your thesis and your analysis and defense of it in
your essay?
What
could you have done better in the essay? Evaluate your own work critically.
What
are the new questions and unresolved questions which have arisen from your
research and analysis?
Include
only those sources you have cited in the essay.
For United States History notes, visit Mr. Crown's United States History and Government Page.
For fiction, literary criticism, political theory, political science, and history stories and essays, visit the online resume/CV/portfolio of Andrew Lawrence Crown. Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the resume/CV/portfolio to find the links to the Collected Writings of Andrew Lawrence Crown.