International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
International Baccalaureate Diploma Extended Essay Handbook 1
International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Choose the
subject area
Focus on an issue
that really interests
you
Identify a general
topic
Find yourself a
supervisor
Do preliminary
reading for ideas
Science
Essays
Develop questions
or approaches to the
topic
Identify sources
EE Workshop days
Progress report
Design an
Experiment
Formulate the
hypothesis or
research question
Create a working
outline
Do the experimental
work
Record your results
Write introduction
Read for
information
Summer
Vacation
Organise analyse
and interpret the
data
Complete research
and integrate the
information into the
outline
Prepare rough draft and
evaluate if you have
completed required
guidelines
September Deadline
Final Progress
Report
Revise and edit
Complete bibliography
2
Final Copy to
Supervisor at
Toussaint
Vacation
Proofread and
evaluate conclusions
Write abstract
International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
AN EXTENDED ESSAY IN WHICH SUBJECT? .................................................................. 4 HINTS ON CHOOSING A TOPIC .................................................................................... 6 Good and Not so good Research Questions ................................................................ 6 THE PROPOSAL ........................................................................................................... 6 THE RESEARCH QUESTION (RQ) .................................................................................. 7 RESEARCH PROCESS ................................................................................................... 7 Citing your sources correctly ..................................................................................... 8 Note Taking Strategies ............................................................................................. 9 Paraphrasing ............................................................................................................ 9 Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism.............................................................................12 WRITING THE DRAFT- THE PROCESS ..........................................................................12 Save, Save, Save, and Save Again! ...........................................................................12 FORMAL PRESENTATION - CRITERION I ......................................................................14 Reference materials and sources ..............................................................................16 WORKING ON THE FINAL VERSION .............................................................................16 THE VIVA VOCE ..........................................................................................................16 THE ABSTRACT- CRITERION J .....................................................................................17 The Abstract Template.............................................................................................19 Examples of Extended Essay Forms .............................................................................20 Preparing a Bibliography or List of Works Cited.............................................................24 Books .....................................................................................................................24 Map ........................................................................................................................24 Dictionary ...............................................................................................................25 Works in a collection or anthology ............................................................................25 An Encyclopaedia ...................................................................................................25 Magazines, Newspapers, and other sources ..............................................................25 Electronic Sources ...................................................................................................27 HOW TO REFERENCE YOUR SOURCES IN THE TEXT ....................................................28 EXTENDED ESSAY CHECKLIST.....................................................................................29 PREDICTED GRADE CRITERIA SHEET ..........................................................................30 3
International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
THE IB EXTENDED ESSAY GUIDE
The very first and most important step is to read this IB Extended Essay Guide very
carefully as you are responsible for knowing and following the information in the guide.
This is available on the school network and subject specific guidance is available in
individual files. M:\SECONDARY-STUDENTS\CLASS-FILES\EXTENDED-ESSAY
You will find information on the following topics:
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Nature of the Extended Essay
Aim and Objectives
Responsibilities of the School, Supervisor and (of course) of the Student!
Advice to the Students
Research Process
Formal Presentation of the Extended Essay
Viva Voce
Assessment Criteria (A-K)
Regulations
Subject Specific Guidance
AN EXTENDED ESSAY IN WHICH SUBJECT? You need to write an Extended Essay (EE) in one IB subject only and not overlapping over
two subjects (biology/chemistry or history/literature or business/economics).
Where to start? Write your subjects in the table below and for each one, dream or create
an idea that you would like to pursue in that subject. Review the guidance for the six IB
subjects you are taking in the IB Extended Essay Guide. Think about which criteria you
can reach and would enjoy pursuing.
Jot down your ideas for each subject including the ideas as to why you would not want to
do an essay in one or more of your subjects. Read through your textbooks and syllabi for
each of your subjects to find topic areas that interest you. Justify your ideas to yourself. If
you can convince yourself this is a good idea and you really want to do research in this
area, you might just be right!
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Subject
Topic areas in which you are
interested within these subjects
Good reasons why you would want to
do an EE in these subject areas
Okay, so you have some ideas, but which one is the most important to you? Rank the
subjects and topics in order of your preference.
1st- a must do!
2nd- a want to do
3rd- a could do if needed
4th-could do if forced to
5th- don’t want to do
6th- not in this life!
Now that you have identified the subject area, narrow your ideas down to specific topics
for the proposal form.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
HINTS ON CHOOSING A TOPIC Pick a topic that interests you. This is probably the most important hint of all!
Try to keep the number of variables in a hypothesis to a minimum and state them clearly.
The EE must be focused quite strictly to a narrow topic - not too broad that you cannot do
justice to the topic and not too narrow that you won’t find enough information about it.
Look at past examples of EE in the library or in the IB Publication M:\SECONDARYSTUDENTS\CLASS-FILES\EXTENDED-ESSAY\50-ESSAYS
Good and Not so good Research Questions Good examples
Not so good examples
Group 1
“How is the fear of aging portrayed in The
Picture of Dorian Gray”
“Dorian Gray”
Group 2
“How has immigration from Turkey influenced
the German language since 1950?”
“Foreigners and language”
Group 3
“The influence of Bruno Kreisky on Austrian
Socialism from 1955 to 1983”
“Socialism”
Group 4
“What is the effect of the concentration of
‘Growbetter’ fertiliser on the rate of new leaf
growth of Elodea Canadensis?”
“Fertilisers”
Group 5
“Which are the most useful of the modern
cryptographic methods”
“ Breaking Codes”
Group 6
“The development of perspective in street art”
“Graffiti”
THE PROPOSAL Every student will submit an Extended Essay Proposal Form. Follow the instructions on the
proposal form. Search broadly first, and then narrow your search to come up with a goal.
Despite what has been said above, do not restrict the possible outcomes of your
investigation before you have started. You do not need to know what will come out at the
end. Let it happen!
Be sure you submit the Proposal Form on time - this is not a first come first serve basis
but those forms that are in on time will be allocated first, late forms will be dealt with as
possible. Some subjects are in higher demand than others and teacher availability in these
subjects may be limited.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
THE RESEARCH QUESTION (RQ) Once your EE proposal has been accepted by a subject teacher, begin working on defining
the problem or topic as clearly as you can.
Initiate a meeting with your supervising teacher.
Using your Research Question, create a list of key words which you will use to guide your
research. Here is an example of how to do this. As you do more research, you will find
more key words to look for.
What is the effect of the concentration of ‘Growbetter’ fertiliser on the rate of new leaf
growth of Elodea Canadensis?
Plant growth
factors
Concentrations
Plant nutrition
Serial dilutions
Elodea
Canadensis
Pond weed
‘Growbetter’
fertiliser
Growth rates in
plant
Manufacturer of
Plant growth
‘Growbetter’
fertiliser
Mineral nutrition
in cells
Leaf formation
Write your RQ in the space below and then list the keywords in the columns.
RESEARCH PROCESS Be sure to write the references and include them in your note taking process and in the
draft versions as you work!
DO NOT EVEN THINK YOU CAN PUT IN REFERENCES LATER!
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Your Draft submission must include proper references, including in-text citations for
successful submission. The IB Diploma Coordinator may refuse your submission without
proper referencing of your sources of information! This is not a punishment but a measure
of protection for you and your Diploma.
Citing your sources correctly See M:\SECONDARY-STUDENTS\CLASS-FILES\COMMON\MLA - June-10.doc or the library
to see examples of in-text citation formats.
a. Search preliminary sources for primary sources using your list of key words.
Indices and source listings on CD-ROMs
Use a variety of Internet search engines such as Google, Alta Vista, Ask.com, nettrekker
because each one may give different results with the same use of keywords. Wikipedia is
typically not a valid reference for an Extended Essay, but may be a good place to start
looking for information and keywords for researching your topic.
b. Review secondary sources - Reports by a writer about research or results that come
from others, such as literary, historical or scientific reviews.
c. Select primary sources - A writer or researcher communicating directly with you through
their books, interviews or research paper.
d. Clarify your method of investigation with your supervising teacher - This will guide you
through the whole process.
For some excellent tips on how to research, learn and study, see the website of Dr. Jette
Hannibal http://www.norreg.dk/ib/ibstudyskillsframe.htm.
http://www.diigo.com - This online toolbar allows you to highlight and add sticky notes to
websites as you research. This tool will archive websites for later access as well as keep
the reference for the sites you mark for your use in the bibliography. You can highlight
text from a website, copy with the URL to paste into your notes so that the basic
reference is attached to the text.
Use www.bibme.org or http://citationmachine.net to format the citation correctly.
Remember to indicate in your sticky notes the type of information you are noting in the
source: Quotes, comments, facts, opinions and summaries.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Note Taking Strategies Keeping track of all the information you research is not easy. You will need to learn to
organise the bits of information from a variety of sources. Writing on scraps of paper
haphazardly is inefficient and risky. You do not need to read everything - but never read
anything without writing something!
When taking notes, read the summaries or overviews first, then look at the arguments.
Try to list the arguments and show the connections between them. Use special notations
to
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Distinguish between author’s facts (F) and his/her opinions (O).
Distinguish between direct quotations (“”) and summaries (S) of writer’s material
- use as little quotation as possible.
Distinguish between what you take from the referenced source (R) and
comments (C) that you make on your own.
Paraphrasing Paraphrasing = a restatement of a writer’s ideas in different words (your own!). Sebranek,
Meyer and Kemper in “Write for College: A Student Handbook” (p.295) provide a simple
guide to paraphrasing:
a. “Skim the selection to get the overall meaning
b. Read the selection carefully
c. List the main ideas on paper
d. Review the selection another time
e. Write your paraphrase- restate the author’s ideas
i. Essential info
ii. Important ideas clearly and concisely
iii. Quotation marks on phrases taken directly from the source
f. Arrange in smooth logical order
g. Check final summary
i. Are the author’s ideas and point of view clear in my work?
ii. Have I quoted where necessary?
iii. Could another reader get the author’s idea from my paraphrase?
iv. Is my paraphrase different enough?
v. Have I written the reference correctly for the work I have paraphrased?”
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Sebranek, Meyer and Kemper in “Write for College: A Student Handbook” (p.295)
The Indiana University website at https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/definition has an
excellent online guide on how to recognize plagiarism in paraphrases which you should
look at to ensure you know the difference. There are 5 examples with the original text, a
plagiarized text and a correctly paraphrased text with explanations about each version!
Here is one example from the IU tutorial services pamphlet “How to Recognize
Unacceptable and Acceptable Paraphrases”
Here is an ORIGINAL text, from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and
Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.:
“The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of
the population were the three great developments of late
nineteenth century American history. As new, larger, steampowered factories became a feature of the American landscape in
the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and
provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants. With industry came
urbanization the growth of large cities (like Fall River,
Massachusetts, where the Bordens lived) which became the
centers of production as well as of commerce and trade.”
Here's an UNACCEPTABLE paraphrase that is plagiarism:
The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population
were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As steam-driven
companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed
farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large wave of
immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall River where the
Bordens lived which turned into centers of commerce and trade as well as
production.
What makes this passage plagiarism?
The preceding passage is considered plagiarism for two reasons:


10
the writer has only changed around a few words and phrases, or changed the
order of the original's sentences.
the writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or facts.
International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
If you do either or both of these things, you are plagiarizing. NOTE: This paragraph is also
problematic because it changes the sense of several sentences (for example, "steamdriven companies" in sentence two misses the original's emphasis on factories).
Here's an ACCEPTABLE paraphrase:
Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern
industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered production
had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants
arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a result,
populations grew, and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of
these manufacturing and commercial centers (Williams 1).
This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:
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accurately relays the information in the original
uses her own words.
lets the reader know the source of her information.
gives an in-text citation for the information in the passage.
Here's an example of quotation and paraphrase used together, which is also
ACCEPTABLE :
Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of north-eastern
industrial cities of the nineteenth century. As steam-powered production
shifted labour from agriculture to manufacturing, the demand for
workers "transformed farm hands into factory workers," and created
jobs for immigrants. In turn, growing populations increased the size of
urban areas. Fall River was one of these manufacturing hubs that were
also "centers of commerce and trade" (Williams 1)
This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:
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
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records the information in the original passage accurately.
gives credit for the ideas in this passage.
indicates which part is taken directly from her source by putting the passage in
quotation marks and citing the page number.
Note that if the writer had used these phrases or sentences in her own paper without
putting quotation marks around them, she or he would be PLAGIARIZING. Using another
person's phrases or sentences without putting quotation marks around them is considered
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
plagiarism even if the writer cites in his/her own text the source of the phrases or
sentences he/she has quoted.
Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism The internet has become the place where students look for information. Students need to
be very proactive about citing their sources from the internet as much as for print
references. If you want to use visual information from a website, then the same rules
apply. Copying visual information or graphics from a website (or from a printed source) is
very similar to quoting information, and the source of the visual information or graphic
must be cited.
1.
Put in quotation marks everything that comes directly from the text especially
when taking notes.
2.
Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a few words.
Read over what you want to paraphrase carefully; cover up the text with your hand, or
close the text so you can't see any of it (and so aren't tempted to use the text as a
"guide"). Write out the idea in your own words without peeking.
Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not accidentally used
the same phrases or words, and that the information is accurate.
At ISP, Draft and Final versions as well as other major works for IB assessment will be
submitted to www.turnitin.com in order to view the text matching report. This is your way
of knowing that you have correctly referenced all the work that you have taken from other
sources. This is a protective measure not a policing measure.
WRITING THE DRAFT­ THE PROCESS Save, Save, Save, and Save Again! You may need to provide your supervisor with an electronic copy so save your latest
version.
SAVE EACH VERSION UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME as older versions give evidence of your
efforts and work. For example, “EE version 1 on 23 August 2011”. This way you will know
which version is the most recent.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Keep a backup copy on your email account, in your school account, on a second computer
at home… If your laptop has a problem, you will have great peace of mind knowing that
you have not lost everything.
No excuses for deadlines missed because of computer or printer problems!
Be sure you have a spell check for the language in which you will write. Most word
processing programs automatically configure page numbers, word count, footnotes
/endnotes, table of contents, etc.
According to the IB policy, your supervisor will be able to read and comment on ONLY
ONE complete draft version of your essay submitted by the deadline. Previous students
will tell you that the better the draft is, the better the feedback from the supervisor can
be.
Write notes on primary sources, keeping your Research Question in mind!
Keep a good file of your notes so that you can refer back to them later in the drafting
process. If you actually use the card method, you can arrange the cards in the order you
need them to write the draft.
Write your Draft from your notes WITH THE CRITERIA IN FRONT OF YOU! Each subject
area guidance section gives more details for each criterion relative to that specific subject
area.
Be sure to run the spell check on your text and REREAD the text for clarity.
You will be asked to submit your essay to www.turnitin.com for you to verify your
citations and references. This is to protect your essay submission.
The Draft must include proper references, including in-text citations.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
FORMAL PRESENTATION ­ CRITERION I An Extended Essay has a standard format. Ask the librarian, your supervisor or the IB
Diploma Coordinator for examples of Past Extended Essays to see how other students
presented their essays. Also see page 15-16 of the IB EE guide.
Title page
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Essay title - not necessarily your Research Question
Your name and IB session number 0242-_ _ _
IB subject area and supervisor name
Word count
Abstract Page

A brief summary of the research question, the focus and the conclusion of the
essay - no page number needed.
Table of Contents

Sets out the subheadings and shows the pages for each section. This could be
page 1. Use the automatic TOC creation tool of your word processing program to
make sure that it is accurate!
Introduction and Research Question

States the problem and discusses important previous work
The Body of the Essay
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Set with subheadings as in table of contents; these are part of the word count.
Tables of figures, graphs, charts, maps, images should be numbered.
These notations can then be used in the text (reduces word count too!)
References can be given in footnotes, as shown below:
Fig 1- Statue of Venus de Milo, Louvre, Paris 2
Table 1- Currency exchange rates of US$ to Euro from 2001-20083
Graph 1- Rate of Growth versus Fertilizer Concentration
Map 1- Drainage Basin of the Mississippi River 4
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Presentation of analysis

Discussion of results, your interpretation and implications of your findings
Conclusion

Refer back to your Research Question!
Works Cited Page /Bibliography
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An alphabetical list of all the works you used in your research and show in your
in text citations
Works you used as background material should be cited in an acknowledgement
after the bibliography
Appendices


Examiners are not required to read any material in the appendices. Only relevant
material that would unnecessarily fill an essay should be included in an
appendix.
Tables of raw data from experiments or fieldwork, interview transcripts are types
of things that can be placed in an appendix.
References
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You must give reference for each source of information you use specifically refer
to in your essay.
DO NOT USE OR REFER TO UNETHICAL INTERNET SITES FOR ESSAYS SUCH AS
www.cheatessay.com - we will not send any essay with these references as they
are not appropriate.
ACADEMIC MALPRATICE, such as plagiarism, ghost writing or too much help,
WILL RESULT IN ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT AND A FAILED DIPLOMA whether your supervisor or the Examiner discovers it! See the Academic Honesty
section of the School Handbook (available on the ISP website.)
THE DRAFT AND FINAL SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE PROPER REFERENCES,
INCLUDING IN-TEXT CITATIONS.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Reference materials and sources The Librarian is available to help you with research strategies, locating sources in the
library and referencing sources.
Many universities offer online writing guidance. I have found these two to be very good.
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice and
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/abstract/
Bibme - an excellent and simple website that creates references and bibliographies for
you. http://www.bibme.org
Citation Machine is very good and will build your citations for you with information you
provide! http://citationmachine.net
Reference information is also included later in this guide.
WORKING ON THE FINAL VERSION With your supervisor, re-read all of the criteria again, and consider the essay with respect
to each criterion in light of your Research Question. See the Predicted Grade worksheet on
pages 30-31.
Reflect on the comments made by your supervisor in order to meet the demands of the
criteria. Polish up your syntax and conceptual errors and prepare the Abstract.
THE VIVA VOCE A short discussion with your supervisor after you have submitted the final version will
allow you to make closure of the Extended Essay process. This interview will also help the
supervisor write the comments for the inside of the cover sheet which could be used by
the examiner in evaluating criterion K- Holistic Judgment along with the evidence clearly
expressed in your Essay. You may freely comment about the Extended Essay process, the
deadlines, the materials made available to you, the difficulties you may have encountered.
A teacher could inquire about your referencing in the text of your essay or your choice of
sources.
Please think about the advice you might give to the next class going through the Extended
Essay process!
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
THE ABSTRACT­ CRITERION J 
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The abstract is the reader's first encounter with your paper, and is the chief
means by which a person decides if the paper is relevant to her or his interests.
The abstract should provide the Research Question, how the investigation was
done and the conclusions of the essay.
The Abstract should be a stand-alone document that can be understood without
reading the paper.
The sequence of sentences in the Abstract Worksheet is ordered in a logical
fashion, beginning with an introduction, your Research Question, proceeding to
your methods or investigation, results, discussion, and conclusion.
Your abstract must contain no more than 300 words. The abstract should
conform to the following format and is placed directly after the title page.
Title
The title of your abstract should be the same as the title of your extended essay.
The Body of the Abstract
The abstract is a very brief (300 words) overview of your ENTIRE study telling the reader
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


WHAT you did and WHY
HOW you carried out your investigation
WHAT you found, and
WHAT your findings mean.
The abstract should briefly state the purpose of the research (introduction), how the
problem was studied (methods, investigation), the principal findings (results), and what
the findings mean (discussion and conclusion). It is important to be descriptive but
concise - say only what is essential, using no more words than necessary to convey
meaning.
Think of the most important items that crystallize each part of your essay. Leave out
unimportant details. As a first draft of the abstract (using the Abstract Worksheet - pg 20),
write one or two sentences that summarize each section. For your final draft of the
abstract, make sure the abstract "flows" logically. Give the abstract to a friend to read.
Ask them to tell you what they think you actually did and what you found. Revise as
necessary.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
The website from Colorado State University provides an excellent online process for you to
follow in order to prepare your abstract. There are sample abstracts for various disciplines,
too, but be sure to follow the IB guidelines for the Abstract!
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/abstract/index.cfm. This website also
provides a variety of abstracts to show different styles for different disciplines.
http://research.berkeley.edu/ucday/abstract.html
You should also look at the exemplar Extended Essays found in the library for good
examples of abstracts.
Take a look at the worksheet on the next page. It may be helpful but it was not produced
by the IB and therefore should be modified for the IB Extended Essay requirements as
given in the EE guide. Essays in some subjects may not lend themselves to this format, so
don't feel that you have to use this worksheet.
Use one or two concise sentences to summarize the most important aspects of your
project for each section listed below. When composing the final abstract, you should
remove the headings.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
The Abstract Template
Use this to build your abstract and then modify your writing as necessary to meet the
criteria for the Abstract and the word limit.
Research Question
Introduction (What is this project about? Why is this project interesting or important?)
Methods (Briefly explain your procedure or investigation.)
Results (What did you find when you performed your investigation?)
Discussion (Are your results consistent with your initial hypothesis? Why or why not?)
Conclusion (What is your interpretation of what these results mean? Why should anyone
become excited about or interested in your findings?)
Remember to keep your abstract to less than 300 words or you will lose 2 marks!
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
EXAMPLES OF EXTENDED ESSAY FORMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PARIS EXTENDED ESSAY PROPOSAL FORM By the February mid-term vacation, you should have chosen your Extended Essay subject and
agreed a research question OR a hypothesis you wish to challenge/test. You should have identified
your potential resources and, with your supervisor, you should have agreed a research programme.
Student’s Name: ……………………………………………………………………………….
Subject: ………………………………………………………
Date: ………………….
Topic: ……………………………………………………………………
Research Question:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………
Proposed study programme
Extended Essay Supervisor’s Signature:
………………………………………
Student’s Signature:
………………………………………
Please return to Mr. Anderson after the February mid-term vacation.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PARIS EXTENDED ESSAY PROGRESS REPORT 1 By the end of Term 2, you should have begun some necessary background research and
preparation, and identified resources specific to your research question. You should have a detailed
essay plan. You are advised to keep a research file, which should document all your work including
your bibliography.
Student’s Name: …………………………………………………….…………………………….
Extended Essay Subject: ……………………………………
Date: ………………….
Research Question or Title of Extended Essay:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Evaluation of progress
Study programme
Extended Essay Supervisor’s Signature:
………………………………………
Student’s Signature:
………………………………………
Please return to Mr. Anderson before the Spring vacation.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PARIS EXTENDED ESSAY PROGRESS REPORT 2 By the end of Grade 11, you should have completed most necessary background reading, and have
a final Extended Essay title, and a detailed plan for your reading and/or research and/or data
collection over the summer vacation. You should have completed an introduction and made a start
to the body of the essay.
By the start of Grade 12, you should have a complete first draft of your essay – all 4000 words.
This draft should include a detailed bibliography and appropriate footnotes and references. Your
research should now be complete, and your research file should be comprehensive, accurate and
up-to-date.
Ask your Extended Essay Supervisor for advice about where to go in order to complete your essay
over the vacation; libraries, bookstores, interviews, and fieldwork may all be useful. Don’t leave
school without knowing how you will complete your essay!
Student’s Name: ……………………………………………
Date: ………………….
Title of Extended Essay: ………………………………………………………………………………
Evaluation of progress
Study programme
Remember: to begin classes in Grade 12, you must have sent an electronic copy of your essay to
Mr. Anderson before the first day of the school year. Mr. Anderson’s email is
[email protected]
Extended Essay Supervisor’s Signature:
Student’s Signature:
………………………………………
………………………………………
Return to Mr. Anderson before the Summer vacation.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PARIS EXTENDED ESSAY FINAL PROGRESS REPORT Your Extended Essay should now be almost complete. It should be within the word limit, include a
comprehensive bibliography, and be accurately referenced with footnotes. You should also have
compiled appendices where necessary. All that should remain for you to do will be to complete
your abstract, make any last corrections, and proofread your final copy.
The final date for submission is the first school day after the Toussaint vacation.
Student’s Name: ……………………………………………………………………………….
Extended Essay Subject: …………………………………………………………
Date: ………………….
Research Question or Title of Extended Essay:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Evaluation of progress
Study programme and Abstract preparation
Extended Essay Supervisor’s Signature:
………………………………………
Student’s Signature:
………………………………………
Please copy and return to Mr. Anderson.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
PREPARING A BIBLIOGRAPHY OR LIST OF WORKS CITED The International School of Paris encourages the use of the citation format of the Modern
Language Association (MLA). The basic form for sources comes from the following source:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition. New York:
The Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
Examples used come from different sources, cited at the beginning of each section.
Books Examples in this section come from: Stanley, Deborah B. Practical Steps to the Research
Process for High School. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1999. Print.
Basic form:
Author’s last name, first name. Title. Place published: Publisher, year of publication.
Medium of publication (print).
No author
People of Long Ago. Milwaukee: Rourke Publishers, 1986. Print.
One author
Newberry, Louis. Hair Design. Los Angeles: Newberry Press, 1986. Print.
Two or three authors
--For the second author, list the first name followed by the last name:
Zwerdling, Alex, and Richard Voorhees. Orwell and the Left. New Haven: Yale UP, 1974.
Print.
More than three authors
--Add et al (and others) after the first author:
Kingsley, Eric, et al. Ships. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. Print.
Editor not Author
Use the book form, but add ed. following the editor’s name (or eds. in the case of
multiple editors).
Foster, Carol E., Mark A. Siegel, and Nancy R. Jacobs, eds. Women’s Changing Role. The
Information Series on Current Topics. Wylie: Information Plus, 1990. Print.
Map --Treat a map or a chart like a book:
Title of Map. Map. Place published: Publisher, copyright date. Print
Vermont. Map. Chicago: Rand, 2000. Print.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Dictionary “Hard Rock.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 3rd ed. Boston:
Houghton, 1993. Print.
Works in a collection or anthology In general, begin with the author of the work and the title, often in quotation marks
unless it has been previously published as a separate piece. You may also include the
original date of publication following the title of the work.
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of work.” Title of anthology. Place published:
publisher, copyright date. Page numbers. Medium of publication (print).
Chekhov, Anton. The Cherry Orchard. Trans. Avraham Yarmolinsky. Norton Anthology of
World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. 4th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 1979. 11921230. 2 vols. Print.
Anthology or multi-volume set
“Fromm, Erich 1900-1980.” Contemporary Authors. Vol. 29. New Revision Series.
Detroit: Gale, 1990. 55 vols. To date. 1981-. Print.
For poems and essays, use quotation marks around the title of the poem.
An Encyclopaedia Author’s last name, first name. “Title of article.” Reference book title. Edition (ed.) or date.
Medium of publication (print).
One author
Landy, Tom. “Football.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1991 ed. Print.
No author
“Industrial Architecture.” New Caxton Encyclopedia. London: Caxton, 1977. Print.
Magazines, Newspapers, and other sources Examples in this section are my own or come from: Stanley, Deborah B. Practical Steps to
the Research Process for High School. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc.,
1999. Print.
Magazine Article
Author. “Title of article.” Title of Magazine. Date: page numbers. Medium of Publication.
Piore, Adam. “Digging Deep.” Newsweek 6/13 Sept. 2004: 46-48. Print.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Newspapers
Author. “Title.” Newspaper Date: page number including section letter. Medium of
Publication.
Murphy, Sean P. "Decisions on Status of Tribes Draw Fire." Boston Globe 27 Mar. 2001:
A2. Print.
Film
Title. Dir. Name of Director.. Distributor, Year of Release. Medium consulted (film).
--Other pertinent information (Screenwriter, producer, performer) may be included.
Notting Hill. Dir. Roger Michell. Universal Pictures International, 1999. Film.
Television Program
“Title of episode.” Title of Program. Network (if any). Local Station (if any), broadcast
date. Medium of Reception (Television).
--You can also add any relevant information about the director, writers, performers, or
host.
“The Blessing Way.” The X-Files. Fo. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998. Television.
Sound Recording
Begin with the composer, performer, or conductor (depending on your emphasis).
Performer. Title of work. Pertinent artists. Manufacturer, date. Medium.
For a song on an album, use quotation marks.
Chapman, Tracy. "Paper and Ink." Telling Stories. Elektra, 2000. CD.
A Work of Visual Art
Last name of artist, first name. Title of work. Date of Composition. Medium of
Composition. Name of institution that houses the work (such as a museum) or individual
owner, location.
Rembrandt ban Rijn. Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer. 1653. Oil on Canvas.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
An Interview
In general, begin with the name of the person being interviewed, followed by the type of
interview, and the date. If the interview has been published or broadcast, add the title of
the interview in quotation marks. The interviewer’s name may also be added following the
interviewee’s name (Interview with___).
Types of interviews: Personal interview, Telephone interview, E-mail interview.
Prelutsky, Jack. E-mail interview. 10 Mar. 2004.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Gordimer, Nadine. Interview. New York Times 10 Oct. 1991, late ed.: C25.
Electronic Sources Examples in this section come from the following sources:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th Edition. New York:
The Modern Language Association of America, 2003. Print.
"Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue
University. 2003. Web. 6 Feb. 2003 .
For electronic sources you need the following information:







The author or editor’s name.
The title of the document or page in “quotation marks”.
The title of the website in italics.
The name of the sponsor or publisher of the site (often located at the bottom of
the page).
The date of posting or revision (this may be the copyright date).
The medium of publication (Web).
The date you accessed the site (day/month/year)
All of this information will not be available all the time. Include the information that is
available. If no author is given, start with the title of the piece, and use a shortened
version of the title for parenthetical citations.
Website — basic format
Name of author or editor (if given). Name of Website. Name of sponsor or publisher of
site (if applicable). Date of Posting/Revision. Medium of Publication (Web). Date of Access.
Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. 2003. Web. 10 Feb. 2003.
Page or Part of a Website
Author(s). “Page Title.” Name of web site. Name of sponsor or publisher of the site. Date
of posting/ revision. Medium of publication (Web). Date of access.
Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue
University. 2003. Web. 6 Feb. 2003
Online journal or magazine article—basic format
Author (s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume. Issue (year): Pages/ Paragraphs.
Medium of Publication. (Web). Date of access.
Online Image
Artist (or photographer) if available. “Description or title of image.” Date of image. Title of
larger site. Medium of publication (Web). Date of download.
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
E-mail (or other unpublished personal communication)
Author. "Title of the message (if any)" Description of the message, including the recipient.
Date of the message. Medium of Delivery (Email).
Anderson, Philip. “Workshop”. Message to Emma Dornan. 16 June 2010. Email.
Online Database (Ebsco)
Author. "Title of Article." Publication Name Volume Number (if necessary) Publication
Date: page number-page number. Database name. Medium of access (Web). Date of
access.
Gross, Daniel. "Sonia Gandhi." Newsweek. 29 Dec 2008: Volume 153, Issue 1. Ebscohost.
Web. 18 June 2010.
Michelle Holder, 2005.
Modified, Emma Dornan, 2010.
HOW TO REFERENCE YOUR SOURCES IN THE TEXT Every time you quote or paraphrase something that you have read in a book, you must
say so by referencing it. You can do this by footnoting the reference. However, the MLA
(Modern Language Association) suggests you use the following format:
Put the author’s name and page reference in brackets after you have used his words,
facts of ideas.
e.g.
The SALT treaties avoided some of the key nuclear issues, such as MIRVs, and did not
stop the countries developing new nuclear technologies (Gaddis 200)
If you refer to the author directly in your text, you don’t need to repeat his name in the
brackets.
e.g.
Gaddis has argued this point (200 – 201)
You MUST reference every idea that is not yours. This does not mean referencing every
sentence, for example:
SALT did achieve some things in 1972, but it also left many problems unsolved. It failed
to stop the arms race and the flow of millions of dollars into nuclear arms that each
country hoped would never be used. It also showed up what seemed to be a visible
imbalance between the nuclear arsenals of the US and USSR: something that would
become problematic as the SALT 2 talks progressed and would affect public opinion at
home in the US. (Gaddis 199-202)
When referencing websites, put the title of the article in the brackets (the part you have
put in quotation marks when citing the source in your bibliography).
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Everything referenced in your text must be fully cited in your bibliography in the correct
way.
Helen Wenham, 2006.
Modified, Emma Dornan, 2008.
EXTENDED ESSAY CHECKLIST Judge your essay against these criteria:


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






Is the essay a reasoned argument in which the writer endeavours 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
(precising one or more source is not adequate)?
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?
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?
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
PREDICTED GRADE CRITERIA SHEET This is a copy of the form produced for the supervisor to assess the draft and Final essay.
To the Supervisor: I strongly urge that you read the Extended Essay guide, referring
specifically to the subject area guidance as you are making these assessments. Please
circle the achievement level for each criterion.
IB Extended Essay Assessment Criteria
A- Research
Question
Clearly stated in the
introduction, sharply
focused, allows for
effective treatment
within word limit: 2
Stated in the
introduction but not
clearly OR too broad for
effective treatment
within word limit: 1
Not stated in the
introduction or not relevant
to the subject area: 0
BIntroduction
Clearly explains the
significance and why it
is worthy of study: 2
Some attempt: 1
Little or no attempt to set
Research Question in
context. Little or no
attempt to explain
significance of topic: 0
CInvestigation
Investigation is well
planned, imaginative
range of appropriate
source or data
collected: 4
Sufficient range of
sources or data,
satisfactory planning: 3
Limited range, some
planning evident:2
Range of inappropriate
sources or data, little
evidence of planning:1
Little or no evidence of
sources or data or of
planning: 0
D- Knowledge
and
Understanding
Very good knowledge
and understanding of
topic. Academic context
clearly and precisely
located: 4
Good Knowledge,
successful outline
academic context: 3
Adequate knowledge,
some understanding
some awareness of
academic context: 2
Some knowledge, little
understanding, little
awareness of context: 1
Not relevant to Research
Question:0
E- Reasoned
Argument
Clear, logical and
coherent presentation
of ideas. Convincing
argument of Research
Question: 4
Logical and coherent
presentation with a
Some attempt to
present ideas in a
logical and coherent
manner, argument only
partially successful: 2
Limited or superficial
attempt of presentation
No attempt to develop a
reasoned argument: 0
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
reasoned argument but
some weaknesses: 3
of ideas or to develop a
reasoned argument: 1
F- Application
of analytical
and evaluative
skills
Effective and
sophisticated use of
skills: 4
A sound application of
skills: 3
Some application of
skills, partially effective:
G- Appropriate
language
Clear and precise
communication,
terminology used
accurately and with
skill: 4
Clear, accurate but
some errors: 3
Clear for the most part,
usually accurate use of
terminology:2
Sometimes clear but
not consistently,
partially accurate:1
H- Conclusion
Effective, clearly stated;
relevant to Research
Question; consistent
with evidence;
unresolved questions
included where
appropriate: 2
Attempted, relevant to
Research Question, but
may not be entirely
consistent with
evidence: 1
Little or no attempt: 0
I Formal
Presentation
Excellent: 4
Good: 3
Satisfactory: 2
Poor: 1
Unacceptable or essay
exceeds 4000 words : 0
J Abstract
Clearly states all 3
elements: Research
Question how
investigation was done
conclusion: 2
Contains elements but
not all clearly stated: 1
One or more missing
elements abstract exceeds
300 words : 0
K Holistic
Judgment
Considerable evidence
of intellectual depth
initiative depth of
understanding and
insight: 4
Clear evidence of
qualities: 3
Some evidence of
qualities: 2
Little evidence of
qualities: 1
No evidence of qualities: 0
No application of skills 0
2
Little application of
skills: 1
Inaccurate and unclear
language, no effective use:
0
TOTAL PREDICTED SCORE
Max score = 36 points
Grade Boundaries as of May 2009
A 29-36; B 23-28; C 16-22; D 8-15; E 0-7
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International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Handbook
Notes:
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