THE IB EXTENDED ESSAY: MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS RT

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1.2 YOU’VE COMPLETED 1 STEP IN WEEK 1

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What is the extended essay?

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So you are starting your extended essay – but what is it?

The extended essay is a core element of your IB Diploma Programme. You

will complete it alongside theory of knowledge and creativity, activity,
service. Your combined marks from the theory of knowledge and extended
essay will contribute to your overall Diploma Programme score.

The essay is a 4000 word research project and should include:

a title page

contents

main body

tables, charts and illustrations (optional)

references

bibliography

appendices (optional).

In addition, you will submit a Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (a

maximum of 500 words). This is completed after three mandatory
reflection sessions with your supervisor in school. In the first meeting you
will discuss your topic area and preliminary research questions. In the
second meeting you will discuss how your argument is developing and any
challenges you have encountered conducting your research. The third
session will be a viva voce. This is a short interview between you and your
supervisor where you reflect on your final essay and what you have
learned from the experience.

Key skills needed

The essay is designed to help you develop the research skills you will
need for your Diploma Programme and any future study you might do,
such as university work. You will need to demonstrate some key skills to
the examiner.

Firstly, the mark scheme emphasises independent learning; this is your

work, not your teachers, friends or parents. Because of this, the support
your teachers give you will be different from normal and you might even
notice that the way you study is different.

Rather than direct you using their own knowledge and experience, your
supervisor will encourage you to question your own work, and to think
independently and critically. Extended essay supervisors can only offer
you limited direction, because the focus is your independent learning.

The mark scheme also looks for analytical and evaluative research. This
means you should not just accept the information you use, but question it,
and use a broad range of sources to form your own arguments.

There is a huge range of sources you could use in your research such as
books, journal articles, interviews, surveys and documentaries to name
just a few. The important thing is to find and critically analyse a variety of
suitable sources and use them to form a strong argument.

Self-reflection is an integral part of any research process and you will be

assessed on this alongside your essay. Self-reflection may not come
naturally to you, but it’s important to reflect on both the positive
outcomes of your research and the challenges which you have faced. Do
not be put off if you feel your research is not progressing. What is
important, and what an examiner wants to see, is how you overcame this
challenge.

Researcher’s Reflection Space

Throughout this course, we encourage you to create a reflective log or, a
Researcher’s Reflection Space (RRS). This will be similar to the Reflections
on Planning and Progress Form you will complete for your extended essay,
and so it will help you prepare for this. Your reflective log will be used to
inform discussions with your supervisor about your ideas, progress and
challenges. It will also contribute to the contents of your Reflections on
Planning and Progress Form. You will find that reflecting on your progress
helps you understand yourself better as a learner. It will encourage you to
evaluate the research process so you have a more in-depth understanding
of the role of a researcher. You can complete this reflective piece in the
form of a:

bullet point list

mind map

journal.

You can produce your RRS in paper form or online, but pick a method you
find most useful.

After each reflective session with your supervisor, you will record your
reflections on a separate Reflections on Planning and Progress Form.
However, you should also reflect on your research as you go along.

One way to record your reflections is to use Padlet. Padlet is an online

tool that collects ‘post-it’ notes and allows you to add images, documents
and videos to your Padlet wall. If you are unable to access Padlet you
could use cloud-based storage such as Microsoft’s Onenote.

You can share any of your first reflections about the IB extended essay in
the Comments section.

Have your say:

How do you think the extended essay will be different from essays you
may have written before?

What do you think the most challenging aspect of the extended essay
will be?

Share your thoughts with other learners in the Comments.

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WHAT IS THE EXTENDED ESSAY? AUDIO

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