The Extended Project

Logbook Guidance
Part A Candidate Proposal You can
re-use material
from the
previous form

Include at least one or two specific

books/sources you intend to look at and
some other things you plan to look for or
places you plan to look

Where did this interest come from, does

it link to an A Level? Your future degree?
Your future career? Something in your
personal life?

For most of you this is “a 5000 word extended essay” but for
some it might be a particular product with an accompanying
commentary. If you want to expand this with further
explanation of the aims and focus of the project then you can.
Planning Review This is really
important to
picking up
marks for AO1

This can include a paragraph on how your ideas for the project are developing
with reference to your AIMS or METHODOLOGY or how you have responded
to the supervisors suggestions, but MUST also include your ‘action plan’ for
the project - at least 9 or 10 dated bullet-points: when you will finish reading
specific sources, other particular sources you plan to find, primary research
you plan to do, places you plan to look, research complete by when? draft
essay by when?, final essay?, presentation? (normally around Easter). Dates
can be rough – “by end of November” – or if already done write “DONE”.

Talk to your supervisor about your plan, write down

what they say as they say it.
You need to fill in this section in your own words –
“My supervisor suggested …”
If they suggest taking a particular approach to
primary research etc. spell this out in the box below.
Things to include
 Complete reading specific book by [date]
 Explore specific website by [date]
 Contact specific institution by [date]
 Check resources at specific library by [date]
 Search for relevant books and purchase by [date]
 Use Google scholar / youtube / DOAJ to explore specific
theme by [date]
 Check New Scientist / New Internationalist / other periodical
for relevant articles by [date]
 Find some sources for a particular sub-section by [date]
 Write to specific person by [date]
 Plan and do pilot version of questionaire by [date]
 Revise and complete final version of questionnaire by [date]
Things to include – our timeline
Minimal but some good content
Developed but without much dating
Developed
and lots of
dating but
could have
started with
a paragraph
on aims and
focus of the
project
Oh my!

Still would
have
benefitted
from
opening
paragraph
on aims
and focus
of the
project
1 Now we’re
cooking!

This project
got full
marks.
 2

Also got full

marks.

Some nice
clarity
about aims
in planning
More clarity about
aims and source-
evaluation
 3

Also got full

marks.

Good initial
reflection
on clarity of
aims and
title
Mid-Project Review
This is really
important to
picking up marks
for AO1 & AO4

Note when this should happen.

I would say you should have a
first draft essay plan to discuss.

Records your successes and difficulties so far and

how you have solved your problems. Any great
discoveries? really useful sources? things that
proved hard to find? (if so how did you resolve
this?). Have your aims or focus shifted?, the timing
changed? the methodology changed? the title
changed? Have you dropped anything from your
intial plan, Have you added in primary research?
You need to explain and justify these changes.

Remember – in your words not theirs

Mid-Project Review
This is really
important to
picking up marks
for AO1 & AO4

This might include something about

referencing, bibliography and source-
evaluation, or maybe a consideration
of the structure and plan for the essay
or what the conclusion is likely to be.

It shouldn’t change after this point.

Again – make this a dated time-plan

which goes through the various stages
of drafting, presenting and submitting a
final essay. It may be the same as your
initial plan or may not.
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Project Product Review
This is really
important to
picking up marks
for AO4

Ideally when you have a

complete first draft
I would separately address –
“successes”, “failures”, “additions” and
“changes” with specific references to
your previous plans (where possible).
Don’t over-do the honesty if it makes
you look hopelessly disorganised!

This may not take place in a formal

meeting. It should normally include
their comments on the draft, but try
and recall and record any advice you
have received that was helpful.
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Presentation Record Part A

This can be a paragraph for each section OR a bullet-

point for each slide. You should also hand in the
powerpoint itself and any notes you use (notes are fine
by the way!). Your presentation should include clear
aims and how you arrived at them, something on
research, some content leading to your conclusion
(clearly stated and justified) and some reflection on
your journey / skill development / lessons learned

This can come from

practising to your parents or
just your own reflection and
improvement. It doesn’t have
to be your supervisor.
Summary and Reflection This is really
important to
picking up marks
for AO2 & AO4

You seriously go to town on this one!!

Blow the size of the box – I want to see more than a page of
writing - address every question in the prompt, and really
develop your thoughts.

IN PARTICULAR – make a point of saying how you have

learned to take care in your use of sources when doing
research. Talk about bias, expertise, validity, reliability,
cross-checking, corroboration, authority etc. Refer to
specific really good/helpful sources and say why they were.
Refer to some less reliable/helpful sources if you can and
explain why that was as well.
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