How to focus on an area of study in the
Extended Essay
 After
choosing your subject, brainstorm ideas
for a topic
 Use your curriculum guides or notes or
textbook to identify areas of interest
 Choose an area
 Use
a graphic organizer to write down what
you already know about the topic
 From this identify what you need to know
 Collect keywords
 Identify the type of evidence you need

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
E.g. history…primary sources; book reviews;
OPVL
Science…scientific journal articles; data
English…secondary sources that have been
written by credible authors
Point
Point
Point
Main
Topic
Point
Point
Point
 It
meets the requirements for the subject
under the EE guide (will tell you how the RQ
should be phrased…question, hypothesis,
thesis)
http://www.mioc.hr/site/upload/datoteke/20120504120519_IB%20DIP%20Extended%20essay%20gui
de.pdf
 A:
research question
 This criterion assesses the extent to which
the purpose of the essay is specified. In many
subjects, the aim of the essay will normally
be expressed as a question and, therefore,
this criterion is called the “research
question”.
 However, certain disciplines may permit or
encourage different ways of formulating the
research task.
Criterion A: research question
 For all three categories of group 1 essays,
although the research question can best be
expressed in the form of a question, it may also
be presented as a statement or proposition for
discussion.
The research question must:
 • be specific and sharply focused
 • be stated clearly in the introduction of the
essay or on the title page
 • be related to the target literature/language.
The research question must not:
 • be too narrow or too obvious.

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
Criterion A: research question
In a biology extended essay, the research question is best
stated in the form of a question. The research question
should not be understood as a statement of the topic but
rather as a precisely formulated question that the research
will attempt to answer. For example, a statement of the
topic of an essay might be “Factors that affect bacterial
growth in agar plate cultures”; the research question
based on this topic could be “How are the growth rates of
three strains of E. coli affected by temperature?”.
The research question can then be used to formulate a
hypothesis, or hypotheses, which can be tested. The
research question should be identified clearly and set out
prominently in the introduction. A broad statement of the
topic of the essay or a statement of the hypothesis is not
sufficient on its own to meet the requirement for a
research question in a biology extended essay.
 Criterion
A: research question
 The research question must be appropriate
to the particular subject in which the essay
is submitted. In history, this means that it
must focus on the human past and not be of
a trivial nature.
 The research question must be clearly and
exactly focused, and stated in both the
abstract and the introduction of the essay.
 Can
it be asked and answered (Is there an
answer? Can info be found to answer?)
 Can sources be found in English? (Shouldn’t
be translated)
 Will you find experts whose words and work
will support this? It can’t be about how you
feel or think…it is about what you can
prove!)
 Is
it worthwhile to answer? Does it add to
the discussion in the field?
 Is the topic focused? Can it be answered in
only 4000 words?
 Is the topic broad enough to discuss in up to
4000 words? Not trivial or already answered.
 Can the topic be objectively treated? Not
just conjecture or in “pseudo” areas
 Does the question fit squarely in the area of
study
 Does the topic avoid hypothetical discussion?
(No what if ….didn’t happen?)
 Are
all terms in the question clearly defined
and understood by all in the field
 Would
Germany have gone to war without
Hitler?
 How does age of Nepenthes pitchers
affect their ability to digest proteins?
 How does blood glucose level change
during fasting?
 Heathcliff as a character in Wuthering
Heights?
 Does the closing of Guantanamo Bay
prison camp affect terrorism?
 Does
it meet the criteria?