Manual for IB Diploma Extended Essay 1
Introduction
The Extended Essay is a 4,000 word (maximum) research paper and is a core requirement of the IB
Diploma Programme.
The Extended Essay is not difficult. A faculty adviser of your choosing, based upon the research question that you devise, will assist you. Your topic should be of personal interest and therefore, you should feel motivated to research and complete this assignment.
Where to Start
1. Choose a subject—this is the broad part of the research: English, History, Science, etc.
3.
2. Choose a topic: See PPT Presentation for narrowing topics and examples of good and bad research topics.
Devise a Research Question.
2.
4.
1.
Find a faculty adviser and share your Research Question with him or her. Make sure they have signed off on being your adviser as well as approving your research question .
Note: Once a teacher has agreed to be a faculty adviser for three students, he/she may say no to any other students who ask. So, find your adviser as quickly as possible.
Rules for Students
The same piece of work cannot be submitted twice in the DP. For example, you may not submit your History Internal Assessment as your Extended Essay.
Plagiarism is never acceptable and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Students must give full credit to sources, words, and ideas of another person. Faculty advisers will check all essays for plagiarism and students will be asked to submit their work to Turnitin.com. You will sign a plagiarism/ethics contract that applies to all assignments in all courses.
IB Consequences of Plagiarism:
Notification to Mrs. Farmer of malpractice;
Student required to explain in an interview and in writing how assignment was completed;
Faculty Adviser and Mrs. Farmer required to complete detailed paperwork to IB explaining the occurrence;
If malpractice is found, student receives an “F” (no grade/no credit) from IB;
Principal notified by IB of malpractice
ETHS/SVUSD Consequences of Plagiarism/Ethics Violation
Student receives a “0” on the assignment (this could be worth as much as 200 points to your grade in English).
Student receives a “U” in citizenship for the semester (this will impact your membership in the following clubs/activities: NHS, CSF, Dance Courts, Speaking at Graduation)
Student will be removed from the Diploma Program because not submitting an EE disqualifies them for the Diploma.
Student is placed on probation for the year. If another instance occurs on any assignment, student will be “Withdraw Fail” from the course in which the violation occurs.

Manual for IB Diploma Extended Essay 2
3. If requested by your Faculty Adviser, you should bring all sources to your meetings so that citations can be properly reviewed. Make sure as you are researching hard copes of books or journals that you photocopy the pages you intend to cite and that you write down all publishing information.
Choice of Subject—More Details o Choose your subject before deciding the topic and research question/statement o The subject should have some personal interest to the candidate. o The subject should be limited in scope allowing for in-depth study. o The subject must be academic to an international audience. o Students are not expected to make a contribution to knowledge within a subject.
A broad topic will most likely result in an unsuccessful EE.
An essay attempting multiple goals will result in an unsuccessful EE.
A successful EE topic will o Be of an academic nature to an international audience; o Have a concisely stated topic; o Result in an essay with a discernable structure o Draw upon primary and secondary sources
Choice of Category
Extended Essays must be submitted in one of the following categories:
Group 1: English
Group 2: Spanish
Biology
Business and Management
Chemistry
Classical Greek and Latin (good luck finding an adviser)
Computer Science
Dance
Design Technology
Economics
Environmental Systems and Societies
Film
Geography
History
Human Rights
Music
Philosophy
Politics
Psychology
Theater
Visual Arts
World Religions

Manual for IB Diploma Extended Essay 3
Some Sample Subjects and How They Determine Category
Literary analysis of short story, poetry, novel, play Languages A & B
Contributions, producers and directors, compare/contrast Film
Studies
Explanation, interpretation and analysis of
Historical events
Gender study, UN topics, Genocide, civil war
History
Human Rights
Analysis of color, line, theme of specific art Visual Arts
Research Question/Statement
The research question/statement of the EE is the specific issue under investigation. The specific issue to be investigated will be phrased in the form of a question or a concise statement. The research question/statement must be carefully and exactly defined, sharply focused, and clearly stated. The question/statement should lead to analysis and not narration or summary.
Subject
English
History
Question
 What is the role of first-person narration in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” and
“The Fall of the House of Usher”?
 What is the significance of redemption in
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
 Why couldn’t a Cuban-style revolution be started successfully in Bolivia by Ernesto
“Che” Guevara?
World Religions
Biology
 What effect did Alfred Thayer Mahan’s book The Influence of Sea Power Upon
History have on the development of the
US Navy in the early 20 th century?
 To what extent can an understanding of the beliefs about Jesus by Jews, Christians and Muslims improve relations between these groups?
 How does temperature affect the heart rate of Daphnia Magna?

Manual for IB Diploma Extended Essay 4
Points Assessment Criteria (0 to 36
Points)
A. RESEARCH QUESTION
B. INTRODUCTION
0 1 2
0 1 2
C. INVESTIGATION
D. KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
E. REASONED ARGUMENT 0 1 2 3 4
F. APRRRECIATION OF
ANALYTICAL &
EVALUATIVE SKILLS
G. USE OF LANGUAGE
APPROPRIATE TO THE
SUBJECT
H. CONCLUSION
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2
I. FORMAL PRESENTATION 0 1 2 3 4
J. ABSTRACT
K. HOLISTIC JUDGMENT
BAND DESCRIPTORS AND
PREDICTED GRADES
30-36 Points
0 1 2
0 1 2 3 4
TOTAL
Work of an EXCELLENT
Standard A
25-29 Points
17-24 Points
9-16 Points
0-8 Points
Work of a GOOD Standard
Work of a SATISFACTORY
Standard
Work of a MEDIOCRE
Standard
Work of an ELEMENTARY
Standard
Predicted Grade
B
C
D
E