The main purpose of the extended essay is to provide students with the opportunity to engage in independent research and develop writing skills through a systematic process. Below we will talk about how to write an extended essay, as well as help with the choice of extended essay topics.
What Is the Extended Essay?
An extended essay (EE) is an independent, author's study conducted by a student on their own. The upper limit of its volume is 4,000 words. This is a required type of academic work for students under the core Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate.
Most often, the discipline for which students write an extended essay is studied by them officially, but this is not a mandatory requirement. Also, EE cannot be written in different subjects.
Structure of the Extended Essay
The standard structure of an extended essay looks like this (the order of paragraphs can be changed):
- title page;
- abstract;
- page of content;
- introduction (statement of the problem);
- the main part (selected methods for solving the problem and the results obtained);
- conclusion;
- references and bibliography;
- appendices.
Below we propose to analyze the content of each of these paragraphs separately in detail.
Title page
The title page contains the title of the essay (it should be formal and give the reader a clear idea of what will be discussed in the main part), as well as details related to the authorship of the work (name and surname of the author, specialty, university where the author studies, year of writing, etc.).
Abstract
An abstract can be called a formal description of the work. The information in the abstract is presented very briefly and concisely. In terms of volume, this part of an extended essay usually takes up to one page of printed text. The abstract must indicate the essay topic, the purpose and objectives of the work, problems and their solution, and the conclusion.
Page of content
This page includes a sequential listing of the paragraphs that are contained in the extended essay, with the page numbers from which they begin. It looks standard, just like any table of contents in a book.
Introduction
The introduction is the first section of an extended essay. In this part of the work it’s necessary to reveal the main ideas of scientific work: set goals and objectives, highlight the object and subject of research, argument its relevance. In particular, here students should describe why they decided to study this issue and what role it plays in the modern world. Also in the introduction, they have to formulate the problem, the solution to which this scientific work is devoted. And finally, about the purpose of the work: it should be related to the problems and anticipate the desired result.
The main part
The main part of the extended essay is essentially a description of the research work done by the student. It is a formalization of the process from the formulation of the problem to its solution, through the methods chosen by the student.
At the same time, it’s very important to choose high-quality illustrations that would visualize the stages of research conducted by the student. In addition, infographics, graphs, and tables can be useful here. However, note that their number should be moderate and they should complement the written material, and not just be used to separate blocks of text.
Conclusion
Usually, the conclusion is a short paragraph, from one to three pages. In conclusion, the student must describe the conclusions and results obtained in the research process. If there are several conclusions, they can be issued in a bulleted list.
References and bibliography
When writing an extended essay, it is important to respect copyright. That is why students must clearly distinguish between their own and other people's intellectual property - that is, indicate the sources from where the information was obtained to help in their research. In particular, when citing a citation, it should immediately be included in the list of sources.
As for the number of publications in the list of references, at least 10 sources of various types are generally accepted for an extended essay:
- textbooks;
- methodological and teaching aids;
- monographs;
- journal articles;
- dissertations and abstracts;
- scientific and research websites.
Note that all literature must fully comply with your topic of the extended essay. When choosing sources, it’s important to pay attention first of all to the most recent resources, not older than 4 years. If they aren’t enough, students can refer to the publications of the last decade. They should be no more than 30% of the entire list.
Appendices
This section of the extended essay includes all additional information that may be useful to readers of the extended essay (primarily examiners) but isn’t required reading. That’s why it’s so important not to include in this section the key aspects of the research done. In addition, students shouldn’t often refer to the appendices in the introduction, main body, and conclusion of their extended essay, as this makes the work unreadable.
How to Choose the Topic for an Extended Essay: Great Extended Essay Ideas
If the student has not yet fully defined the range of scientific interests, choosing essay topics can be difficult. These five factors will help you to choose the best topic:
- the department where the student is studying. The topic for an extended essay must be chosen within the framework of specialization (archeology, ancient history, history of Asia and Africa, etc.);
- the profile of the scientific advisor. It’s better to choose a topic in which the student’s scientific advisor is well versed since in this case, the student will always be able to turn to him or her for help;
- research that the student conducted during the semester. It makes sense to choose extended essay topics in which the student has deep knowledge;
- the most relevant research of popular historians. Interesting ideas for topics can be found in recent scientific publications;
- practice. Often during the archaeological excavations or work in a museum, a student may face interesting scientific problems. They can also become the foundation for formulating a topic for the extended essay.
12 Best History EE Topics
Looking for some EE English topics on historiography? Below, we compiled a list of ten English extended essay topics to help you handle the assigned task.Â
- Japanese Culture: Religion, Healthcare And Gender Roles: essay on rich Japanese culture full of ancient rituals, social customs, traditions, and powerfully held beliefs
- The Impact Of Religion In Women's Role In Society: essay on the differences and similarities between Christianity and Islam, the traditional social roles of women
- Comparing Chivalry in Medieval Europe with Modern Honor
- Martin Luther King Jr: Fighting For Equal Rights In America: essay on this Baptist minister's contribution to African American rights
- The Cold War: essay on its causes, course, the end, and the most significant events within itÂ
- The Attitude of the US and British Government to the "Neue Ostpolitik" of Germany: essay on the aim of Ostpolitik and its influence on the USA and Great Britain
- The Rosetta Stone and Its Historiographical Significance: essay on the decipherment and contents of the Rosetta Stone
- The Six-Day War of 1967 and Why Israel Won: essay on the causes of the war, its course, its end, and the aftermath
- The Influence of Women in the 1st World War: essay on the most iconic women in this period and their fate after the war
- The American War of Independence
- The Slave Trade and Its Importance for the US Economics: essay on the states where slavery was legal, the living conditions typical of slaves, the abolition of slavery Â
- The Historical Significance of Cuban Missile Crisis: essay on the causes of this crisis, its resolution, and its effect on the course of the Cold War
Final Thoughts
Try to combine the essay topics for your education with some common aspects. Then it will be easier for you to write your thesis, as you will be able to use your previous academic works. For example, you can study the development of one problem in different years or different territories.
If you do not have enough time to write your extended essay on your own, our educational service will always come to the rescue. Our experts will write an academic work on any topic (here you will find history extended essay examples, literature extended essay examples, film extended essay examples, economics extended essay examples, geography extended
