Planning and Scheduling for the Extended Essay
The IB Extended Essay is no small task. It requires a lot of dedication, research and understanding. The most successful essays are those that are well-planned and organized. As such, it is important to plan ahead: determine what type of essay you will write, select an interesting and compelling topic, and set a timeline to complete the essay.
Start by creating a timeline. Estimate how much time you need to research, write and revise your essay. Be sure to factor in extra time in case of any unexpected delays. Once you have the timeline in place, break your tasks into manageable chunks. For instance, schedule a certain amount of hours over a few days to conduct research and another couple of days to draft the essay. This will help you manage your workload, allowing you to stay on track with your writing.
In addition to planning and scheduling, it is also important to organise your resources. As you are conducting research for your essay, make sure to save reliable sources and keep track of important quotes and information. This will save time when writing, as you will have all the necessary resources readily available.
Remember, planning and organizing are essential when undertaking the Extended Essay. Taking the time to plan will ensure that you make the best use of your resources and ultimately allow you to submit a well-crafted essay.
Topic Selection
Choosing an interesting topic for your extended essay is extremely important. It will form the basis of your research and set the tone for your writing. You want to pick a topic which is both relevant to your field of study but also captures your imagination. A boring topic can make it difficult to stay motivated and remain focused when tackling the work!
Here are some strategies to help you identify an appropriate topic for your IB Extended Essay:
- Consult with your tutor: Your teacher can help guide you to potential topics and advise you on whether the topic is suitable and achievable.
- Do your own research: Read through academic journals, magazines, newspapers etc. and familiarise yourself with current debates and issues in your area. Compare the different ideas, theories and perspectives to help narrow down your topic.
- Brainstorm questions: Think of questions related to the subject that intrigue you. Can you think of any interesting angles or arguments to explore?
- Find inspiration: Take a look at other sample essays and see if there’s something that takes your fancy. What other topics have been previously written about?
When you have decided on a few possible ideas, create a project timeline that outlines the key steps and deadlines you need to meet in order to successfully complete your Extended Essay. This should help you to remain focused and motivated throughout the assignment.
Research & Referencing
To complete the extended essay, you will need to demonstrate a deep understanding of your topic. This means you will need to conduct research and use that information to support your opinions in the essay.
When researching for the essay, it is important to use reliable and current sources. Good resources of information can come from online articles, published journals and books, interviews, and documentaries. It is essential to be mindful of the websites you use, as some may not be reliable and undermined the credibility of your work.
Once you have gathered your sources, you must reference them appropriately within the essay. To do this, you should provide an in-text citation for every piece of evidence you incorporate into the essay. This will help to give credit to the original author, as well as demonstrate that you have done extensive research.
In-text citations are usually placed at the end of a sentence, before the punctuation. The exact format of the citations is normally determined by the referencing style chosen, such as Harvard or APA. As well as including in-text citations, you must also provide a full list of the works you have cited. This could be in the form of a bibliography or a reference page, depending on the referencing style you choose.
Researching and referencing correctly is a vital part of writing the extended essay. By utilising reliable sources, referencing correctly and citing all evidence used, you will be able to confidently demonstrate your knowledge of the topic, helping to increase the chances of achieving a higher grade.
When you are writing your extended essay, it is important to remember that effective structure is key. You need to ensure that your essay has a clear beginning, middle and end. Structuring your essay can help you to identify the different sections and develop your argument effectively.
The introduction of your essay should concisely explain the purpose of your research and what answers you are looking for. From here, you can move on to the body of the essay, which is the main section. Here, you need to break down your research into smaller sections and present evidence and arguments in support of each point. When constructing your arguments, make sure that you remain focused and use evidence from reliable sources.
The conclusion of your essay should summarize the main points and show how they fit together to form an overall argument. This is a great opportunity to tie in your research and show the reader why your topic is important.
Writing and structuring your essay can take some time, but it will pay off in the end. By carefully considering your topics and using reliable evidence, you can create an argument and an essay that will give readers an understanding of the material and your thought process. This can help you stand out as a student who has taken the time and put in the effort to create a high-quality essay.
Drafting and Rewriting
Completing the IB Extended Essay task involves drafting and rewriting to develop your ideas into a full-length essay. This section provides advice on how to approach this part of the process.
Before starting to draft your essay, consider what kind of evidence will be needed to support your argument. You need to reference your sources accurately, so start gathering different forms of evidence from reliable sources. Do not forget to make notes as you go so you can refer back to them.
Start to draft your essay by outlining the key points of your argument and decide how you want to present them. Ensure your sections are well connected, and focus on making sure each of your points is clearly expressed. Once your draft is complete, check that all the evidence you have used supports your claims. Read through your work and decide if any particular sections need more development or restatement.
Rewriting allows you to modify and improve the content of your essay. Begin by refining the structure and language of your essay. Make sure you use accurate grammar and spelling throughout. Evaluate which sections need further augmentation or changes and focus on fine-tuning the tone and overall readability of your essay.
Set yourself deadlines to ensure you are able to submit your essay within the allocated time frame. When revising your essay, take into consideration how lengthy it should be and if there are any limitations imposed on the topic. Remember to limit the number of drafts you make during the rewriting stage – if it’s taking too long, try to move on or ask for further guidance.
By taking the time to draft and rewrite your essay before submission, you can be confident that you have presented your argument in an accurate and engaging way.