Extended Essay Support

The Extended Essay (EE) is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of available Diploma Programme subjects for the session in question. This is normally one of the student’s six chosen subjects for those taking the IB diploma, or a subject that a student has a background in. It is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor (an appropriately qualified member of staff within the school). This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing (up to 4,000 words), in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject chosen and is accompanied by a mandatory reflection form (up to 500 words). The extended essay is assessed against common criteria, interpreted in ways appropriate to each subject. (Source: EE Website)

The EE is the result of approximately 40 hours of research/writing by the student. The EE is a process not just an end product.

EE Timeline

The Extended Essay (EE) is an independent, self-directed (maximum 4,000 word) academic research paper. The EE is a mandatory component for the diploma candidates of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The EE provides diploma candidates with the opportunity to investigate a topic of choice that meets EE guidelines within an approved DP subject area to produce a college-level research paper. The EE process requires frequent check-in sessions & 3 mandatory reflection sessions with an EE Supervisor, which is documented on the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) and graded as a part of the EE under Criterion E: Engagement. *Permitted supervision time is between 3-5 hours.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to adhere to this timeline & schedule supervisor meetings.

Junior Year
January	Review the EE process, requirements, consult subject-specific sections of the EE Guide & HGP EE Website and other resources: EE Examples, EE Website
	Select SUBJECT, TOPIC (conduct preliminary research for viability) & SUPERVISOR
	“Check-in#1” session with Supervisor to review initial ideas, background reading, & provisional RESEARCH QUESTION (RQ); submit initial proposal to MangeBac.
February	“Check-in #2” session with supervisor to review plan, scholarly resource gathering, and discuss refining/different approach to TOPIC & RQ (not too broad/narrow)
February	Mandatory 1st(First) Reflection Session with Superivsor & submit RPPF entry to ManageBac- review EE subject & assessment criteria, credibility of sources, working RQ, outline, *submit final proposal to ManageBac for supervisor approval.
March	Development of parts of the essay; *Check in with Supervisor if needed
April-May	Continue gathering evidence (cite as you write) to support a reasoned argument.
May	Mandatory 2nd (Interim) reflection Session with Supervisor & submit RPPF entry to ManageBac-review sustained piece of writing; evidence; progress/challenges
May 15	Submit complete DRAFT (with alphabetized bibliography) to ManageBac/Turnitin

Senior Year
August	“Check-in #3” session with Supervisor for feedback on completed draft
August-September	Improve your essay (revise,edit, and check for consistent effective citing/referencing and proper formatting
September 15	CAREFULLY proofread & submit FINAL ESSAY (in PDF)to ManageBac/Turnitin
September 30	Mandatory 3rd (Final) Reflection Session with Supervisor & submit RPPF entry to ManageBac-concluding interview/what’s been learned from the process (viva voce)

Supervision in the Extended Essay

The primary responsibility for the essay lies with the student, but the supervisor mentors the student through each stage of the process.

The total supervision time permitted is 3-5 hours. The supervision model used at HGP includes at least 6 meetings (see EE Timeline):

3 formal reflection sessions
3 informal "check-in" sessions

The role of the supervisor:

provide students with advice & guidance in the skills of undertaking the research process
encourage & support students throughout the research and writing of the extended essay
discuss the choice of topic with each student and, in particular, help to formulate a well-focused research question which is suitable to the subject of registration and ensure that the chosen research question satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards
is familiar with the regulations governing the EE & assessment criteria and check that the student is conforming to any rules stated in the subject guide and is NOT "double-dipping" or using texts that are not permitted
ensure the student understands the importance of using credible/accurate sources
monitor the progress of the extended essay to offer guidance and to ensure that the essay is the student’s own work and the student has properly acknowledged all sources

A good student-topic-supervisor fit is likely when the supervisor:

knows the student well
shares the student's excitement and curiosity about the topic
is comfortable establishing a clear work plan with the student
follows up with timely feedback

EE Guide

EE Website