In order to fulfil the requirements of the IB Diploma all candidates must submit an Extended Essay in an IB Diploma subject of their choice. The essay is an in-depth study of a limited topic within a subject. The purpose of the essay is that:
It develops individual research and investigation skills
Provides students with intellectual challenge in a topic of interest to them
Develops critical thinking skills of analysis, evaluation and reasoning
Prepares students for university thesis writing
Provides students with a document which can be used as a focus in university admissions interviews
Approximately forty hours should be spent on the research and writing process. Each essay is supervised by a teacher employed at WIS. The length of the essay is restricted to a maximum of 4000 words and is assessed according to set criteria. Students are also required to write a 500 word reflection on the process which is also assessed. The marks awarded for the Extended Essay are combined with the marks for the Theory of Knowledge course to give a maximum of three bonus points. Extended Essays submitted in a group 2 language must be written in that language. Extended Essays in all other subjects must be written in English.
Choice of Subject Students will be asked in the second term of year 12 to submit 2 proposals for subjects they wish to write in, and will then be allocated based on the strength of their proposal and their suitability for writing in that subject. The subject must be offered in the diploma program at WIS and it is likely that the student chooses a subject which they are studying at Higher Level, but not a requirement.
Choice of Topic Students should choose a topic that:
Is challenging and interesting
Is limited in scope to allow examination of an issue/problem in depth within the 4000 word limit
Allows the collection or generation of information/data for analysis and evaluation
Requires personal research
Research Question Students should, with the aid of the supervisor, narrow the focus of the investigation and formulate a specific research question. This may be in the form of a question, but alternatives such as a hypothesis can be acceptable. The research question provides the purpose and orientation of the essay.
The Research Process A systematic research process is advised, taking into account the requirements of the subject. It is essential to generate and gather information and ideas that can be used to develop a convincing answer to the research question.
Timeline Students will finalise the choice of their research topic in February of Year 12 and must complete the essay in its entirety by the end of October in Year 13. More detailed deadlines will be issued in Year 12.