Extended Essay 专题论文: Getting Started

STEP 1. Global Theme:
Choose from one of six global themes

STEP 2. Topic:
Identify a topic in terms of a general research area

STEP 3. Disciplinary Lenses:
Identify the two disciplines through which to explore the topic

STEP 4. Possible Research Questions:
Draft possible research questions

STEP 5. Possible Sources / Methods for data Collection:
Investigate possible sources / methods for data collection - are there sufficient resources to explore the research question?

Each WSEE must be registered under one of the six global themes. Students should first decide which of these they are interested in.

Considering the global themes will also enable students to:

• check that the interdisciplinary WSEE is a better way to explore their topic than the single subject essay
• decide which disciplines they will use (two Diploma Programme subjects, one of which they must be studying).

What makes for a strong topic selection? 

For a world studies EE, the most successful topics reveal connections between specific or local places, people, phenomena or experiences, and the larger global framework in which they take place. Owing to the composite nature of contemporary global issues, the world studies EE is ideal for students who want to explore these issues by drawing on the theories, findings, and methods of two Diploma Programme subjects, integrating them to produce a coherent and insightful analysis of the issue they have chosen to investigate. The topic may relate to a particular area within a subject, but this is not a requirement. 

Students should identify a working research question early on but be prepared to change it as a result of their research.

Some of the following questions might be considered in your early investigation:

• What has already been written about this topic?
• Is it easy to find sources of information?
• Is there a range of different sources available?
• If I want to collect my own data, is this feasible?
• Is there a range of views and perspectives on the topic?
• What interesting questions have started to emerge from my reading so far?

To keep track of whatever you discover in your preliminary reading, first set up an RRS (Researcher's Reflection Space) in whatever format you are happiest with. See:

Students will find reading around the topic before they decide on their research question helpful. It will:

• make them aware of what sources of information are available to them
• form the basis of demonstrating their knowledge and understanding in context—Criterion B.

Criterion B requires students to:

• demonstrate how their own research fits into the wider subject areas/global theme under which they are submitting it
• justify why their particular topic is worthy of investigation.