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Extended Essay 专题论文: STEP 3. Develop a Research Question

Five Steps to Developing a RQ

Sample RQ

The following table gives guidance on the difference between unclear and unfocused research questions and those that are appropriately clear and focused, lending themselves to in-depth research.

Unclear, unfocused and unarguable research questions Clear, focused, narrow research questions lending themselves to in-depth research
What was the impact of Ho Chi Minh’s allegiance to Lenin? To what extent was nationalism the guiding factor in Ho Chi Minh’s adoption of Leninism in 1920?
What is the history of Chinese theatre? How does the legacy of Mei Lan Fang contribute to modern Jingju?
How important is chlorophyll to plant life? What is the effect of different concentrations of kinetin on leaves aging and the biosynthesis of chlorophyll?
How can the US government’s spending policy be reformed? To what extent did the rising COE prices affect the demand for new and used cars by the consumer population and hence affect the revenue generated by the Singaporean economy for the period 2012–16?

Feasibility checklist

Does your research question pass the following feasibility checks?

To-Dos at This Stage

Search for and thoroughly read a minimum of five academic articles (three for science subjects) containing the answer(s) to your research question, and finish the Annotated Bibliography

Schedule appointment with allocated supervisor and discuss your research question and plan before the Winter Holiday

Submit your first draft of Research Question on MB by  (Click for instruction)

Create and share your Annotated Bibliography on NoodleTools by  (Click for instruction)

EE Contract signed and return to Ms He by 

What is Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a special assignment that lists sources in a way similar to the APA References list, but providing an annotation for each source giving extra information. It is an important part of the research process for your paper.

Template of Annotated Bibliography

Examples of Annotated Bibliography

You must consider the sources in terms of:

  • what has already been written about their chosen topic and
  • how their own research will fit into this.

Generally, an annotated bibliography consists of:

  • the bibliographic information
  • the annotations (a concise summary of the source).

A summary should include:

  • a concise summary of the content and theme(s) of the source
  • a comment on the authority of the author
  • a comment on the purpose of the source
  • a comment on how this source might be useful

Source: ibo.org