HIBA ACADEMY SHANGHAI LIBRARY
上海浦东新区民办惠立学校图书馆
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HIBA ACADEMY SHANGHAI LIBRARY上海浦东新区民办惠立学校图书馆 |
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The structure of the essay is very important. It helps students to organize the argument, making the best use of the evidence collected.
Six required elements of the extended essay:
The title page should include only the following information:
If footnotes have been used for anything other than referencing, the word count stated on the coversheet should include the footnotes, with an explicit statement that the stated word count includes explanatory footnotes.
!!! AN IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please note that name of the student or the school should not appear on the title page or on any page headers. This is because the work is assessed anonymously.
A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered. Please note that an index page is not required and if included will be treated as if it is not present.
The introduction should tell the reader what to expect in the essay. The introduction should make clear to the reader the focus of the essay, the scope of the research, in particular an indication of the sources to be used, and an insight into the line of argument to be taken.
While students should have a sense of the direction and key focus of their essay, it is sometimes advisable to finalize the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.
The main task is writing the body of the essay, which should be presented in the form of a reasoned argument. The form of this varies with the subject of the essay but as the argument develops it should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been discovered, where/how it has been discovered and how it supports the argument. In some subjects, for example, the sciences, sub-headings within the main body of the essay will help the reader to understand the argument (and will also help the student to keep on track). In structuring their extended essay, students must take into consideration the expected conventions of the subject in which their extended essay is registered.
Once the main body of the essay is complete, it is possible to finalize the introduction (which tells the reader what to expect) and the conclusion (which says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved).
Any information that is important to the argument must not be included in appendices or footnotes/endnotes. The examiner will not read notes or appendices, so an essay that is not complete in itself will be compromised across the assessment criteria.
The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. While students might draw conclusions throughout the essay based on their findings, it is important that there is a final, summative conclusion at the end. This conclusion(s) must relate to the research question posed.
Students should use their chosen style of academic referencing as soon as they start writing. That way they are less likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a later stage. For more information on this, refer to the guidelines in the IB document Effective citing and referencing.
Writing the essay takes time but if students have used their Researcher's reflection space and reflection sessions in a meaningful way they should be well prepared to develop their arguments.
When writing your extended essay you should use language that is formal and academic in tone.
The chart below gives you some idea of the differences between informal and formal essays.
| Characteristic | Informal Essay (Personal/Familiar Essay) | Formal Essay |
|---|---|---|
| Author’s Viewpoint | Usually uses first-person pronoun; directly addresses the reader. | Usually uses third-person pronoun. |
| Subject/Content: Sources of Evidence | Frequently drawn from the life of the student and everyday events. | More commonly drawn from shared historical events, literature, or other forms of knowledge. |
| Tone | Frequently more personal and subjective; may be ironic, amusing, thoughtful, angry, or serious; conversational and casual. | Tends to be removed from the subject and appears to be objective; holds emotions in check and expresses concerns through strong arguments and powerful rhetorical devices. |
| Structure | Appears to be more loosely structured. | Follows a structure focusing on developing one clear argument at a time to support a clearly stated thesis. |
| Location of Research Purpose/Question | May appear anywhere in the essay; may not be explicitly stated. | Stated explicitly, generally located in the first or second paragraph of the essay. |
| Vocabulary | Everyday words; slang and colloquialisms; contractions; uses “you” and “I”. | Technical words according to subject; no slang or contractions; avoids “you” and “I” (the use of “I” in the introduction and conclusion of an essay is permitted but in the body of the essay is best avoided to maintain an academic tone). |
| Purpose | Entertainment; gentle reflection. | Presentation of facts and ideas with critical evaluation, arguing a point, and analyzing in detail. |
 Do: |
 Do not: |
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Submit the completed draft of your essay on MB by SEP 9
Schedule the 3rd check-in session with your supervisor to discuss the comments
