WRITING THE WSEE
The structure of the essay is very important. It will help you to organise your argument, making the best use of the evidence collected.
There are six required elements of the final work to be submitted. Please note that the order in which these elements are presented here is not necessarily the order in which they should be written.
Six required elements of the extended essay:
1. TITLE PAGE
The title page should include only the following information:
There are six required elements of the final work to be submitted. Please note that the order in which these elements are presented here is not necessarily the order in which they should be written.
Six required elements of the extended essay:
- Title page
- Contents page
- Introduction
- Body of the essay
- Conclusion
- References and bibliography
1. TITLE PAGE
The title page should include only the following information:
- the title of the essay
- the research question
- the subject for which the essay is registered (if a world studies essay also state the theme and the two subjects utilised)
- word count.
Note that your name or the schools name should NOT appear on the title page or on any page headers. This is because the work is assessed anonymously.
2. CONTENTS PAGE
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.
3. INTRODUCTION
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 you should have a sense of the direction and key focus of your essay, it is sometimes advisable to finalise the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.
4. BODY OF THE ESSAY (research, analysis, discussion and evaluation)
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. 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).
Once the main body of the essay is complete, it is possible to finalise 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.
5. CONCLUSION
The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. While you might draw conclusions throughout the essay based on your findings, it is important that there is a final, summative conclusion at the end. This conclusion(s) must relate to the research question posed.
6. REFERENCING & BIBLIOGRAPHY
You should use your chosen style of academic referencing as soon as you start writing. That way you 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.
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.
3. INTRODUCTION
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 you should have a sense of the direction and key focus of your essay, it is sometimes advisable to finalise the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.
4. BODY OF THE ESSAY (research, analysis, discussion and evaluation)
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. 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).
Once the main body of the essay is complete, it is possible to finalise 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.
5. CONCLUSION
The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. While you might draw conclusions throughout the essay based on your findings, it is important that there is a final, summative conclusion at the end. This conclusion(s) must relate to the research question posed.
6. REFERENCING & BIBLIOGRAPHY
You should use your chosen style of academic referencing as soon as you start writing. That way you 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.
Sample Extended Essays
Some sample World Studies EEs can be found below with marks range from 12 out of 36 to full marks. Review these so you get an understanding of what the examiner is looking for in a World Studies EE.
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