how to cite extended essay

Extended Essay: Step 7 - Citing

• Introduction to the EE
• Step 1 - Choose a subject
• World Studies
• Step 3 - The Researchers Reflection Space
• Identify Sources
• Tools for Note Taking
• Video Guides
• Step 5 - Creating Research Questions
• Step 6 - Outlines and Plans
• Step 7 - Citing
• Criteria E - 3 Reflections
• Know Your Criteria
• Criteria D - Check your Formatting
• 4000 words final hand in

Not Rocket Science But Just as Precise

To keep things simple at cis we use mla - for all extended essays..., ...except psychology that uses apa ., miss miller the skill builder, an introduction to citation - watch this ..

How to create an Annotated Bibliography.

Referencing online material

References to online materials should include the title of the extract used as well as the website address, the date it was accessed and, if possible, the author.

In other words,  all electronic sources must be date stamped by including the date the student accessed the resource  (for example, accessed 12 March 2016). Caution should be exercised with information found on websites that do not give references or that cannot be cross-checked against other sources. The more important a particular point is to the essay, the more the quality of its source needs to be evaluated.

Creating an annotated Bibliography - vidguide

16 - what is an annotated bibliography from Joshua Vossler on Vimeo .

Useful, if you cannot find how to write the annotation in Noodletools

Referencing Articles from Databases

JStor, Researchgate, Epsco 

Yes.... . you must be getting articles from these databases. The first thing an examiner looks at is your works cited page. Only having internet sites listed immediately puts you down at the C grade and less level. 

Get articles and cite them properly - DO NOT CITE THE DATABASE cite the article!!

They often have something like this to help you..

definitions

Bibliography

A  bibliography  is an alphabetical list of every source used to research and write the essay. Sources that are not cited in the body of the essay but were important in informing the approach taken should be cited in the introduction or in an acknowledgment. The bibliography  must  list only those sources cited.

A  citation  is a shorthand method of making a reference in the body of an essay, either as an in-text citation or footnote/endnote.  This must then be linked to the full reference at the end of the essay in the bibliography.  A citation provides the reader with accurate references so that he or she can locate the source easily. How sources are cited varies with the particular referencing style that has been chosen. It is important to emphasize that there must be consistency of method when citing sources.

Referencing

A r eference  is a way of indicating to the reader, in an orderly form, where information has been obtained. A reference provides all the information needed to find the source material.  References must be cited because:

• they acknowledge the sources used
• they enable the reader to consult the work and verify the data that has been presented. 

References must be given whenever someone else’s work is quoted or summarized. References can come from many different sources, including books, magazines, journals, newspapers, emails, internet sites and interviews. 

There are a number of different styles available for use when writing research papers; whatever style is chosen, it must be applied consistently and in line with the IB’s minimum requirements.  The style should be applied in both the final draft of the essay and in the initial research stages of taking notes.  This is good practice, not only for producing a high-quality final product, but also for reducing the opportunities and temptation to plagiarize. 

The IB’s minimum requirements include:

• name of author
• date of publication
• title of source
• page numbers (print sources only)
• date of access (electronic sources only)

Any references to interviews should state the name of the interviewer, the name of the interviewee, the date and the place of the interview. 

Two Really Useful Documents to read

For more detailed information on styles for citations and referencing please refer to:

• Effective Citing and Referencing (IBO)  - This is an IB document so needs to be read.
• The Writing Centre - Acknowledging, Paraphrasing and Quoting

What does an Annotated Bibliography look like?

There are different ways this can be done.

Source: Ashley Maxwell, "How to create annotated bibliographies with Noodletools", Youtube, Apr 26 2016,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZk5I43THV4

Another way also recommended by the IB is to utilise the following format - Samples shown from different subject areas.

Annotated Bibliography vs. Literature Review from UCF Libraries on Vimeo .

Noodle Tools

Use NoodleTools for your citations!

• NoodleTools Login Login to access tools for note-taking, outlining, and citation
• NoodleTools Quick Guide for Students This guide covers the following topics: (1) How to create a new account; (2) How to start a new project and a source list; (3) How to create notecards; (4) How to share a project with your teacher; and (5) How to set up a project collaboration with your classmates.
• NoodleTools Help Desk Find tutorials to help with all aspects of using NoodleTools, or submit a help request ticket.
• NoodleTools Quick Guide for Librarians & Teachers This guide covers the following topics: (1) How to create a new account; (2) How to create a new project and add sources and notecards; and (3) How to set up a project inbox to receive student work and provide feedback.

Skills training - when to cite?

Have a go at these 3 modules from Monash University. It is entitled Demystifying Citation.

It will take 30 minutes. Do it and help yourself.

Link:  https://www.monash.edu/rlo/research-writing-assignments/referencing-and-academic-integrity/citing-and-referencing

Citing work that you have Translated

For many of you English is your second language. It is certainly permissable to obtain information from journals and other sources that are in your own language - however, how do you cite this effectively. The following extract is taken from the IB EE forum and was in response to the EE supervisor in the Concordia school in Thailand asking about using Thai language sources. 

It is certainly  permissible to use sources which are not in the language of the essay, but translation into the target language is required , one cannot assume that the reader understands the original language.

It is  usual to quote the original as well as presenting the translation.   [Do not put quotation marks around your translation, just around the original]

Umberto Eco argues ("in Mouse or rat?") that direct translation may lose meaning, paraphrase or use of different idioms may be required to get the ideas across. Paul Bellos ("Is that a fish in your ear?") makes a similar argument - direct translation may confound meaning... Direct translation may not be ideal - meaning and understanding are preferred - so, not to worry that your student with her good Spanish cannot present a direct translation.

What  must be made clear is that the translations are those of the student;  these are her understandings. Readers can make of that what they will - and if unsure, are presented with the original - they can seek another translation.  A note in the acknowledgements and/or in the introduction to the effect that all translations are those of the writer is ... essential.

In response to the question about the  Bibliography/Works cited, my preference would be to list the source in its original Thai version, but perhaps with the English in brackets, to help the examiner.

Your bibliography will have the entries in Thai characters first in the document. Any in-text citation to Thai sources will be in (Thai characters [English translation]).

Citation in Thai [English translation]

Works Cited Example:

Wongpunya, Thanakorn. “โรงงานยาสูบรวยแค่ไหน และเอาเงินไปทำอะไรบ้าง.”  [How rich is the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly and where does the money go?] (candidate translation). The Standard, The Standard, 30 Aug. 2018, thestandard.co/thailand-tobacco-monopoly/.

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IB Extended Essay: In-Text Citations

• Research Questions
• Past Essays
• Notes & Outlines
• Works Cited Page
• In-Text Citations
• Assessment Criteria
• Reflections
• Supervisor Info
• Net Valley Library This link opens in a new window

• Direct Quotations
• Common Knowledge

You should cite when:

• Referring to a source and stating someone else's opinions, thoughts, ideas, or research

When referring to a source, you have 3 options:

• Directly Quoting 
• Summarizing 
• Paraphrase 

Which option you should choose depends on how much of a source you are using, how you are using it, and what kind of paper you are writing--since different fields use sources in different ways.

You do not need to cite a source for:

• Your thoughts and your interpretations
• Common knowledge​

via, Otis Library

What is a direct quotation?  

"Must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author."

• If summarizing or paraphrasing cannot capture the essence or meaning of the text 
• To retain a specific or unique phrasing used by the source's author
• If you are analyzing the text itself (often in English or language classes)

Be advised:

Most of the time when you cite a source, you want to summarize or paraphrase. Direct quotations should be used sparingly when the situation meets the criteria above. When you do use direct quotations:

• Do not take the quote out of context. The author's meaning should not change.
• Be sure to integrate multiple sources within your text. You don't want to have a paper or a passage that seems to have come only from one source, with little original text from you.
• Use transitions to make sure your quote adds to your paper without interrupting its flow.

How to Cite a Direct Quotation:   

• Place  quotation marks  around the entire word-for-word passage, whether it's a phrase or a sentence.
• Attribute with an  in-text citation ; most citation styles request that you provide a  page or paragraph number  when directly citing.  
• If your quotation is longer, check with your citation style guide to see if additional formatting is necessary (block quotations, for example). 

via,  Otis Library

What is a Summary?

"Involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s).... Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material." 

"Similar to paraphrasing, summarizing involves using your own words and writing style to express another author's ideas. Unlike the paraphrase, which presents important details, the summary presents only the most important ideas of the passage."

• To provide necessary background information for your audience
• When broad, concise information will suffice 

How to cite a summary:  

• Attribute with an in-text citation; some citation styles request that you provide a page or paragragh number whenever available.
• You should not be using any word-for-word quotations or language unique to the source, so you do NOT need quotation marks around your summary

What is a paraphrase? 

"A paraphrase is a detailed restatement in your own words of a written or sometimes spoken source material. Apart from the changes in organization, wording, and sentence structure, the paraphrase should be nearly identical in meaning to the original passage. It should also be near the same length as the original passage and present the details of the original."

Paraphrasing is "your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form."

• "When the wording is less important than the meaning of the source"
• If a summary would not provide enough specific details

How to cite a paraphrase:  

• Attribute with an in-text citation; some citation styles request that you provide a page or paragraph number whenever available.
• When paraphrasing, you must change both the sentence structure and language of the original text.  Therefore, since you will be changing the text, you do NOT need quotation marks around your paraphrase

Common Knowledge:

It doesn't necessarily mean that most people would know it offhand. And sometimes it's a judgment call because what seems like common knowledge to one person isn't to another. Here are good rules of thumb:

• If you can find the same information in multiple places, stated in relatively the same way, it's common knowledge  (Generally, it is said that you should find the information three to five sources)
• If most people are aware of this fact, or if it's general reference, it's common knowledge

Caution:    Opinions and unique terminology/phrasing do not qualify as common knowledge.

In-text Citations from Imagine Easy Solutions on Vimeo .

How do I write an MLA parenthetical (also called "in-text") reference?

Next to each citation you create in NoodleTools, you'll find a link titled "In-text reference." Click the link to get information about how to refer to that particular entry in-text, as well as a list of rules to follow for parenthetical references in general. We've listed that information here as well for your convenience.

What is a parenthetical reference?

A parenthetical reference is a reference within the body of your paper to one of the sources listed in your Works Cited list. It indicates to your reader exactly what you derived from the source, and specifically where they can find it. You need to write a parenthetical, or "in-text" reference, whether you quote the material directly from the source, paraphrase it in your own words, or refer to an idea derived from the material.

What typically goes in an MLA-style parenthetical reference?

The information that you need to include depends on what type of source the material comes from. For printed material, you normally only need to include the  author(s)  (or  title  if there is no author) and  page number(s)  in your reference. For multi-volume works like encyclopedias, you may also need to include a  volume number  (see Rules 6 and 7 below). For Internet sources, sometimes an alternative to page numbers, such as  paragraph numbers , are cited.

The information described above can be either included in the sentence that you write, or added in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

What other rules do I need to know to write a parenthetical reference?

Rule 1: Placement The parentheses are usually placed at the end of a sentence, between the last word and the period. If you are quoting material directly, the parentheses should go between the closing quotation mark and the period:

Rule 2: Sentence vs. parentheses Only information that is not already contained in your sentence is necessary in the parenthetical reference. For example, in the following example the author's last name, Smith, is already stated, so only the page numbers are necessary within the parentheses:

Rule 3: When author names are similar or the same Information you provide in the parenthetical reference should distinguish exactly which work in your source list you are referring to. Add a first initial or whole first name if the last name is not unique in your source list, or add the title of the work if there is more than one work by the same author. For example:

Rule 4: When there is no author If the work is listed and alphabetized in your source list by its title (no author), then you should refer to it in the parenthetical reference by its title as well. The title may be shortened to just the first word (not including articles like "The" and "A"), and should be quoted or underlined if it is quoted or underlined in your source list. For example:

Rule 5: Page numbers and other numbering systems Sources sometimes use alternate numbering systems like sections (sec.), chapters (ch.), books (bk.), parts (pt.), verses, lines, acts, or scenes. Content within online sources can often only be referenced by paragraph number. If an alternate numbering system is used, include that information instead of page numbers. Note that a comma is used after the author (or title) in this case.

Occasionally, you may find that page numbers are available  in addition to  these other numbering systems. In this case, it is helpful to include both; provide the page number first, followed by a semicolon, and then the other identifying information. An example follows:

An exception to this rule is that when you are citing a classic verse play or poem, it is standard to omit page numbers even if they are given, and instead cite by division (act, scene, canto, book, part) and line. Divisions and the line number(s) are separated with periods, as in the following examples:

Rule 6: When to cite the volume number If you are referring to a multi-volume work like an encyclopedia  AND  you used more than one volume of that work in your paper, then your parenthetical reference should include the volume number you used, as in the following example where we are referring to pages 5-6 of the third volume:

Rule 7: Referring to an entire work If you are referring to an entire work (like an opera or an entire novel) and not a specific section of the work, state the author and/or title within the sentence, and do not add any further information in parentheses. For example:

An exception to the rule above is that if you are citing an entire volume of a multi-volume work, you should include the volume number (either within the sentence, or in parentheses as shown below). Note that we use the abbreviation  vol.  when page numbers are not provided, unlike the example for Rule 5.

Rule 8: Quoting or paraphrasing a quotation If what you quote or paraphrase in your paper is itself a quotation in the source, add the phrase "qtd. in" to the parenthetical reference as shown here:

There are several citation styles out there. SIS uses MLA 9; however, speak with your supervisor or librarian if you'd like to choose a different one. Whichever you choose, BE CONSISTENT with citions and works cited page. 

Scan to install the SIS Citation app

Choose CLEVER to log-in

Video : How to log-in

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Extended Essay: MLA Works Cited & In-Text Citations

• Extended Essay- The Basics
• Step 1. Choose a Subject
• Step 2. Educate yourself!
• Using Brainstorming and Mind Maps
• Identify Keywords
• Do Background Reading
• Define Your Topic
• Conduct Research in a Specific Discipline
• Step 5. Draft a Research Question
• Step 6. Create a Timeline
• Find Articles
• Find Primary Sources
• Get Help from Experts
• Search Engines, Repositories, & Directories
• Databases and Websites by Subject Area
• Create an Annotated Bibliography
• Advice (and Warnings) from the IB
• Chicago Citation Syle
• MLA Works Cited & In-Text Citations
• Step 9. Set Deadlines for Yourself
• Step 10. Plan a structure for your essay
• Evaluate & Select: the CRAAP Test
• Conducting Secondary Research
• Conducting Primary Research
• Formal vs. Informal Writing
• Presentation Requirements
• Evaluating Your Work

MLA In-Text Citations

General Guidelines

Basic in-text citation rules.

In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).  Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967. Print.

See Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide -  MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics   for detailed explanations and examples of in-text citations from different sources.

Quick MLA In-Text Citation Guide

Mla parenthetical (in-text) citation quick guide, place the parenthetical citation where there is a pause in the sentence - normally before the end of a sentence or a comma. a period comes at the end of each citation., extra help with citing literary, classic and religious works, citing literary, classic, and religious works.

For works such as novels, plays and other classic works , it’s helpful to provide further identifying information along with the page information. Do this by adding a semicolon and then the identifying information following the page number .

(Tolstoy 5; pt. 2, ch. 3).

When citing c lassic poems and plays , replace page numbers with division numbers (part, book, scene, act).  The example below refers to book 10 line 5. Bear in mind the divisions and the way they are written can vary by source.

Fear plays a role in Homer’s Odyssey (10.5).

The titles of books in the Bible and other famous literary works should be abbreviated.

(New Jerusalem Bible, Gen. 2.6-9).

Extra Help with Placing Parenthetical Citations in Direct Quotations

Placing parenthetical citations in direct quotations.

When  directly quoting  a source, place the parenthetical citation  after the quote.

Sanders explains that economic woes are due to “the mortgage crisis and poor risk assessment” (20).  

Place the parenthetical citation at the end of an indented quotation.  There should be no period after the parenthetical citation.  The last sentence of the indented quote should look like:

It’s unclear whether multilateral tariffs are disruptive to bilateral talks. (Evert 30-31)

Extra Help with Long Quotes

Long quotes.

When quoting four lines or more,  indent every line you are quoting by one inch  (or 10 spaces) and  do not use quotes.  For example:

The use of nuclear weapons in today’s society is strikingly alarming. Though the United States is the only country to employ it in the past, they are at the same time the country that condemns its use the most. While this may seem hypocritical, is it the most proper action for the United States to make as the global leader. (Taparia 9)

Acknowledgment

The MLA Parenthetical (In-text) Citation Quick Guide  and Extra Help boxes were based on the ones found in the   I.B. Theatre - Director's Notebook guide  created by Nancy O'Donnell, School Library Media Specialist, for Kenmore West High School Library in Kenmore, New York.

How Are Those Citations & Works Cited Coming Along?

Any information you use that comes from another source must be cited both in  and  after the paper. This means only including a works cited page at the end of the paper is not sufficient.  You must also include parenthetical, or in-text, citations after each piece of information you reference.

Quick Links

The librarian is always happy to help you!

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the complete ib extended essay guide: examples, topics, and ideas.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB students around the globe fear writing the Extended Essay, but it doesn't have to be a source of stress! In this article, I'll get you excited about writing your Extended Essay and provide you with the resources you need to get an A on it.

If you're reading this article, I'm going to assume you're an IB student getting ready to write your Extended Essay. If you're looking at this as a potential future IB student, I recommend reading our introductory IB articles first, including our guide to what the IB program is and our full coverage of the IB curriculum .

IB Extended Essay: Why Should You Trust My Advice?

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma, and I happened to receive an A on my IB Extended Essay. Don't believe me? The proof is in the IBO pudding:

If you're confused by what this report means, EE is short for Extended Essay , and English A1 is the subject that my Extended Essay topic coordinated with. In layman's terms, my IB Diploma was graded in May 2010, I wrote my Extended Essay in the English A1 category, and I received an A grade on it.

What Is the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Extended Essay, or EE , is a mini-thesis you write under the supervision of an IB advisor (an IB teacher at your school), which counts toward your IB Diploma (learn more about the major IB Diploma requirements in our guide) . I will explain exactly how the EE affects your Diploma later in this article.

For the Extended Essay, you will choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay on your findings . The essay itself is a long one—although there's a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit.

Keep in mind that the IB requires this essay to be a "formal piece of academic writing," meaning you'll have to do outside research and cite additional sources.

The IB Extended Essay must include the following:

• A title page
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography

Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories , or IB subject groups, which are as follows:

• Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
• Group 2: Language Acquisition
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: The Arts

Once you figure out your category and have identified a potential research topic, it's time to pick your advisor, who is normally an IB teacher at your school (though you can also find one online ). This person will help direct your research, and they'll conduct the reflection sessions you'll have to do as part of your Extended Essay.

As of 2018, the IB requires a "reflection process" as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IB calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are not only mandatory but are also part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research methods.

According to the IB, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." Basically, these meetings give your supervisor the opportunity to offer feedback, push you to think differently, and encourage you to evaluate your research process.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short 10- to 15-minute interview between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report, which factors into your EE grade.

Here are the topics covered in your viva voce :

• A check on plagiarism and malpractice
• Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
• Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then be sent to the IB to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

We'll help you learn how to have those "lightbulb" moments...even on test day!  

What Should You Write About in Your IB Extended Essay?

You can technically write about anything, so long as it falls within one of the approved categories listed above.

It's best to choose a topic that matches one of the IB courses , (such as Theatre, Film, Spanish, French, Math, Biology, etc.), which shouldn't be difficult because there are so many class subjects.

Here is a range of sample topics with the attached extended essay:

• Biology: The Effect of Age and Gender on the Photoreceptor Cells in the Human Retina
• Chemistry: How Does Reflux Time Affect the Yield and Purity of Ethyl Aminobenzoate (Benzocaine), and How Effective is Recrystallisation as a Purification Technique for This Compound?
• English: An Exploration of Jane Austen's Use of the Outdoors in Emma
• Geography: The Effect of Location on the Educational Attainment of Indigenous Secondary Students in Queensland, Australia
• Math: Alhazen's Billiard Problem
• Visual Arts: Can Luc Tuymans Be Classified as a Political Painter?

You can see from how varied the topics are that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to picking a topic . So how do you pick when the options are limitless?

How to Write a Stellar IB Extended Essay: 6 Essential Tips

Below are six key tips to keep in mind as you work on your Extended Essay for the IB DP. Follow these and you're sure to get an A!

#1: Write About Something You Enjoy

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. For example, I just love British theatre and ended up writing my Extended Essay on a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. (Yes, I'm definitely a #TheatreNerd.)

I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC's School of Dramatic Arts program. In my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay; thus, I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship.

But how do you find a topic you're passionate about? Start by thinking about which classes you enjoy the most and why . Do you like math classes because you like to solve problems? Or do you enjoy English because you like to analyze literary texts?

Keep in mind that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing your Extended Essay topic. You're not more likely to get high marks because you're writing about science, just like you're not doomed to failure because you've chosen to tackle the social sciences. The quality of what you produce—not the field you choose to research within—will determine your grade.

Once you've figured out your category, you should brainstorm more specific topics by putting pen to paper . What was your favorite chapter you learned in that class? Was it astrophysics or mechanics? What did you like about that specific chapter? Is there something you want to learn more about? I recommend spending a few hours on this type of brainstorming.

One last note: if you're truly stumped on what to research, pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career . That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your college essays (and it will prepare you for your studies to come too!).

#2: Select a Topic That Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. You need to write about something specific, but not so specific that you can't write 4,000 words on it.

You can't write about WWII because that would be a book's worth of material. You also don't want to write about what type of soup prisoners of war received behind enemy lines, because you probably won’t be able to come up with 4,000 words of material about it. However, you could possibly write about how the conditions in German POW camps—and the rations provided—were directly affected by the Nazis' successes and failures on the front, including the use of captured factories and prison labor in Eastern Europe to increase production. WWII military history might be a little overdone, but you get my point.

If you're really stuck trying to pinpoint a not-too-broad-or-too-narrow topic, I suggest trying to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison. Once you begin looking through the list of sample essays below, you'll notice that many use comparisons to formulate their main arguments.

I also used a comparison in my EE, contrasting Harold Pinter's Party Time with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in order to show a transition in British theatre. Topics with comparisons of two to three plays, books, and so on tend to be the sweet spot. You can analyze each item and then compare them with one another after doing some in-depth analysis of each individually. The ways these items compare and contrast will end up forming the thesis of your essay!

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant. I compared two plays to illustrate the transition in British theatre, but you could compare the ways different regional dialects affect people's job prospects or how different temperatures may or may not affect the mating patterns of lightning bugs. The point here is that comparisons not only help you limit your topic, but they also help you build your argument.

Comparisons are not the only way to get a grade-A EE, though. If after brainstorming, you pick a non-comparison-based topic and are still unsure whether your topic is too broad or narrow, spend about 30 minutes doing some basic research and see how much material is out there.

If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it may be too narrow. If you're still unsure, ask your advisor—it's what they're there for! Speaking of advisors...

Don't get stuck with a narrow topic!

#3: Choose an Advisor Who Is Familiar With Your Topic

If you're not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, create a list of your top three choices. Next, write down the pros and cons of each possibility (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).

For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher and we get along really well, but he teaches English. For my EE, I want to conduct an experiment that compares the efficiency of American electric cars with foreign electric cars.

I had Ms. White a year ago. She teaches physics and enjoyed having me in her class. Unlike Mr. Green, Ms. White could help me design my experiment.

Based on my topic and what I need from my advisor, Ms. White would be a better fit for me than would Mr. Green (even though I like him a lot).

The moral of my story is this: do not just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor . They might be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. For example, I would not recommend asking your biology teacher to guide you in writing an English literature-based EE.

There can, of course, be exceptions to this rule. If you have a teacher who's passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my theatre topic), you could ask that instructor. Consider all your options before you do this. There was no theatre teacher at my high school, so I couldn't find a theatre-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.

Before you approach a teacher to serve as your advisor, check with your high school to see what requirements they have for this process. Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form , for instance.

Make sure that you ask your IB coordinator whether there is any required paperwork to fill out. If your school needs a specific form signed, bring it with you when you ask your teacher to be your EE advisor.

#4: Pick an Advisor Who Will Push You to Be Your Best

Some teachers might just take on students because they have to and aren't very passionate about reading drafts, only giving you minimal feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts of your essay and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make my Extended Essay draft better.

Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have absolutely no connection to. If a teacher already knows you, that means they already know your strengths and weaknesses, so they know what to look for, where you need to improve, and how to encourage your best work.

Also, don't forget that your supervisor's assessment is part of your overall EE score . If you're meeting with someone who pushes you to do better—and you actually take their advice—they'll have more impressive things to say about you than a supervisor who doesn't know you well and isn't heavily involved in your research process.

Be aware that the IB only allows advisors to make suggestions and give constructive criticism. Your teacher cannot actually help you write your EE. The IB recommends that the supervisor spends approximately two to three hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.

#5: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organization will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about eight to 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. For example, if you were doing a comparison, you might have one third of your body as Novel A Analysis, another third as Novel B Analysis, and the final third as your comparison of Novels A and B.

If you're conducting an experiment or analyzing data, such as in this EE , your EE body should have a clear structure that aligns with the scientific method ; you should state the research question, discuss your method, present the data, analyze the data, explain any uncertainties, and draw a conclusion and/or evaluate the success of the experiment.

#6: Start Writing Sooner Rather Than Later!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Each school has a slightly different deadline for the Extended Essay. Some schools want them as soon as November of your senior year; others will take them as late as February. Your school will tell you what your deadline is. If they haven't mentioned it by February of your junior year, ask your IB coordinator about it.

Some high schools will provide you with a timeline of when you need to come up with a topic, when you need to meet with your advisor, and when certain drafts are due. Not all schools do this. Ask your IB coordinator if you are unsure whether you are on a specific timeline.

Below is my recommended EE timeline. While it's earlier than most schools, it'll save you a ton of heartache (trust me, I remember how hard this process was!):

• January/February of Junior Year: Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options).
• February of Junior Year: Approach a teacher about being your EE advisor. If they decline, keep asking others until you find one. See my notes above on how to pick an EE advisor.
• April/May of Junior Year: Submit an outline of your EE and a bibliography of potential research sources (I recommend at least seven to 10) to your EE advisor. Meet with your EE advisor to discuss your outline.
• Summer Between Junior and Senior Year: Complete your first full draft over the summer between your junior and senior year. I know, I know—no one wants to work during the summer, but trust me—this will save you so much stress come fall when you are busy with college applications and other internal assessments for your IB classes. You will want to have this first full draft done because you will want to complete a couple of draft cycles as you likely won't be able to get everything you want to say into 4,000 articulate words on the first attempt. Try to get this first draft into the best possible shape so you don't have to work on too many revisions during the school year on top of your homework, college applications, and extracurriculars.
• August/September of Senior Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft.
• September/October of Senior Year: Submit the second draft of your EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft.
• November-February of Senior Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate.

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor . (Your teachers will actually take notes on these sessions on a form like this one , which then gets submitted to the IB.)

I recommend doing them when you get feedback on your drafts, but these meetings will ultimately be up to your supervisor. Just don't forget to do them!

The early bird DOES get the worm!

How Is the IB Extended Essay Graded?

Extended Essays are graded by examiners appointed by the IB on a scale of 0 to 34 . You'll be graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points. You can learn more about how EE scoring works by reading the IB guide to extended essays .

• Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

How well you do on each of these criteria will determine the final letter grade you get for your EE. You must earn at least a D to be eligible to receive your IB Diploma.

Although each criterion has a point value, the IB explicitly states that graders are not converting point totals into grades; instead, they're using qualitative grade descriptors to determine the final grade of your Extended Essay . Grade descriptors are on pages 102-103 of this document .

Here's a rough estimate of how these different point values translate to letter grades based on previous scoring methods for the EE. This is just an estimate —you should read and understand the grade descriptors so you know exactly what the scorers are looking for.

Here is the breakdown of EE scores (from the May 2021 bulletin):

How Does the Extended Essay Grade Affect Your IB Diploma?

The Extended Essay grade is combined with your TOK (Theory of Knowledge) grade to determine how many points you get toward your IB Diploma.

To learn about Theory of Knowledge or how many points you need to receive an IB Diploma, read our complete guide to the IB program and our guide to the IB Diploma requirements .

This diagram shows how the two scores are combined to determine how many points you receive for your IB diploma (3 being the most, 0 being the least). In order to get your IB Diploma, you have to earn 24 points across both categories (the TOK and EE). The highest score anyone can earn is 45 points.

Let's say you get an A on your EE and a B on TOK. You will get 3 points toward your Diploma. As of 2014, a student who scores an E on either the extended essay or TOK essay will not be eligible to receive an IB Diploma .

Prior to the class of 2010, a Diploma candidate could receive a failing grade in either the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge and still be awarded a Diploma, but this is no longer true.

Figuring out how you're assessed can be a little tricky. Luckily, the IB breaks everything down here in this document . (The assessment information begins on page 219.)

40+ Sample Extended Essays for the IB Diploma Programme

In case you want a little more guidance on how to get an A on your EE, here are over 40 excellent (grade A) sample extended essays for your reading pleasure. Essays are grouped by IB subject.

• Business Management 1
• Chemistry 1
• Chemistry 2
• Chemistry 3
• Chemistry 4
• Chemistry 5
• Chemistry 6
• Chemistry 7
• Computer Science 1
• Economics 1
• Design Technology 1
• Design Technology 2
• Environmental Systems and Societies 1
• Geography 1
• Geography 2
• Geography 3
• Geography 4
• Geography 5
• Geography 6
• Literature and Performance 1
• Mathematics 1
• Mathematics 2
• Mathematics 3
• Mathematics 4
• Mathematics 5
• Philosophy 1
• Philosophy 2
• Philosophy 3
• Philosophy 4
• Philosophy 5
• Psychology 1
• Psychology 2
• Psychology 3
• Psychology 4
• Psychology 5
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 1
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 2
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 3
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 1
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2
• Visual Arts 1
• Visual Arts 2
• Visual Arts 3
• Visual Arts 4
• Visual Arts 5
• World Religion 1
• World Religion 2
• World Religion 3

What's Next?

Trying to figure out what extracurriculars you should do? Learn more about participating in the Science Olympiad , starting a club , doing volunteer work , and joining Student Government .

Studying for the SAT? Check out our expert study guide to the SAT . Taking the SAT in a month or so? Learn how to cram effectively for this important test .

Not sure where you want to go to college? Read our guide to finding your target school . Also, determine your target SAT score or target ACT score .

As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography.

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Extended Essay: Writing & Citing

• Getting started
• Organizational tools
• NoodleTools
• In-text citations
• Image sources and labelling (including graphs, charts, and other visuals)
• Reflecting on the process
• Criterion C: Critical thinking
• Ethics of AI
• Timeline 2025 Cohort

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography for the Extended Essay

Early in the Extended Essay process, are required to submit an annotated bibliography summarizing and evaluating five sources . For each source you need to provide full bibliographic information (a compete MLA8 citation), and write a detailed annotation (paragraph) demonstrating your understanding of the source and its relevance to your larger research project. To structure your annotations, choose one of the following models:

OPCVL (best for History, Economics and Business & Management):

• The origin of the source. ( Who wrote it? Who published it? When? Where?)
• The purpose of the source, particularly relevant for primary sources . (Who is the intended audience of the source? What are they meant to get from it)
• A summary of the content of the source
• The value of the source for your research ( How does this source help you to explore your research question? How might you use it in your final paper?)
• The limitations of the source. ( What questions does this source raise? What perspective does the source take? Does the information contrast with other sources? Does it present a balanced view?) 

Purdue Online Writing Lab guidelines (available here ):

• Summarize the main argument or the main ideas in the source. What is it about?
• Assess the reliability of the source. Who wrote it? Is it current, relevant, authoritative, accurate and what is the author’s purpose?
• Reflect on the usefulness of this source to your extended essay. How will you use it to help you answer your research question? Where does it fit or how does it compare to other sources you’ve used? How has it changed or expanded your thinking? Does it raise new questions for your research?
• Annotated Bibliography sample Visit this OWL Purdue site to see an example of an MLA-formatted annotated bibliography written at a university level. You do not, necessarily, include this much detail for each of the three categories (summarize, assess and reflect).
• Annotated Bibliography sample in Google Docs This link takes you to a Google Doc template you can make a copy of and make your own.

MLA formatting quotations

The following is taken directly from the Purdue Online Writing Lab :

SHORT QUOTATIONS

To indicate short quotations (four typed lines or fewer of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page number (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the in-text citation, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation.

Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage, but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.

For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples:

According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.

According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184).

Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)?

LONG QUOTATIONS

For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented  1/2   inch  from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come  after the closing punctuation mark . When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)

For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples:

Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: 

They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

Strategies for Essay Writing from the Harvard Writing Center

The Harvard Writing Center has "concise advice on some fundamental elements of academic writing." You can find advice on each stage of the writing process on their site.

During the later stages of writing, you should take the time to visit the entries Ending the Essay: Conclusions , Revising the Draft , and Editing the Essay Part 1 , and Part 2 .

Online sources for documenting sources

• NoodleTools You can use NoodleTools to keep track of your sources and to create your Works Cited very easily and correctly formatted.

Use the citation tool in Google

Citing sources originally written in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian or Mongolian

Hao, Chunwen 郝春文.  Tang houqi wudai Songchu Dunhuang sengni de shehui shenghuo  唐后期五代宋初敦煌僧尼的社会生活 [The social existence of monks and nuns in Dunhuang during the late Tang, Five Dynasties and early Song]. Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe, 1998.

Journal article

Kondō, Shigekazu 近藤成一.  " Yēru Daigaku Shozō Harima no Kuni Ōbe no Shō Kankei Monjo ni tsuite" イェール大学所蔵播磨国大部庄関係文書について [On Harima no Kuni Ōbe no Shō Kankei Monjo at Yale University Collection]. Tōkyō:  Tokyō Daigaku Shiryō Hensanjo  Kenkyū  Kiyō 23   (March 2013) : 1-22. 

Newspaper article

Joo, Yong-jung 주용중, and Chung, Woo-sang 정우상. “Miseo gwangubyeong bal-saeng-hamyeon suip jungdan” 美서 광우병 발생하면 수입 중단 [Will Suspend the Import if Mad Cow Disease Attacks in the United States].  Chosun Ilbo  朝鮮日報 8 May, 2008: A1.

Database article

Beijing Airusheng shuzihua jishu yanjiu zhongxin 北京爱如生数字化技术研究中心.  Zhongguo jiben guji ku  中国基本古籍库 [Database of Chinese Classic Ancient Books], [include the URL]. Accessed [date].

Note: formatting should adhere to MLA requirements with the first line flush with the left margin and the second and subsequent lines indented. I was unable to replicate that formatting here.

MLA Checklist

• MLA Checklist Use this checklist to ensure you have met all of the formatting and citation expectations.

Videos to support your understanding of MLA requirements

Useful links for MLA formatting

• In-text citiations (Purdue OWL) This source details the correct formatting for a wide variety of types of texts and offers examples of both paraphrasing and quoting directly.
• MLA Formatting Quotations (Purdue OWL) Use this page to help you learn/review formatting for shorter and longer quotations.
• MLA Sample Works Cited Page (Purdue OWL) This page provides an example of a Works Cited page in MLA 2016 format.
• MLA Sample Paper (Purdue OWL) This resource contains a sample MLA paper that adheres to the 2016 updates. NOTE: The EE has very specific cover page requirements. Your EE should omit your name in the header and omit your name, your teacher's name, course and date on page 1.

Essay resources at the ISU Library

• They Say / I Say sentence frames

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IB DP Extended Essay: Citations & Referencing

• Define Topic & Develop Research Questions
• Locate Resources
• Lit Reviews
• Integrating Quotes & Paraphrasing
• Citations & Referencing
• Back to Secondary
• Back to BIS Library Home

Using MyBib to keep track of sources

Helpful Website About Harvard In-Text Citation

This website from Birmingham City University Library has some helpful examples of how you can integrate and cite your sources in-text (in the body of the essay).

How to use Turnitin in Managebac

• Sample Harvard Reference List

Barros, B., Read, T. & Verdejo, M. F. (2008) Virtual collaborative experimentation: an approach combining remote and local labs. IEEE Transactions on Education . 51 (2), 242–250. Available from: doi:10.1109/TE.2007.908071.

Department of Health. (2009) Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy . Available from: www.gov.uk/government/publications/living-well-with-dementiaa-national-dementia-strategy [Accessed 4th June 2015].

Errami, M. & Garner, H. (2008) A tale of two citations. Nature. 451 (7177), 397–399. 13

Goldacre, B. (2008a) Dore – the media’s miracle cure for dyslexia. Bad Science . Weblog. Available from: http://www.badscience.net/2008/05/dore-the-medias-miracle-cure-fordyslexia/#more-705 [Accessed 19th June 2015].

Goldacre, B. (2008b) Trivial Disputes. Bad Science . Weblog. Available from: http://www.badscience.net/2008/02/trivial-disputes-2/ [Accessed 19th June 2015].

Henderson, J. (2005) Google Scholar: A source for clinicians? Canadian Medical Association Journal . 172 (12), 1549–1550.

Holding, M. Y., Saulino, M. F., Overton, E. A., Kornbluth, I. D. & Freedman, M. K. (2008) Interventions in Chronic Pain Management. 1. Update on Important Definitions in Pain Management. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , 89 (3, Supplement 1), S38–S40.

Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2016) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide . Palgrave study skills. 10th ed. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Ramalho, R., Helffrich, G., Schmidt, D.N. & Vance, D. (2010) Tracers of uplift and subsidence in the Cape Verde archipelago. Journal of the Geological Society . 167 (3), 519–538. Available from: doi:10.1144/0016-76492009-056.

Simons, N. E., Menzies, B. & Matthews, M. (2001) A Short Course in Soil and Rock Slope Engineering . London, Thomas Telford Publishing. Available from: http://www.myilibrary. com?ID=93941 [Accessed 18th June 2015].

Smith, A. (2004) Making mathematics count: the report of Professor Adrian Smith’s inquiry into post-14 mathematics education. London, The Stationery Office. Writing a reference list 14

Van Alphen, K., Voorst, Q. V. T., Kekkert, M. P. & Smits, R.E.H.M. (2007) Societal acceptance of carbon capture and storage technologies. Energy Policy . 35 (8), 4368–4380.

With thanks to Imperial College London Citing & Referencing Guide

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite an Essay in MLA

How to Cite an Essay in MLA

The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).

Citing an Essay

Mla essay citation structure.

Last, First M. “Essay Title.” Collection Title, edited by First M. Last, Publisher, year published, page numbers. Website Title , URL (if applicable).

MLA Essay Citation Example

Gupta, Sanjay. “Balancing and Checking.” Essays on Modern Democracy, edited by Bob Towsky, Brook Stone Publishers, 1996, pp. 36-48. Essay Database, www . databaseforessays.org/modern/modern-democracy.

MLA Essay In-text Citation Structure

(Last Name Page #)

MLA Essay In-text Citation Example

Click here to cite an essay via an EasyBib citation form.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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To cite your sources in an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author’s name(s), chapter title, book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry for essay sources and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. For subsequent citations, use only the surname(s). In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author(s).

Citation in prose:

First mention: Annette Wheeler Cafarelli

Subsequent occurrences: Wheeler Cafarelli

Parenthetical:

….(Wheeler Cafarelli).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the chapter is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Cafarelli, Annette Wheeler. “Rousseau and British Romanticism: Women and British Romanticism.” Cultural Interactions in the Romantic Age: Critical Essays in Comparative Literature , edited by Gregory Maertz. State U of New York P, 1998, pp. 125–56.

To cite an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), the essay title, the book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for citations in prose, parenthetical citations, and works-cited-list entries for an essay by multiple authors, and some examples, are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine).

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick).

For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Mary Strine and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Strine and others).

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname. For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Strine and Radick). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

First mention: Mary Strine…

Subsequent mention: Strine…

First mention: Mary Strine and Beth Radick…

Subsequent mention: Strine and Radick…

First mention: Mary Strine and colleagues …. or Mary Strine and others

Subsequent occurrences: Strine and colleagues …. or Strine and others

…. (Strine).

….(Strine and Radick).

….(Strine et al.).

The title of the essay is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name, et al. “Title of the Essay.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Strine, Mary M., et al. “Research in Interpretation and Performance Studies: Trends, Issues, Priorities.” Speech Communication: Essays to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Speech Communication Association , edited by Gerald M. Phillips and Julia T. Wood, Southern Illinois UP, 1990, pp. 181–204.

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Extended Essay: Formatting your EE

Introduction.

• Subject Guidance & Proposal Forms
• 8 Simple Steps to writing an Academic Essay... and Outlines!
• Finding a Topic
• Academic Sources of Information
• Researcher's Spaces
• Reflections
• IB Resources for Students
• Citations and Referencing - IB REQUIREMENTS
• In-Text Citations
• Formatting your EE
• Ms Sally's Presentations

PLEASE NOTE

All final submissions must be made in pdf format to these 4 places:, google classroom, emailed to your supervisor, formal presentation basics.

All essays must follow this format:

• Standard Margins (1-inch or 2.5 cm margins)
• 12-point, readable font (Arial is recommended)
• Double-spaced
• Page Numbers start on the Table of Contents 
• No Candidate or School name  is to appear anywhere in the document
• Title of the Essay
• Research Question
• Subject for which the Essay is registered
• Category - If a Language A or B Essay
• Theme & 2 Subjects utilized - If a World Studies Essay
• Contents Page
• annotated illustrations and tables
• formulas and calculations
• parenthetical or numbered
• footnotes or endnotes
• Bibliography
• The RPPF Form
• The Research and Writing Process: Word Counts
• The Research and Writing Process: Footnotes and Endnotes

Table of Contents

• Labelled "Table of Contents" in 12-point, readable font (Arial is recommended)
• Headings and subheadings within the body of the essay may be included

References and Bibliography

• Topic, purpose and focus of the research clearly identified and explained
• Research Question bolded within the introduction and phrased as on the title page
• Methodology of research and insight into the line of argument

Body of the Essay

The body of the essay must:

• Examiners will not read appendices, endnotes or footnotes, so all essential elements to your argument must be included in the body of the essay
• Include headings and sub-headings as appropriate to the subject 

Your conclusion must be:

• A Summative conclusion based on the information presented in the body of the essay
• A Conclusion linked directly to the research question
• Notes of limitations and unresolved questions (as appropriate) can be included

Your References and Bibliography must follow this format:

• Cross-referenced: each reference in the essay is ticked off in the bibliography to ensure all references are included and no extraneous references exist
• All tables, charts, diagrams, illustrations etc. must be clearly labelled and referenced in the body of the essay
• References are presented alphabetically 
• Use hanging indents for all entries
• Include Date Accessed or Retrieved for websites (as outlined on the IB Requirements page)
• Remove all hyperlinks
• The Research and Writing Process: Tables
• The Research and Writing Process: Illustrations

Appendices should only be used if required by the subject discipline:

• Appendices titled
• Headings labeled
• Included in the Table of Contents
• Reliance on external resources such as DVDs, music, specimen materials etc. is not permitted
• The Research and Writing Process: Reliance on External Materials
• The Research and Writing Process: Specimen Materials
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Extended Essay (IB): Finding and selecting sources

• The Inquiry Process
• EE Seminar 1
• EE Seminar 2
• IT Workshop 1
• EE Investigation Days
• EE Writing Days
• Choosing a subject and topic
• Developing a line of inquiry
• Finding and selecting sources
• Working with ideas
• Expressing your ideas
• Using ManageBac
• Supervisor resources
• Who can help?

Introduction

There is a huge range of resources available to you, and your most important task at this stage will be filtering these sources and using your time as efficiently as possible.

Start by looking exploring our Recommended Resources - Upper School guide to see which resources we particularly recommend for your subject. Then spend some time having a look around to see what is available, and talk to your supervisor or another subject specialist about the list of keywords you are building if you are having trouble.

If you still cannot find what you are looking for, come and have a chat with the Library staff and we would be happy to help you. 

If you need help with refining your Research Question, have a look at the previous tab on Developing a Line of Inquiry .

If you need help with making effective notes from your sources, have a look at the next tab on Working with Ideas .

Choosing which type(s) of resource to use

We have a wide range of books and subscription databases available - and you have the vast resources of the internet at your fingertips, so where should you start? Different resources are useful for different purposes.

Begin by looking at the home tab and the tab for your EE subject on our Recommended resources - Upper School guide .

Effective search strategies

One of the most important features of any search strategy is the key words and phrases you use - computers aren't mind-readers although some internet search engines are very good at 'guessing', subscription databases and the library catalogue are less so. This can actually be helpful as you have more control over the results you get in a database than on the internet, but when you are used to internet search engines it can also be a challenge.

This keywording tool (that you may have begun to use in the Developing a Line of Inquiry tab ) will help you to develop an effective search strategy, and will also help you to discuss that with your supervisor and the Library staff if you need any help. Don't forget to check the second page of the document for useful hints and tips on how to use it.

There are many websites with excellent tutorials on Boolean searching (searching using AND, OR and NOT) if you want more advice. For example, this one from MIT Libraries:

Search for books using our Library catalogue .

• Think about using different search terms. The results depend on your terms being used in the title, as a keyword or in the abstract. Use the keywording resource above to record your search terms as you work.
• Look at the classification numbers of any promising results. Other books at these classification numbers will be on a similar subject. Go and look at the other books on the shelves at these classmarks. You are very likely to come across other books on your topic that weren’t picked up by your search.

If you really cannot find any books relevant to your topic, please speak to a member of library staff or use the link on this page to email the relevant Librarian for advice.We might be able to identify books to buy or to borrow from another library. Similarly, if you come across a reference to a book that looks particularly useful that we do not have, let us know and we can try and get hold of it for you.

• Searching the Library catalogue tutorial (Upper School)

Subscription databases

The Library subscribes to a number of Subscription Databases which you can then use for free. These are high-quality sources of articles and images for academic research. You can either filter the list above by subject, or the Recommended resources - Upper School guide gives you detailed guidance as to which are particularly suitable for your subject.

Note that there are different links (given in the document above) for using some databases in school or at home, and passwords are provided where necessary from home.

Internet searching

Please visit the  Recommended resources - Upper School guide for advice on how to search the internet effectively for academic sources.

The following is a comment from the IB on using 'online encyclopaedias' such as Wikipedia (from The IB Extended Essay Guide: The Research and Writing Process: Academic Honesty ):

Note that, while you might use a tool such as this as a starting point for general background information and to help you locate other, more reputable sources, during the Connect stage of your research, you should not be citing it in your final piece of work.

Evaluating sources

Whether you are using print or online resources, you need to consider whether you think they are suitable for your inquiry and why. Consider the:

• Currency: How important is the age of the resources you use? This will matter more in some subjects than others.
• Relevance: Does it address your core question?
• Accuracy: How do you know it is accurate? Have you checked it against other sources?
• Authority: Who wrote it? What qualifies them to write in this area?
• Purpose: Why has it been written? To sell you something? To convince you of a point of view? Or is it academically neutral?

The resource below can be used for CRAAP testing, and is particularly useful for websites.

• CRAAP Testing rubric
• CRAAP Testing example

Primary vs secondary data

In some EE subjects it is compulsory to process raw data of some sort. This may be:

• PRIMARY DATA which you have collected yourself, for example through experiments, questionnaires and surveys, interviews or observations.
• SECONDARY DATA which someone else has collected (through methods like those above) and you have found, for example in a published study or paper, or from a database or website. For example, if you wanted statistics collected by the UK governement on a wide variety of social and economic issues, you might look at the Office for National Statistics website.

Whichever sort of data you have, it is very important to think about and comment on how it was collected and how that may affect your results. A tool like the CRAAP test is just as useful for data as it is for other types of source, paying particular attention to study/experiment design and sampling.

PRIMARY DATA: Questionnaires

A well-designed questionnaire can be an excellent way to collect relatively large amounts of primary data fairly quickly. A poorly designed one is a waste of everyone's time and can cause a lot of stress when you try to analyse the results and realise that the questionnaire did not work as intended.

In the interactive lesson (NearPod) below , Mr Foster leads you through how to design an effective questionnaire, and gives you lots of tips and advice. This lesson should take you about 10-15 minutes to complete.

• If you have a specific question either about Microsoft Forms or questionnaires in general, or are stuck, do contact Mrs F ear , Mr Foster or your supervisor.

Settings to check before sharing your Form...

Before sharing your Form, make sure you check the settings (click on the three dots at the top right of the Forms screen).

• Is that just people from within the school, or does it include people outside? The default is that only people within Oakham School can respond, so if you are sending it outside the school you need to select "Anyone can respond" . If you are sending a questionnaire to people outside Oakham School, please ask your supervisor to have a look first, both to confirm that it is suitable and that they are happy for you to send it to the people on your list.
• If it is internal, do you need to know respondents' names? Usually it is better to leave a questionnaire anonymous if you can. [External questionnaires cannot record respondents' names].
• You will generally want to tick the "one response per person" box to stop people completing the questionnaire multiple times (unless you have asked them to for some reason - e.g. a fitness diary they complete every week. In that case you would probably want to record their names so that you can match their responses from different weeks).
• Do you want to add a start and end date? If you do, be careful not to make the window too small or you may not get many responses.
• Do you want to be notified by email every time someone fills the Form in?

Investigative Journal

An excellent way to keep track of your investigation. Use one page per source and don't forget to insert a citation at the top of the page. If you choose not to use it, think about what you will use instead.

This is an ideal tool for using in your Researcher's Reflection Space .

Annotated bibliography

This resource will help you to keep track of all the different sources you find. Once you start working with each source in more detail, you will also need a tool like the Investigative Journal to organise your notes.

MInimum information to gather for citing and referencing later

It is so frustrating when you are under pressure to write up your work and you suddenly realise you can't find all the information you need to reference a source! Ideally you would gather all the information you need as you go along, but what is the minimum you need to gather to make sure that you can reconstruct the reference at the end?

• For books: Title, author, publisher, date and place of publication and the page number of any useful quotes . There are no shortcuts here!
• For websites: full URL and date accessed. However, if you think the site is likely to change then gather all the referencing info at the start
• For online articles (from a database), make sure you have the permalink if you are offered it, and the date you accessed the article. The title of the article and the database you accessed it from should be enough to locate it again if there is a problem with the link later. Don't rely on a URL - for some databases this will just take you back to the home page.
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Extended Essay Guide: MLA Citation Format

• Criteria, Format, Sample EEs
• Annotated Bibliographies
• DP Research Process
• Databases & Academic Journals
• Evaluate Sources
• Academic Integrity
• MLA Citation Format
• CSE Citation Format (Science & Math)
• Video Tutorials 2024

In-text Citations

What is in-text citations.

Incorporating In-Text Citations

To  paraphrase : you must put an idea into your  own words  and indicate your source using in-text citation.

To  summarize : you write a short description with  less detail  than if you were paraphrasing. You must also cite your source and use an in-text citation.

To  analyze : you examine and evaluate the elements that make up a written work and explain why it is effective or not.

Citing Images

OWL - Citing images and tables

Link to Concordian Tutorial video

Citing Interviews, Songs or Art Works

OWL - Other Common Sources

Works Cited Page

• Britannica School & Credo Reference
• Journal Articles
• Social Medias
• News and Magazines

Organization, or corporation as the author

Multiple authors.

If there are two authors, cite the the authors as follows (list authors in the order they are given on the page, not alphabetically):

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.

Example: Smith, James, and Sarah Johnston.

If there are three or more authors , cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name Middle Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

Citing Wikipedia?

Note : The date and time the article was last modified appears at the bottom of each Wikipedia article.

Keep in mind that  Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source  for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you can use it as a source in your assignmen

Multiple Authors

Book by editor(s), written by corporation (e.g.concordian).

Known Author or Unknown Author

Physical media (e.g. dvd), videos from a website (e.g.netflix).

Credo Reference (Known Author)

Britannica school (unknown author), dictionary (unknown author).

Tweets from Twitter

Facebook post.

paste here 5

Newspapers Online

Magazines online.

Notes from the IB

RE: On Translation and Language

It is certainly  permissible to use sources which are not in the language of the essay, but translation into the target language is required , one cannot assume that the reader understands the original language.

For the  Bibliography/Works cited, my preference would be to list the source in its original Thai version, but with the English in brackets, to help the reader.

Your bibliography will have the entries in Thai characters first in the document. Any in-text citation to Thai sources will be in (Thai characters [English translation]).

Citation in Thai [English translation]

Works Cited Example:

วงษ์ปัญญา, ธนกร [Wongpunya, Thanakorn]. “โรงงานยาสูบรวยแค่ไหน และเอาเงินไปทำอะไรบ้าง.”  [How rich is the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly and where does the money go?] (candidate translation). The Standard, The Standard, 30 Aug. 2018, thestandard.co/thailand-tobacco-monopoly/.

• Important Websites and books
• What is MLA?
• Command Terms
• Citation Elements

How to Use MyBib?

MLA style was created by the Modern Language Association of America. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.

There are two parts to MLA: In-text citations and the Works Cited list .

In MLA, you must "cite" sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

• In the body of your paper where you add a brief in-text citation.
• In the Works Cited list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

Access Date:  The date you first look at a source. The access date is added to the end of citations for all websites except library databases.

Citation:  Details about one cited source.

Citing:  The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

In-Text Citation:  A brief note at the point where information is used from a source to indicate where the information came from. An in-text citation should always match more detailed information that is available in the Works Cited List.

Paraphrasing:  Taking information that you have read and putting it into your own words.

Plagiarism:  Taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another.

Quoting:  The copying of words of text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation.

Works Cited List:  Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay, and supports your research and/or premise.

Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works — the  MLA core elements .

They are assembled in a specific order.

This LibGuide was created by librarians from

Concordian International School, Bangkok

The content is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial license.

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• Support Sites

Extended Essay Support Site

Citing sources.

As you write your essay, you will make reference to primary and secondary sources . How do include other people's ideas, so as to give them credit in an academically honest way? You will want to quote or 'cite' other people's ideas in your text. How do you include citations without interrupting the 'flow' of your essay? There are several ways, as you can see in the examples below. The APA style guide has been applied to these examples.

Paraphrasing

In-text citation, known author, in-text citation, citing a work within a work, citing two, related works.

Having a good bibliogrphy or 'Works cited' section after your essay is important for multiple assessment criteria , including Criterion D: Presentation . You can use a citation generator, such as Zotero or Mendelay, to create both your works cited list and your in-text citations. See the page Annotated bibliography for further help.

• Essay Guides
• Main Academic Essays

What Is an IB Extended Essay and How to Write It?

• Speech Topics
• Basics of Essay Writing
• Essay Topics
• Other Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Research Paper Guides
• Formatting Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
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Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

The IB extended essay is a paper of up to 4,000 words that is required for students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. The extended essay allows students to engage in independent research on a topic within one of the available subject areas.

The extended essay should be an original piece of academic writing that demonstrates the following student's abilities:

• Formulating a research question
• Conductig independent investigation
• Presenting key findings in a scholarly format.

Check out this article by StudyCrumb to discover how to write an IB extendend essay properly. We will give you a complete writing guide and critical tips you need for this essay type.

IB Extended Essay: What Is It?

An extended essay is independent research. Usually students choose a topic in consultation with a mentor. It is an integral part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) degree program. This means that you won't receive a degree without a successfully written paper. It requires 4,000-word study on a chosen narrow topic. To get a high score, you should meet all required structure and formatting standards. This is the result of approximately 40 working hours. Its purpose is giving you the opportunity to try independent research writing. It's approved that these skills are critical for student success at university. The following sections explain how to write an extended article with examples. So keep reading!  

Choosing a Mentor for Extended Essay

IB extended essay guidelines require supervisor meetings, totaling 3-5 hours. They include three critical reflections. A mentor won't write a paper instead of you but can help adjust it. So it is important to consult with them, but no one will proofread or correct actual research for you. In general, initially treat an essay as an exclusively individual work. So your role and contribution are maximal.

Extended Essay Outline

Let's take a look at how to write an extended essay outline. In this part, you organize yourself so that your work develops your idea. So we especially recommend you work out this step with your teacher. You can also find any outline example for essay . In your short sketch, plan a roadmap for your thoughts. Think through and prepare a summary of each paragraph. Then, expand annotation of each section with a couple more supporting evidence. Explain how specific examples illustrate key points. Make it more significant by using different opinions on general issues.  

Extended Essay: Getting Started

After you chose an extended essay topic and made an outline, it's time to start your research. Start with a complete Table of Contents and make a choice of a research question. Select the subject in which you feel most confident and which is most interesting for you. For example, if at school you are interested in natural science, focus on that. If you have difficulties choosing a research question, rely on our essay topic generator .

Extended Essay Introduction

In the introduction of an extended essay, present a thesis statement. But do it in such a way that your readers understand the importance of your research. State research question clearly. That is the central question that you are trying to answer while writing. Even your score depends on how you develop your particular research question. Therefore, it is essential to draw it up correctly. Gather all relevant information from relevant sources. Explain why this is worth exploring. Then provide a research plan, which you will disclose further.  

Extended Essay Methodology

In accordance with extended essay guidelines, it's mandatory to choose and clearly state a methodological approach. So, it will be apparent to your examiner how you answered your research question. Include your collection methods and tools you use for collection and analysis. Your strategies can be experimental or descriptive, quantitative or qualitative. Research collection tools include observations, questionnaires, interviews, or background knowledge.

Extended Essay Main Body

Well, here we come to the most voluminous part of the extended essay for IB! In every essay body paragraph , you reveal your research question and discuss your topic. Provide all details of your academic study. But stay focused and do it without dubious ideas. Use different sources of information to provide supporting arguments and substantial evidence. This will impress professors. For this section, 3 main paragraphs are enough. Discuss each idea or argument in a separate paragraph. You can even use supporting quotes where appropriate. But don't overcomplicate. Make your extended essay easy to read and logical. It's critical to stay concise, so if you aren't sure how to make your text readable, use our tool to get a readbility test . Following the plan you outlined earlier is very important. Analyze each fact before including it in your writing. And don't write unnecessary information.

Extended Essay Conclusion

Now let's move on to the final part of IB extended essay guidelines. In conclusion, focus on summarizing the main points you have made. No new ideas or information can be introduced in this part. Use conclusion as your last chance to impress your readers. Reframe your own strong thesis. Here you must show all key points. Do not repeat absolutely every argument. Better try to make this part unique. This will show that you have a clear understanding of the topic you have chosen. And even more professional will be recommendations of new areas for future research. One good paragraph may be enough here. Although in some cases, two or three paragraphs may be required.

Extended Essay Bibliography & Appendices

To write an impressive extended essay, you should focus on appropriate information. You must create a separate page for bibliography with all sources you used. Tip from us: start writing this page with the first quote you use. Don't write this part last or postpone. In turn, appendices are not an essential section. Examiners will not pay much attention to this part. Therefore, include all information directly related to analysis and argumentation in the main body. Include raw data in the appendix only if it is really urgently needed. Moreover, it is better not to refer to appendices in text itself. This can disrupt the narrative of the essay.  

Extended Essay Examples

We have prepared a good example of an extended essay. You can check it by downloading it for free. You can use it as a template. However, pay attention that your paper is required to be unique. Don't be afraid to present all the skills you gained during your IB.

Final Thoughts on IB Extended Essay

In this article, we presented detailed IB extended essay guidelines. An extended essay is a daunting academic challenge to write. It is a research paper with a deep thematic analysis of information. But we have described several practical and straightforward tips. Therefore, we are sure that you will succeed!

If topics seem too complex, turn to our top essay writers. They will accomplish any IB assignment in the best way your professor can evaluate it!  

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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Extended Essay Resources: Finding and Citing Images

• Research Video Tutorials
• Video Tutorials
• In-text Citations
• Finding and Citing Images
• Plagiarism VS. Documentation
• MiniLessons
• Human Rights News
• Peace & Conflict News
• Primary Sources
• Introductory Resources
• Narrowing Your Topic
• Subject Resources

Using Images in a Presentation

Is the image for decoration? If yes, follow below. No? Keep scrolling.

1. Royalty-free clipart does not require an attribution.

2. Public domain images don't require an attribution. However, it's considered good form to allow your audience to find your images. You should make an attribution in a caption beneath or adjacent to the image that states the title/name of the image, the author/creator (if you can find it), the source, and the license. Then h yperlink the title of the image and author to the source of the image. See the box below for more information on creating attributions.  For example:

Lightbulb by ColiN00B is licensed under Creative Commons CC0 

Photo by ColiN00B on Pixabay

Is the image for analysis or to support your argument? If yes, follow below.

1. In this case, you are using the image in an academic way so you should provide an MLA citation.  Remember, a URL is not a citation. You must provide a citation for an image in the same way that you make a citation for a book or a website. Use NoodleTools to help. You can list citations like this:

Creator’s Last name, First name. “Title of the digital image.”  Title of the website , First name Last name of any contributors, Version (if applicable), Number (if applicable), Publisher, Publication date, URL.

Vasquez, Gary A. Photograph of Coach K with Team USA.  NBC Olympics , USA Today Sports, 5 Aug. 2016, www.nbcolympics.com/news/rio-olympics-coach-ks-toughest-test-or-lasting-legacy.

2. You can put the citation as a caption beneath the image. You can also list it with your other references in your "Works Cited" list. 

Creative Commons and Royalty-Free Media

• 10 Websites with Free Stock Video Footage Free royalty free stock footage is hard to find but we have compiled a list of some of the better sites that are offering a selection of video clips available for download and use in personal and commercial projects.
• Compfight Locate the visual inspiration you need. Super fast!
• Creative Commons Search for images and videos with a Creative Commons re-use license on multiple websites.
• Flickr Commons Images with no known copyright restrictions from various cultural heritage institutions
• Getty Search Gateway The Getty Search Gateway allows users to search across several of the Getty repositories, including collections databases, library catalogs, collection inventories, and archival finding aids.
• Google Images Choose "Tools" > Choose "Usage Rights" > Choose "Labeled for reuse"
• Morguefile Morguefile is a free photo archive “for creatives, by creatives.”
• Open Clipart Free, public domain clip art.
• Pexels.com Pexels provides high quality and completely free stock photos licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.
• Photos for Class Search now to download properly attributed, Creative Commons photos for school!
• Pixabay Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images and videos. All contents are released under Creative Commons CC0, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist - even for commercial purposes.
• Snappygoat.com Over 13,000,000 free public domain images.
• Tineye Have an image but not sure where it's from? Try this reverse image search.
• Unsplash Over 1,000,000 free (do-whatever-you-want) high-resolution photos brought to you by the world’s most generous community of photographers.
• Video Assets from Camtasia Royalty-free elements to enhance your videos in Camtasia
• Wikimedia Commons Over 40 million freely usable media files. Attributions provided. This is a great source for finding historical images, as well.

How to make attributions next to an image

• Creative Commons - Best practices for attribution You can use CC-licensed materials as long as you follow the license conditions. One condition of all CC licenses is attribution. Here are some good (and not so good) examples of attribution.

If you use images, such as photographs or clipart , in your presentation, you should also credit the source of the image. Do not reproduce images without permission. See the box "Finding Public Domain Images" in this guide to find sources for images that are "public use".

Use the acronym TASL to remember how to attribute images:

T - Title/Description

A - Author or creator

S - Source & date (Name of the website the image is from)

L - License or location (Creative Commons license or URL)

For example...

" Satellites See Unprecedented Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt " by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is licensed under CC by 2.0

Title: Satellites See Unprecedented Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt  Author: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Source: Flickr (linked in title)  License: CC by 2.0

Quick Guide

Citing images in mla.

• OWL Purdue - Images
• OWL Purdue - Tables and Figures The purpose of visual materials or other illustrations is to enhance the audience's understanding of information in the document and/or awareness of a topic. Writers can embed several types of visuals using most basic word processing software: diagrams, musical scores, photographs, or, for documents that will be read electronically, audio/video applications.
• OWL Purdue - Other types of sources Several sources have multiple means for citation, especially those that appear in varied formats: films, DVDs, T.V shows, music, published and unpublished interviews, interviews over e-mail; published and unpublished conference proceedings.

Public Domain Images

These images are in the public domain. They are free to use, but you must make an attribution or citation.

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• URL: https://libguides.aisr.org/extendedessay

US IB Environmental Systems and Societies: ESS Extended Essay

• ESS Extended Essay
• Criterion Overview
• Criterion A: Focus and method
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding
• Criterion C: Critical thinking
• Criterion D: Presentation
• Criterion E: Engagement

B: Knowledge and understanding

This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore the research question; or in the case of the world studies extended essay, the issue addressed and the two disciplinary perspectives applied; and additionally, the way in which this knowledge and understanding is demonstrated through the use of appropriate terminology and concepts.

• Have you explained how your research question relates to a specific subject you selected for the extended essay?
• Have you used relevant terminology and concepts throughout your essay as they relate to your particular area of research?
• Is it clear that the sources you are using are relevant and appropriate to your research question?
• Do you have a range of sources, or have you only relied on one particular type, for example internet sources?
• Is there a reason why you might not have a range? Is this justified?

C: Critical thinking

This criterion assesses the extent to which critical thinking skills have been used to analyze and evaluate the research undertaken.

• Have you made links between your results and data collected and your research question?
• If you included data or information that is not directly related to your research question have you explained its importance?
• Are your conclusions supported by your data?
• If you found unexpected information or data have you discussed its importance?
• Have you provided a critical evaluation of the methods you selected?
• Have you considered the reliability of your sources (peer-reviewed journals, internet, and so on)?
• Have you mentioned and evaluated the significance of possible errors that may have occurred in your research?
• Are all your suggestions of errors or improvements relevant?
• Have you evaluated your research question?
• Have you compared your results or findings with any other sources?
• Is there an argument that is clear and easy to follow and directly linked to answering your research question, and which is supported by evidence?

D: Presentation

This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication.

• Have you read and understood the presentation requirements of the extended essay?
• Have you chosen a font that will be easy for examiners to read on-screen?
• Is your essay double-spaced and size 12 font?
• Are the title and research question mentioned on the cover page?
• Are all pages numbered?
• Have you prepared a correct table of contents?
• Do the page numbers in the table of contents match the page numbers in the text?
• Is your essay subdivided into correct sub-sections, if this is applicable to the subject?
• Are all figures and tables properly numbered and labelled?
• Does your bibliography contain only the sources cited in the text?
• Did you use the same reference system throughout the essay?
• Does the essay have less than 4,000 words?
• Is all the material presented in the appendices relevant and necessary?
• Have you proofread the text for spelling or grammar errors?

E. Engagement

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, after considering the students RPPF.

• Have you demonstrated your engagement with your research topic and the research process?
• Have you highlighted challenges you faced and how you overcame them?
• Will the examiner get a sense of your intellectual and skills development?
• Will the examiner get a sense of your creativity and intellectual initiative?
• Will the examiner get a sense of how you responded to actions and ideas in the research process?
• IB ESS Extended Essay Guide
• World Studies Extended Essay Guide
• World Studies
• Example A: Turtle Conservation
• Example A: Marks
• Example B: Economics of Wolves
• Example B Marks
• Example A: Wildlife Trafficking in China

Using the systems approach

The systems approach is a central theme in ESS. The essay should include an attempt to model, at least partially, the system or systems in question.

The term “model” in this context includes, for example:

• mathematical formulas
• graphical representations
• flow diagrams

Students should use  ESS terminology , where appropriate.

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