ANDREW HILL HIGH SCHOOL

EXTENDED ESSAY GUIDE

FOR

IB DIPLOMA CANDIDATES

EXTENDED ESSAY STUDENT PACKET 2010-2011 The Extended Essay (EE) is one of three IB Diploma Programme requirements that, along with Theory of Knowledge (ToK) and Creativity, Action and Service (CAS), comprise the Diploma Programme Core. This engaging learning opportunity allows you to conduct research in a topic you choose in a subject area that interests you. The paper will acquaint you with the academic research and writing skills necessary for success at a university. The essential basic guidelines for the extended essay are as follows:

• Contains a clearly identifiable, focused research question • Is approximately 4000 words in length • Is preceded by an abstract of no longer than 300 words • Contains a bibliography/works cited list • Follows an acceptable academic format for the type of paper undertaken

(MLA, APA) • Uses a consistent form of citation

This essay is similar in scope and expectation to the types of papers you will be expected to write in college. You are expected to spend approximately 40 hours in total on the extended essay. Your EE and ToK work combined can earn you up to three additional bonus points, as shown in the ToK/EE matrix in the IB Extended Essay guide. To assist you with the EE process, a teacher with familiarity in your subject area will serve as your advisor. Your advisor can help with questions you might have as you develop your research question, conduct your research and begin your composition. Your EE advisor will also read your rough draft, meet with you to review your rough draft in relation to the IB rubric for the subject, and evaluate your final EE submission. As part of the evaluation, your advisor will conduct a post-essay interview, known as the Viva Voce, prior to the final submission. Advisors are limited to no more than three advisees per year, preferably only two advisees. For some subjects, you might find your supervisor is not your first choice. Before you choose a topic, you should choose a subject. It is recommended that you pick a subject you are studying. There are two trains of thought about choosing an EE subject. You can choose to write your essay in your favorite subject, or you can consider writing an essay in a subject where you feel you need more growth and development. The most important point is to choose a subject that interests you. Your EE experience will be much more enjoyable if you genuinely like your subject and topic. Students wishing to pursue the Bilingual Diploma can submit an EE in a language other than English in a group 3 or 4 subject. Spanish is automatically available; EE submissions in languages other than English or Spanish, like Vietnamese, must be requested in November of the junior year.

IB Extended Essay Subject Areas 1. English Literature 2. Foreign language and linguistics 3. Biology 4. Business and Management 5. Chemistry 6. Classical Greek and Latin 7. Computer Science 8. Dance 9. Design Technology 10. Economics 11. Environmental Systems 12. Film 13. Geography 14. History 15. Human Rights 16. Information Technology in a Global Society 17. Mathematics 18. Music 19. Peace and Conflict Studies 20. Philosophy 21. Physics 22. Politics 23. Psychology 24. Social and Cultural Anthropology 25. Theatre 26. Visual Arts 27. World Religions

EXTENDED ESSAY TIMELINE

May (sophomore year) Parent meeting, EE process outlined for Parents/incoming students October (junior year) EE student packet distributed in ToK Subject area selected Bilingual Diploma candidates must request a special language A1 through the IB coordinator Nov./Dec. (junior year) EE advisors assigned EE advisor training EE advisor/advisee meet and greet luncheon EE general rubrics reviewed January (junior year) Research question finalized EE subject rubrics reviewed with advisor Review sample essays Feb/March (junior year) EE Check #1: outline of paper submitted and approved by EE advisor End of May (junior year) EE Check #2: annotated bibliography submitted to advisor Sept./Oct. (senior year) EE Check #3: Progress check with advisor November (senior year) Complete rough draft submitted to advisor on Monday prior to Thanksgiving December (senior year) Meet with advisor to discuss/review rough draft Begin composing final draft Compose and submit abstract to advisor January (senior year) Compose and complete final draft w/abstract February (senior year) Final draft submitted to advisor on the first Monday of the month at EE luncheon Viva Voce completed with Advisor March (senior year) EE scores entered and submitted to moderator

GENERAL TIPS FOR THE EE I. Steps for Starting Off

• Define the problem or topic as clearly as you can. • Contact a teacher or expert. • Translate the problem or topic into key words. • Search preliminary sources for primary sources. • Review secondary sources. • Select primary sources. • Write notes on primary sources. • Write.

II. Types of Research

• Qualitative – values and context extremely important • Descriptive – survey or observational research • Causal-Comparative – a cause is sought in a situation that cannot be

manipulated • Correlation Research – measurement of connectedness of variables, math

heavy • Experimental – standard rigorous design, clear identification of dependent

and independent variables III. Research Terminology

• Preliminary Source – indices and source listings (on a CD-ROM for example)

• Primary Source – a writer or researcher communicating directly with you through their books, interviews, research papers, etc.

• Secondary Source – reports by a writer about research or results that comes from others

IV. Hints on Choosing a Topic A. Try to keep the number of variables in a research topic to a minimum and state them clearly. Good examples:

• "What is the effect of the concentration of "Growbetter" fertilizer on the rate of new leaf growth of Elodea Canadensis?"

• "Raoul Wallenberg's role in Budapest 1944-45."

• "The influence of Bruno Kreisky on Austrian Socialism from 1955 to 1983."

Poor examples:

• "The Spanish Civil War."

• "Cancer of the Breast"

• "The Atmosphere Crisis."

B. Criteria for an Effective Extended Essay Research Question • The research question is clearly and precisely stated • The research question appears early in the essay • The research questions is sharply focused • The question demands evaluation and requires reasoned judgment • The question is worded so as to limit the background knowledge required to adequately and meaningfully address the question and allows for effective treatment in the 4, 000 word limit • The question is personally meaningful to students • The question is clearly connected to an academic discipline recognized in the extended essay guide • The question promotes open-ended systematic investigation • The research question lends itself to a research protocol which is utilized by experts in the discipline to consolidate and extend knowledge C. Hypotheses and questions should be grounded in theory or previous research. Try to pick up on an idea that someone else has had to develop and add to it or expand it. It will be very hard to find sources and to understand the role and significance of your question if you are totally on your own. D. Search broadly first, then narrow your search to come up with a goal. Despite what has been said above, do not restrict the possible outcomes of your investigation before you have started. You do not need to know the final outcome. Allow your paper to grow organically. E. Pick a topic that interests you. This is perhaps the most important of all. V. Tips on Note Taking

• Use a different note card for the bibliographical information of each source. Number these cards.

• Use as many cards as you need to take notes on ideas used from this source. • Write the number of the bibliographical note card on each one. Keep the

ideas short on any one card. You don't want to write the essay on one card.

• When note taking, read the summaries or overviews first, then look at the arguments. Try to list the arguments and see the connection between them.

• Distinguish between author's facts and his/her opinions. • Distinguish between direct quotation and a summary of the writer's

material. • Use as little quotation as possible. • Distinguish between what you take from the source and comments that you

make on your own. • You do not need to read everything, but never read anything without

writing something. VI. Paraphrasing: A Restatement of a Writer's Ideas in Different Words (Your Own!)

• Slim the selection to get the overall meaning. • Read the selection carefully. • List the main ideas on paper. • Review the selection another time. • Write your paraphrase – restate the author's ideas

o Essential information o important ideas clear and concise o Quotation marks on phrases taken directly from the source. o Arrange in smooth logical order.

• Check final Summary o Are the author's ideas and point of view clear in your work? o Have you quoted where necessary? o Could another reader get the author's idea from this paraphrase? o Is your paraphrase different enough?

• Have you written the reference correctly for the work you have paraphrased?

VII. Clarify Your Method of Investigation.

• Work with your teacher supervisor. This will guide you in all that you do. There are steps in all methods of research that are generally followed and this means that you always know what you are going to do next.

VIII. Writing Medium

• SAVE, SAVE, SAVE, and SAVE AGAIN. • Use a flash memory drive or memory stick. • No excuses for deadlines missed because of computer or printer problems. • Be sure to spell check in the language that you write in. Most word

processing programs automatically configure page numbers, word count, table of contents, etc.

• Use a recognized format for research papers (APA, MLA) VIII. Basics – An Extended Essay has a standard format

• Title Page with your full candidate name, candidate number, essay title, word

• count • Abstract – less than 300 words, giving the research question, the scope of

the investigation, and the conclusion. • Table of Contents – follows the abstract and gives the structure of the essay

with page references. Every page after the table of contents is numbered and has your candidate number.

• Introduction – clearly states the research question and leads the reader into the essay by discussing important previous work.

• Statement of objectives/hypothesis – identifies the approach to the research question.

• Presentation of analysis and interpretation – your work in your own words. • Arguments and Evaluation – includes your discussion of results and

interpretation, perhaps even implications. Be sure to substantiate your evaluation.

• Conclusion – a succinct finish to your essay • Works Cited – all the references you make in the text. Use only one format. • Bibliography – all the works you used in your research, whether you

specifically refer to the in the text or not. • Appendix – can be added for additional materials not critical to the essay.

The examiner is not obliged to read any appendix material. Reference to material found in the appendix is necessary if applicable. Relevant raw data tables, extracts of texts, relevant source materials.

IX. References

• You must give reference to each source of information you use in writing your essay. You may use any form of citation as long as you are consistent throughout your essay. Most students will use MLA.

• Works Cited indicates the specific reference made in the text (Quotes, facts,

figures, ideas, paraphrasing, etc.)

• Bibliography lists all materials used in your research, even if you did make specific reference to them in the essay.

X. Plagiarism

• Plagiarism will result in a Zero for the assignment and a failed diploma.

• If your supervisor discovers evidence of plagiarism the essay will not be submitted for assessment. The essay will be given a mark of N which is a failing condition of the IB diploma.

• If the examiner discovers evidence of plagiarism the essay will be given a

mark of N which is a failing condition of the IB diploma.

• More information about plagiarism and malpractice is available for you to review in the IB academic honesty guide

The following material on plagiarism is taken directly from http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml on 29 July, 2005 How to Recognize Unacceptable and Acceptable Paraphrases Here’s the ORIGINAL text, from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.: The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the population were the three great developments of late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger, steam-powered factories became a feature of the American landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants. With industry came urbanization the growth of large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the Bordens lived) which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade. Here’s an UNACCEPTABLE paraphrase that is plagiarism/malpractice: The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large wave of immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall River where the Bordens lived which turned into centers of commerce and trade as well as production. What makes this passage plagiarism? The preceding passage is considered plagiarism for two reasons: • the writer has only changed around a few words and phrases, or changed the order of the original’s sentences. • the writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or facts. If you do either or both of these things, you are plagiarizing and committing malpractice. NOTE: This paragraph is also problematic because it changes the sense of several sentences (for example, "steam-driven companies" in sentence two misses the original’s emphasis on factories). Here’s an ACCEPTABLE paraphrase: Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered production had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a result, populations grew, and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of these manufacturing and commercial centers (Williams 1). Why is this passage acceptable? This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:

• accurately relays the information in the original • uses her own words. • lets her reader know the source of her information through internal citation. Here’s an example of quotation and paraphrase used together, which is also ACCEPTABLE: Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. As steam-powered production shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, the demand for workers "transformed farm hands into industrial laborers," and created jobs for immigrants. In turn, growing populations increased the size of urban areas. Fall River was one of these hubs "which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade" (Williams 1). Why is this passage acceptable? This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer: • records the information in the original passage accurately. • gives credit for the ideas in this passage. • indicated which part is taken directly from her source by putting the passage in quotation marks and citing the page number. Note that if the writer had used these phrases or sentences in her own paper without putting quotation marks around them, she would be PLAGIARIZING. Using another person’s phrases or sentences without putting quotation marks around them is considered plagiarism EVEN IF THE WRITER CITES IN HER OWN TEXT THE SOURCE OF THE PHRASES OR SENTENCES SHE HAS QUOTED. Plagiarism and the World Wide Web The World Wide Web has become a more popular source of information for student papers, and many questions have arisen about how to avoid plagiarizing these sources. In most cases, the same rules apply as to a printed source: when a writer must refer to ideas or quote from a WWW site, she must cite that source. If a writer wants to use visual information from a www site, many of the same rules apply. Copying visual information or graphics from a www site (or from a printed source) is very similar to quoting information, and the source of the visual information or graphic must be cited. These rules also apply to other uses of textual or visual information from www sites; for example, if a student is constructing a web page as a class project, and copies graphics or visual information from other sites, she must also provide information about the source of this information. In this case, it might be a good idea to obtain permission from the www site’s owner before using the graphics. Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism 1. Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text especially when taking notes.

2. Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a few words. Instead, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully; cover up the text with your hand, or close the text so you can’t see any of it (and so aren’t tempted to use the text as a “guide”). Write out the idea in your own words without peeking. 3. Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not accidentally used the same phrases or words, and that the information is accurate.