The new extended essay guidelines for 2018 onwards provide guidance for science extended essays. The essay should be an original piece of writing or research of 4000 words that is structured like an academic essay rather than a lab report. It requires a clear introduction, development of two or more viewpoints, and a conclusion. Students must show an in-depth understanding of the topic and how their research question relates to current research. The best science essays demonstrate awareness of issues and place research in the context of current findings. Students must participate in three mandatory reflective sessions and complete a Reflection on Planning and Progress Form to document the process.

1. New Extended Essay Guidelines
2018 onwards:
Sciences
• Extended pieced of original writing/research
• 4000 words
• How is different to Internal Investigation?
• It’s an essay, not a lab!
“Some research shows, another group found. It could be
argued”
• No abstract required anymore

2. Its not written like the Internal Investigation
(Science experiment)
It’s an essay!
• Clear introduction
• There is development -two or more viewpoints are explored
• Some research shows, another group found. It could be argued” There is some debate, One
group found….
• There is a narrative flow to your writing
• A clear conclusion that may relate back to your original research/literature review
• You need to show you understand the topic in depth and explain how your research
question relates to it
• The best Science EE’s show awareness of the issue, current research and place their
research question in the context of the current research
• Sometimes this means the scientific content you communicate can go well beyond the
scope the IBDP Science syllabi

3. Total=
34 marks

5. Three Mandatory Reflection Sessions
(20-30 minutes)
• Students are strongly recommended to create a
Researcher’s Reflective Space (RRS)
– open ended about what this can look like (paper, electronic, visual
etc…) to help in the preparation/ participation/ reflection.
• Students prepare for 3 Mandatory Reflective Sessions
• Students participate in 3 Mandatory Reflective Sessions
• Students reflect on 3 Mandatory Reflective Sessions- through the
Reflection on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF)

6. Criteria F: Reflection on Planning and
Progress Form (RPPF) Form
Key Ideas
3 documented reflection sections
• Beginning
• Middle
• End of Process (Viva Voca)
Supervisors comment at the end
All counts toward Engagement Criterion –
• 6 marks (18% of total EE Grade)

8. Research Question
• Keep it simple!
• fit into one of the science subjects
• offer an alternative perspective compared to previous research
findings
• be formulated as an actual question.
• When working on the research question, students should be guided by
the rationale that their piece of writing is important and that it fills a
gap in personal curiosity.
• Students need to avoid researching a question that is too narrow or too
obvious as this will limit their ability to formulate reasoned arguments
and engage in critical thinking.

9. Background information- Literature review
demonstrating knowledge and understanding in context
• Literature-based research is an essential element of the EE. Students should
review the existing literature on the topic to inform the construction of their own
research question and design. In many instances, they will conduct their review in
the early stages of the research process.
• Students should not be afraid to take risks throughout the research process:
originality is encouraged, as is the use of a number of different research models.
• A comprehensive literature review will help to guide and improve the students’
own work as it will enable them to contextualize their findings. Students should be
recommended to use statistics or data that they are able to demonstrate are
linked to their research question.
• If in doubt include the citation/in text APA reference
• All students should consult secondary sources even if their EE is experimental.

10. Accessing academic journals
• Whilst many academic journals can only be accessed via a library, an
increasingly large number of journals are openly available.
• The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is a good place to start
searching.
• PLOS ONE is an example of an open access journal which may be of
interest to those of you doing a science research project. It is an
international, peer-reviewed, online publication which reports on
primary research from any scientific discipline.

11. Research Methods
The emphasis of the EE should always be on:
• written analysis
• interpretation of data
• evaluation
• construction and development of a reasoned argument.
Therefore, it is vital that the chosen methodology and experimental
work of the essay is tailored to the research question and allows for an
in-depth exploration.
In experimental essays, students should choose feasible experiments
that do not require extensive lengths of time for the construction of
apparatus or apparatus that is beyond the resources of their school.

12. Data based (using secondary data) EE’s
Students who choose to undertake a literature-based EE must ensure that the range of
sources used clearly relate to their chosen topic and are discussed critically.
For essays that are based on data taken from written sources, the student should
explain clearly how the data has been selected in order to comment on its reliability.
• How were the journals selected
Use of academic search engines- google scholar, pubmed etc.
Use credible sources and state why it is credible peer review etc.
State how journals were selected eg. Recent articles from 2007 to present
found by using the search term ….
Ensure no bias or awareness of bias in choice of papers
Do something NEW with the data
E.g. Compare results from Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

16. What more guidance for students and supervisors
Developing Your Research Project
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/research-project