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Gr. 11-12 Extended Essay

This guide explains the process required to complete the IB Extended Essay.

Formatting Your Essay

Remember that the Extended Essay is a formal piece of academic writing. This means that you need to present your essay using the agreed-upon conventions of independently written research papers.

The IB discusses a set of aspects that must be included as part of your Extended Essay:

Title Page

You can include a brief heading that provides a clear, focused summative statement of your research, but this is optional.

For example:

Research question: In what ways does Jane Austen express her attitudes to the themes of love and marriage inherent in her work Pride and Prejudice?

Title: Austen's Attitudes to Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

You must include your research question on the title page.

Ensure that your RQ is the same question that appears in other sections of your essay (i.e., the introduction and conclusion). Double check that the spelling is correct and grammatically accurate (and that it ends with a question mark).

Specify the subject to which your essay belongs, as well as the category (if necessary).

If it is a language essay it should also state which category it falls into.

Example:

SUBJECT: English A, Category 3

If it is a world studies essay it should also state the theme and the two subjects utilized.

Example:

SUBJECT: World Studies, Equality and Inequality, History and Economics

Include the exact number of words in your essay on the title page.

Remember that the upper word count limit is 4,000 words. Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit, so essays over 4,000 words will be compromised across all assessment criteria.

Included in the word count Not Included in the word count
  • the introduction, main body, and conclusion
  • all quoted material
  • any footnotes (or endnotes) that are not citations or references (i.e., any explanatory text or definitions or similar material that is added in a footnote will count as part of the word count)
  • inclusion of multiple units of measurement, e.g., 25°C (77°F) - this will count as two words
  • anything in parentheses that is not a citation (e.g., dates, alternate spellings of names, definitions, descriptions)
  • chapter headings (and subheadings)
  • Table of Contents
  • maps, charts, diagrams, tables or illustrations including their accompanying caption or heading
    • BUT any commentary or analysis applied to these will be counted
  • equations, formulas and calculations
  • in-text parenthetical citations, e.g., (Rees, 2015)
  • the Bibliography or "Works Cited" section of the essay
  • the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form
  • all material placed in Appendices
    • Note: examiners are not required to read this material, so if appendix information is vital to the development of your essay, make sure it's in the main body)

 

Use this site to estimate word count:

Do not include the following items on your title page, or any other section of the essay (like headers and footers).

  • Your name
  • Your school's name
  • Your candidate number
  • Any other information that could identify you

Example: Title Page

Example of a properly formatted EE title page.

Table of Contents

All Extended Essays must contain a table of contents placed after the cover page and before the introductory section of your essay.

 

The table of contents should include:

  • a sequential list of all your essay's sections or chapters, beginning with numbers or letters
    • indented and numbered sub-chapters (or sub-sections), if you have them
  • page numbers next to each section or chapter heading (placed on the far right of the page)

 

Note: Even if your essay is in a "free-flow" style, you still need to provide a basic table of contents, even if it simply has introduction, main body, and conclusion as its main sections.

Example: Table of Contents

Ex. of a properly formatted EE table of contents.

Page Numbers

Page numbers should be included on all pages of the Extended Essay.

  • You can write your page numbers in whichever format you choose (e.g., 1, 2, 3... or Page 1, Page 2, Page 3).
  • Put your page numbers at the bottom of your page (e.g., at the bottom right or centre)
  • Make sure that the page numbers referred to in your table of contents match those on the actual page.
Note: Convention dictates that you don't need to include page numbers on the title page and table of contents, though you won't be penalized if you do.

Font Use & Spacing

The font size of your essay must be 12 pt and readable, and your essay should be double spaced. 

  • Don't use cursive, floral, or cartoon fonts that would make the script difficult to read.
  • If you want to emphasize a word or heading, use bold (or capitalize your headings).
  • Some recommended choices are:
    • Arial
    • Times New Roman