Gr. 11-12 Extended Essay

Consider the emerging questions from your initial research.

After doing some background reading, you should begin to pose open-ended questions about your topic. These questions will usually be framed "how", "why", or "to what extent."

Evaluate the question.  

Once you have posed possible research questions you should evaluate them. This evaluation should be based on whether the question is clear, focused, and arguable.

• Clear - Will the reader understand the nature of my research? Will it direct the research being undertaken?
• Focused - Will the research question be specific enough to allow for exploration within the scope of the task (that is, can you answer it within 4,000 words and 40 hours of work?)
• Arguable - Does the research question allow for analysis, evaluation and the development of a reasoned argument? Can you find enough evidence to support your research question?
  • Remember, your EE must make an argument that goes beyond merely describing or reporting on a topic.

Consider research outcomes.  

Once you have decided on a provisional research question you should start thinking about the direction your research might take. You could do this by:

• suggesting possible outcomes of your research
• outlining the kind of argument you might make and how your research might support this
• considering options if the research available is not sufficient to support a sustained argument

Here are some common question starters that can help you to convert your topic into a question format:

The Question Matrix is another tool you can use to help draft a rich, higher-order question to guide your EE.

Source: Speranza, A. (2016). Complex Question Matrix. https://twitter.com/anthsperanza/status/743722712862842880

The above draft research question "What role does the theme of deception play in the works of Shakespeare?" is still a very broad topic - way too broad to be a workable research question.

To narrow down your scope, one good technique to try is to apply limiting factors (relevant sub-areas of investigation). Ask yourself limiting questions about components of your topic. 

There’s also nothing wrong with including a comparison in your essay, as long as you can provide meaningful analysis within the word limit.

For example:

• Is there a specific aspect that could be investigated?
  • The effect of deception on illustrating the nature of love
• Which specific text(s) could I focus on?
  • Hamlet (tragedy) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (comedy)

So your refined research question could be:

Ask Yourself...

As you continue to refine your research question, remember to ask yourself:

• Is there a range of perspectives on this topic?
• Does the research question allow for analysis, evaluation and the development of a reasoned argument?

Remember: asking the question in a different way might help you to see your topic in a new light.

The table below provides some examples showing the difference between unclear and unfocused research questions and those that are appropriately clear and focused, lending themselves to in-depth research.

Source: Lekanides, K. (2016). Extended Essay Course Companion. Oxford University Press.

Source: West Sound Academy. (n.d.). Step 5: Draft a Research Question. https://libguides.westsoundacademy.org/ee/draft-a-rq

Research is an iterative process, which means that it rarely moves in a perfectly linear fashion from choosing a topic, to finding sources, to writing your essay. The reading and research phase will almost certainly open up new pathways that you may not have considered early on, and may shed light on a different approach that can be followed.

The key thing to remember is that your research question should:

• reflect what your essay actually is about
• be the question your conclusion responds to.