You will select which of your IB subjects will form the basis of your EE in the Spring Term of the first year of IB. This will usually (although not always) be one of your Higher Level subjects. The supervisor will set a series of internal deadlines and meetings for each student to ensure the completion of the study in a timely fashion.

Start by considering if there is a period / place / person / issue in history that would like to investigate further. Maybe this is something you have read a little about, watched a film about or are interested in from your other studies / hobbies. The only strict rule is that anything that happened in the past 10 years is not allowed.

The three main focuses of study tend to be focused on

• EITHER Causes of an event / situation;
• OR Consequences of an event / situation
• OR Relevance of particular evidence about an event / situation (e.g. a painting, novel, film, biography).

The following resources may help you in your quest for a topic:

Online archives:

• History Today Archive (password required - see your teacher)
• ActiveHistory Podcast Archive
• BBC History Magazine Archive

Other resources:

• History Department Magazine collection
• History Department DVD collection

Once you have settled upon a topic, you have to then turn this into a question - a problem that your study will solve, in other words.

The following table could help you get started

The following list of past Extended Essay questions from the IST will also be helpful:

• How has politics influenced Berlin's architecture over the 20th century? (Predicted 'A')
• To what extent was World War Two a catalyst for British Decolonisation? (Predicted 'B')
• How decisive was Spanish intervention in World War Two? (Graded 'A')
• How far did Nietzsche's ideas influence the Third Reich? (Graded 'B')
• How reliable is Hogarth's 'The Rake's Progress' as evidence of 18th century London? (Graded 'A')
• How and why do Historical sources disagree about the life and career of Bonnie Parker? (Graded 'B')

You will initially be required to identify at least THREE articles/books and TWO websites that will form the basis of your study. To help you find the books/articles, use these

Google Books Search

Google Scholar Search

Amazon Search

BBC History Magazine Search

History Today Magazine Search (password required to access articles after search - see your teacher)

In addition, for the Extended Essay you will be expected to make especially heavy use of primary sources.

I have also produced useful video: "Google Books for Student Research: 3 minute guide":

You are now ready to complete the Initial Proposal Sheet and hand it to your teacher.

Make sure that this is a detailed, considered proposal. Your supervisor will schedule a meeting with you to talk about how you plan to structure your essay in particular.

You are now ready to start work on the study itself. To help you structure your study effectively, make use of the following resources:

Six Steps for Writing your Extended Essay in IB History
A one-sided sheet provided step-by-step guidance for students on how to go about producing their Extended Essay.

Style Guide: Formatting your Extended Essay
A simple summary sheet providing a useful checklist to help students format their final study appropriately.

Completing the "Reflections on Planning and Progress" Form
A suggested timetable for students to help them complete this important part of the study in a timely fashion.

Marksheet and Guidance
A student-friendly version of the IB mark scheme, combining the generic guidance from the IB as well as its subject-specific criteria for History.

Glossary: Historiographical and Subject-Specific Terminology for History Extended Essays

ClassTools.net Harvard-Author Reference Generator