By RJ Tarr at www.activehistory.co.uk, using essential information from the IBO Extended Essay guide
Six Steps for Writing the Extended Essay in History
Step 1. Title page
The title page should include only the following information:
• the research question (a meaningful, focused, manageable topic based on something that took place more than 10 years ago)
• the title of the essay (a clear, focused summative statement of your research, not phrased as a question).
• the subject for which the essay is registered.
• word count (once this has been finalised).
Example
Research question:
"To what extent was the overthrow of Allende in 1973 the results of external factors?"
Title:
An exploration of the role of foreign influence in the Chilean coup led by Pinochet
Extended Essay in History (Group 3, Individuals and Societies)
Word Count: 3800
Note: the name of the student or the school should not appear on the title page or on any page headers.
Step 2. References and bibliography
Note: Producing accurate references and a bibliography is a skill that students should be seeking to refine as part of the extended essay writing process. Documenting the research in this way is vital: it allows readers to evaluate the evidence for themselves, and it shows the student’s understanding of the importance of the sources used.
▪ Students should maintain a bibliography, and use their chosen style of academic referencing, as soon as they start the process. That way they are less likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a later stage.
▪ The bibliography must be an alphabetical list of every source used to research and write the essay. It must list only those sources cited.
▪ Footnotes must only be used referencing purposes.
▪ Footnotes provided for referencing purposes are NOT included in the word count.
▪ Footnotes providing further information ARE included in the word count.
▪ In-text citations should be avoided in favour of footnotes in History Extended Essays (RTA comment for IST students).
Referencing style requirements
▪ The referencing style must provide all the information needed to find the source material. Whatever accepted style is chosen (RTA recommends Chicago), it must be applied consistently and in line with the IB’s minimum requirements, which consist of:
• name of author • date of publication • title of source • page numbers (print sources only) • date of access (electronic sources only).
▪ Any references to interviews should state the names of the interviewer and interviewee, the date and the place of the interview.
▪ Websites that do not give references or that cannot be cross-checked against other sources should be avoided.
▪ The ClassTools citation generator (https://www.classtools.net/citation-generator) is a useful tool (RTA comment for IST students).
Step 3. Body of the essay
▪ The main task is writing the body of the essay, which should be presented in the form of a reasoned argument.
▪ In some subjects, sub-headings within the main body of the essay will help the reader to understand the argument.
▪ Any information that is important to the argument must not be included in appendices or footnotes/endnotes. The examiner will not read notes or appendices, so an essay that is not complete in itself will be compromised across the assessment criteria.
▪ The student must demonstrate that they understand and can use accurately historical terms and concepts relevant to the research topic
▪ An evaluation of the relative value and limitations of the sources is an integral part of the analysis of the evidence and the development of a reasoned argument. This evaluation should be integrated into the text rather than contained in a separate section of the essay.
Step 4. Introduction
Note: It is advisable to finalize the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.
▪ The introduction should make clear to the reader:
• the focus of the essay (based on the research question / title)
• the scope of the research (themes/period to be considered)
• a comprehensive and suitable range of appropriate and relevant sources to be used
▪ the historical context and significance of the topic and explain why it is worthy of investigation.
• an insight into the line of argument to be taken.
Step 5. Conclusion
▪ A conclusion summarizes the student’s response to the research question. The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. This conclusion must be consistent with the position and evidence presented in the essay. The conclusion may not include material that has not been discussed in the body of the essay.
Step 6. Contents page
▪ A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered.