The IB Extended Essay: Managing your Research Project (FutureLearn)

You will get advice on choosing a topic and framing a research question, and learn how to identify suitable sources and analyse them to create strong arguments.

You will also learn how to structure your essay, write in an academic style and manage your time effectively so your project runs smoothly. Ultimately, the course will help you understand the importance of critical thinking and academic rigour as you plan and write a successful extended essay.

What topics will you cover?

• Choosing a topic and a research question
• Finding sources
• Time and project management
• Critical thinking
• Writing effectively
• Preparing to write

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Develop transferable study skills that can be directly applied to the IB extended essay (and later to UG study)
• Explore techniques by which to narrow an area of interest into research questions
• Describe how to evaluate the suitability of a range of sources and research material
• Demonstrate how to accurately reference sources
• Apply simple project management techniques to manage your time effectively
• Explain how to plan, structure and write an extended research project
• Produce a reflective log throughout the process of planning, writing and managing a research project.