The Extended Essay: choosing a research question

The single biggest factor in a strong Extended Essay is the research question. Get it focused, arguable and researchable, and the 4,000 words almost write themselves; get it too broad or too descriptive, and you'll struggle no matter how hard you work.

Start with the right subject

Pick an EE subject you genuinely want to spend months with, ideally one of your stronger or HL subjects, where you understand the conventions of analysis. Enthusiasm matters — this is a long project, and a topic you care about sustains the effort. Check your school's and the IB's rules on eligible subjects before committing.

Narrow from topic to question

A topic (“climate change”, “Macbeth”) is not a question. Narrow it: a time, a place, a case, a comparison. “How did X policy affect Y in Singapore between 2015 and 2020?” is workable; “Is climate change bad?” is not. The narrower and more specific, the more deeply you can analyse within the word limit.

Make it arguable and researchable

A strong RQ has a real answer you must argue, not just describe — it invites analysis, evaluation or comparison. It must also be researchable with sources you can actually access. Test it: can you imagine the body paragraphs and the kinds of evidence each would use? If not, refine it.

Refine with your supervisor

Your supervisor exists to help you sharpen the question early — use them. Bring two or three candidate questions, discuss scope and sources, and expect to revise the wording several times. Time spent perfecting the RQ is the highest-leverage work in the whole EE.