1. EXTENDED ESSAY ADVISORY

2. What does this session cover? Where you should be in the process now. Where you should be in the process now. What do you need to do if you are not there. What do you need to do if you are not there. Possible problems at this stage, and what to do about them. Possible problems at this stage, and what to do about them. Tips and pitfalls Tips and pitfalls Discussion with subject teachers and librarian. Discussion with subject teachers and librarian.

3. Where should you be in the EE process by now? You should have: You should have: Assembled the material and bibliography for your research Assembled the material and bibliography for your research Performed experiments (where required) Performed experiments (where required) Recorded data or observations on which your research is based. Recorded data or observations on which your research is based. Written up research notes Written up research notes Outlined your analysis Outlined your analysis Started writing the SECOND DRAFT Started writing the SECOND DRAFT

4. What you need to do if you are not there Decide whether you still want the IB diploma. If you do… Decide whether you still want the IB diploma. If you do… Show your supervisor what you have done Show your supervisor what you have done Ask for advice. Ask for advice. Spend more time on the EE research process to complete what needs to be done up to the second draft. Spend more time on the EE research process to complete what needs to be done up to the second draft. Submit a second draft with what you have, and try and improve on it AFTER it is returned to you with your supervisor’s comments. Submit a second draft with what you have, and try and improve on it AFTER it is returned to you with your supervisor’s comments.

5. What you SHOULD NOT do if you are not there DON’T PANIC! DON’T PANIC! Don’t give up. No extended essay means NO IB DIPLOMA. Don’t give up. No extended essay means NO IB DIPLOMA. Don’t PROCRASTINATE and DELAY, or pretend that the problem will go away. Don’t PROCRASTINATE and DELAY, or pretend that the problem will go away.

6. Possible Problems at this Stage 1 You have not focused your research question appropriately for the size of the essay or the discipline. You have not focused your research question appropriately for the size of the essay or the discipline. The direction of your research may be contrary to the guidelines. The direction of your research may be contrary to the guidelines. You have not identified resources for answering your research question. You have not identified resources for answering your research question. You have not completed readings or experiments or the gathering of data for your research. You have not completed readings or experiments or the gathering of data for your research.

7. You find it difficult to organize, analyze or interpret the material or data required for your research. You find it difficult to organize, analyze or interpret the material or data required for your research. You find the material is insufficient or inconclusive for your research. You find the material is insufficient or inconclusive for your research. You feel you don’t know enough in the discipline to be able to complete your research. You feel you don’t know enough in the discipline to be able to complete your research. Possible Problems at this Stage 2

8. If you have not focused your research question appropriately for the size of the essay or the discipline… Remember that your research question needs to be addressed in 4,000 words. Remember that your research question needs to be addressed in 4,000 words. Remember that the essay has to be firmly in one of the disciplines taught in the IB, e.g., English, History, Peace & Conflict Studies; but not Cultural Studies, Mathematical Economics, etc. Remember that the essay has to be firmly in one of the disciplines taught in the IB, e.g., English, History, Peace & Conflict Studies; but not Cultural Studies, Mathematical Economics, etc. Seek your supervisor’s guidance. Seek your supervisor’s guidance. Relate your essay to a specific thing, such as a novel, country, time, effect, law. The Ecology of Snails in the Koç School Campus is better than The Ecology of Turkey. Relate your essay to a specific thing, such as a novel, country, time, effect, law. The Ecology of Snails in the Koç School Campus is better than The Ecology of Turkey.

9. If the direction of your research is contrary to the guidelines… Check carefully from the Extended Essay Guide what the criteria for your essay are. Check carefully from the Extended Essay Guide what the criteria for your essay are. Refocus the question and start again. (It may be too late to do this, so…) Refocus the question and start again. (It may be too late to do this, so…) Complete the essay as you have started to the best of your ability, and hope for the best! Complete the essay as you have started to the best of your ability, and hope for the best! Remember that NO ESSAY MEANS NO IB DIPLOMA. Remember that NO ESSAY MEANS NO IB DIPLOMA.

10. If you have not identified all necessary resources… Tell your supervisor, and ask for advice. Tell your supervisor, and ask for advice. Seek help from the librarian to find various sources of information and/or ideas. Seek help from the librarian to find various sources of information and/or ideas. Find people or institutions outside school that may be able to help you, and approach them. Find people or institutions outside school that may be able to help you, and approach them.

11. If you have not completed readings or gathering data… Submit a second draft on the basis of what is available, and try to improve in the third draft. Submit a second draft on the basis of what is available, and try to improve in the third draft.OR Complete the readings or data collection in time for your second draft. Complete the readings or data collection in time for your second draft.

12. If you find it difficult to organize, analyze or interpret the material or data required for your research… Seek your supervisor’s advice. Seek your supervisor’s advice. Consider whether you need to re-word or re-think your research question. Consider whether you need to re-word or re-think your research question. Look for theoretical frameworks or tools in your discipline that can help you analyze or interpret the material you have available. Look for theoretical frameworks or tools in your discipline that can help you analyze or interpret the material you have available.

13. If you find the material is inconclusive for your research… Speak to your supervisor. Speak to your supervisor. Re-examine the material and see whether you are missing something. Re-examine the material and see whether you are missing something. Re-examine the theoretical “spectacles” with which you are viewing the material. Re-examine the theoretical “spectacles” with which you are viewing the material. Examine why it is inconclusive as part of the analysis and discussion in your essay. Examine why it is inconclusive as part of the analysis and discussion in your essay.

14. If you feel you don’t know enough in the discipline to be able to complete your research… Seek help from your supervisor to find out what ideas, concepts, frameworks, tools or techniques will help you address the research question. Seek help from your supervisor to find out what ideas, concepts, frameworks, tools or techniques will help you address the research question. Read more in the discipline in which you are doing the research. Read more in the discipline in which you are doing the research. Seek help from professors or graduate students at universities to teach you what you need to know. (Your supervisor will probably not teach you, but may help you teach yourself. ) Seek help from professors or graduate students at universities to teach you what you need to know. (Your supervisor will probably not teach you, but may help you teach yourself. )

15. TIPS AND PITS Tips: Tips: Make sure your question is narrowly focused. Make sure your question is narrowly focused. It helps to exceed by about 20-30% the word limit in the first few drafts, and cut it back to the maximum of 4,000 for the final. It helps to exceed by about 20-30% the word limit in the first few drafts, and cut it back to the maximum of 4,000 for the final. Keep assessing each draft of your essay against the General and Subject Criteria in the Extended Essay Guide, or ask your supervisor to do so. Keep assessing each draft of your essay against the General and Subject Criteria in the Extended Essay Guide, or ask your supervisor to do so. Record ALL sources that you consult and use, and cite them carefully. Record ALL sources that you consult and use, and cite them carefully.

16. TIPS AND PITS More Tips: More Tips: Keep a Research Diary or Journal or Notebook, especially a pocket-sized one that you can carry about and record any ideas that occur to you anywhere. Keep a Research Diary or Journal or Notebook, especially a pocket-sized one that you can carry about and record any ideas that occur to you anywhere. Frequently draw spider diagrams to get the bigger picture, and make links that you know of, and look for other possible links that you may have missed. Frequently draw spider diagrams to get the bigger picture, and make links that you know of, and look for other possible links that you may have missed. Make sure that you present, analyze and interpret data – not just present them! Make sure that you present, analyze and interpret data – not just present them! Use the technical vocabulary and concepts of the discipline in which you are working, and don’t write like a journalist. Use the technical vocabulary and concepts of the discipline in which you are working, and don’t write like a journalist.

17. TIPS AND PITS STILL more tips: STILL more tips: Remember that if you give up on the essay, you STILL need to submit a Yearly Project, AND you disqualify yourself from the IB Diploma. So… Remember that if you give up on the essay, you STILL need to submit a Yearly Project, AND you disqualify yourself from the IB Diploma. So… Complete the essay as best you can, even if you run into problems. That way you will have learnt something valuable! Complete the essay as best you can, even if you run into problems. That way you will have learnt something valuable! Write the Introduction LAST, so that you can give the reader a clear statement of the research question, and how you have addressed it (a “roadmap” of the essay). Write the Introduction LAST, so that you can give the reader a clear statement of the research question, and how you have addressed it (a “roadmap” of the essay).

18. TIPS AND PITS Pitfalls: Pitfalls: Don’t neglect to refer to BOTH sections of your Extended Essay Guide FREQUENTLY. Don’t neglect to refer to BOTH sections of your Extended Essay Guide FREQUENTLY. DON’T leave everything till the last. The deadlines for drafts are there to help you pace your work. They are not a monument to my alleged sadism! DON’T leave everything till the last. The deadlines for drafts are there to help you pace your work. They are not a monument to my alleged sadism! Do NOT rely entirely or mostly on web based resources because of they often tend to be unreliable. Do NOT rely entirely or mostly on web based resources because of they often tend to be unreliable.

19. TIPS AND PITS MORE Pitfalls MORE Pitfalls KEEP BACK-UPS (note the plural) OF ALL YOUR WORK. You will be surprised how well your computer knows when to crash. KEEP BACK-UPS (note the plural) OF ALL YOUR WORK. You will be surprised how well your computer knows when to crash. BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM (especially the unintentional kind)! The consequences are UNPLEASANT. BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM (especially the unintentional kind)! The consequences are UNPLEASANT.

20. HELPFUL WEBSITES http://www.hamilton.edu/academic/Resource/WC/index.html http://www.hamilton.edu/academic/Resource/WC/index.htmlhttp://www.hamilton.edu/academic/Resource/WC/index.html http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm#guidelines http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm#guidelineshttp://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm#guidelines http://web.mit.edu/writing/index.html MIT Writing Centre. Many of the pages here have restricted access. http://web.mit.edu/writing/index.html MIT Writing Centre. Many of the pages here have restricted access. http://web.mit.edu/writing/index.html http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml This is a comprehensive guide to writing research papers which also contains the MLA style guide whose citation conventions you to adopt in writing your essay. In addition, it also contains sections on plagiarism and citation. http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml This is a comprehensive guide to writing research papers which also contains the MLA style guide whose citation conventions you to adopt in writing your essay. In addition, it also contains sections on plagiarism and citation. http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml