The IB Diploma course includes an extended essay (EE). Writing a strong EE in Biology is a must.
You will research, write and publish about a topic of biological relevance to you or your environment. Yours
Writing should address the biological systems.
This guide should be read before you ever consider doing EE Biology. You can also visit IB and review the subject specific guide.
Extended Essay Information Book (from IBO).
An overview of the topic
A biology extended essay gives students the opportunity to use a variety of skills and research a topic that interests them. An extended essay on biology has a specific biological emphasis that is contextualized within a wider scientific investigation.
Choose from a variety of topics
Environmental systems and Societies focuses on the interaction between human societies and “natural” environments. The relationship between these two systems should be the subject of an essay. This essay should not only focus on ecological processes but also social activities. However, it should be significant and give equal weight to each of these dimensions. You should choose a topic that will allow you to understand how the environmental system and society function in your chosen relationship. While the syllabus on environmental systems and society covers the study of ecological principles, the extended essay will focus on human interactions with the environment. In the same way, although the syllabus covers a wide range of philosophical approaches, they would have to be considered in the context of specific natural systems.
Even if the topic is multidisciplinary, your essay should emphasize Biology.
– i. e.g. A Biochemistry-based essay should focus on the Biology and not Chemistry.
– ii. e.g. Essays that focus on human diseases must not be concerned with diagnosis or treatment.
It is important to take great care in ensuring that the topic selected will not be submitted under the experimental or human sciences. This is true for topics that only focus on politics, health, and disease.
Before making a decision on the topic, it is important that you carefully review the subject guidelines.
The topic should be both intriguing and challenging. It should have a limited scope that allows you to address a problem or issue in detail. The topic should allow you to generate and analyze data. It is not your job to contribute to knowledge in a particular subject.
An essential feature of any topic is its ability to be used for analysis. The student will not be granted credit if the chosen topic is not able to provide an analytical argument. It is not enough to just describe a particular nature reserve. It must also evaluate its relationship with local communities, compare it with other initiatives, and assess the original goals. There must be room for students to make arguments and support their argument from the information.
Some topics are not suitable for safety or ethical reasons. Avoid experiments that could inflict pain upon living organisms, create unwarranted damage to the environment, or make it difficult for others to be ethical. If qualified supervision and safety equipment are not available, it is best to avoid experiments that could pose a danger to your health.
These guidelines should not be taken in isolation from the IB extended essay guidelines.
Another important aspect of a topic that is successful is its clarity of focus. The student will be punished if the topic is too broad.
Students will not be able produce new analysis, arguments, or meaningful conclusions if they are given too many topics. The following examples of extended essays for environmental systems or societies provide guidance. These pairings are a reminder that you should encourage the use of focused topics (indicated first by the title) rather than broad topics as indicated by second.
– “The ecological recover of worked-out quarries of bauxite in Jarrahdale (West Australia)” is superior to “Environmental impacts of mining”.
“Efficiency of global food production” is superior to “A comparison in energy efficiency between grain production in The Netherlands, Swaziland”.
– “The relative significance of different sources for carbon dioxide pollution New York
Sacramento” is better that “Impacts global warming”.
– “Managing paper’s environmental impact at a Welsh college” is better than “Paper recycle.”
Students may find it helpful to clarify the research topic.
1. Topic The impact of exotic plants on the herbivore diversity of Tanzania
What effect does the time between the introduction of an exotic plant and its origin affect the diversity among herbivores who are able to eat it?
Research question
An investigation of the diversity of epiphytic herbivores in relation to a variety of exotic plants in Kilimanjaro, with a brief history of each plant’s origin.
2. Topic: Evaluating local conservation’s philosophical goals and accomplishments
In what way does the local conservation group’s philosophy and objectives help protect the environment?
Research question
An analysis of literature, attitudes and records on environmental quality.
3. Topic The ecological footprints of school canteens
What can we make of the environmental impacts of school canteens?
Research question
An analysis of records as well as practical measurements that assess the inputs/outputs to the canteen. Finally, the data are merged into a holistic model to indicate the environmental effect.
A clearly stated hypothesis can be as acceptable as a research question for some types of investigations, especially experimental ones.
Because the IB course in environment systems requires both life and earth sciences expertise, it is interdisciplinary. To ensure that an extended essay does not contain a topic more appropriate for geography or biology than the environment, it must be truly integrated. Even though extended essays in experimental science meet the same assessment criteria, the extended essay on environmental systems must reflect a system-oriented approach. The topic must be able to collect objective, often quantitative data that can be used in the construction of appropriate models.
How can I create a great research question?
It’s not easy but important!
– Choose the topic to be covered in your essay
You can find the complete list here.
– Review the IB’s criteria regarding your subject
Read an example essay on your topic
– Choose a topic from this subject
Explore potential research questions related this topic
You will need to do your research!
– Talk to your adviser about these points
Discuss your research, ideas and requirements with your advisor during your first meeting. Choose the best research question
A clearly stated hypothesis is acceptable for some research, particularly experiments.
The topic is treated
Elaborating on the environment and society can lead to extended essays. Primary data can be collected from fieldwork, laboratory experimentation or interviews. Secondary data can be collected from literature or other media. Although it may involve both, there is a limit to how much time you have and how many words you can write. To avoid becoming superficial, one should emphasize the primary data collection or secondary data collection (from literature or other media).
The essay should be focused on primary data collection. Students must take great care to select the right methods and carry them out efficiently. Students should read relevant literature about their method before they begin the investigation. They also need to look for any research that could provide them with useful guidelines or points of comparison. The bibliography should contain at least some recognition of secondary resources, so that the results can be supported by the chosen methods.
Secondary data should be chosen carefully by the student. The Internet is full of unfounded, journalistic, partisan, and populist claims.
These must be sorted and used only by the student. This type of essay would usually require a bibliography.
It is important that students participate in their analysis and draw their conclusions, regardless of where the data came from. Because the data has not been analysed before, this will be easier. But, secondary data can have its own analysis, and possibly draw conclusions. Students should be able to manipulate secondary data and possibly combine it with other resources in order for the essay to clearly show the student’s participation in analysis and drawing conclusion. Students must create their own arguments and evaluate the data available, regardless of whether they are using primary or second-hand data.
The system approach is a major theme of the syllabus for environmental systems and society. The extended essay should reflect this. The essay should attempt a model of the system/systems in question. This is the broadest definition of “model”, which could include mathematical formulae and maps. It is also a good idea to use systems terminology when appropriate.
INTERPRETING ASSESSMENT CRITIES
Criterion B: Method and focus
This criterion evaluates the topic and research question as well the methodology. This criterion assesses the explanation for the research topic (the research question and the topic), the method of research, and how it is sustained throughout the essay.
This criterion requires that the introduction clearly state a clear and focused research question, which should be clear. It’s not enough to list it on the abstract or title page. First, it must be limited in scope. That will make it difficult to provide “effective treatment”. It must be able to support critical argument and not just a narrative or descriptive treatment. To illustrate, “To what degree is X similar to Y?” Arguments are allowed, but “What’s X like?” is not. Simple description is all that is required.
The introduction should place the hypothesis or research question in context. It might provide background information or a geographical overview of the subject under consideration. The introduction should explain why the question is important. What might be its potential value for others? What potential implications might the findings have for others?
The introduction should not be too long. In order to keep the essay’s overall argument in line, it is important that the introduction only contains the necessary material.
It’s possible to write the research question clearly in this subject.
This could be especially useful in experimental studies. An experiment will begin with a hypothesis. Then, the result of the experiment will support or deny it.
It is proposed that…
– Good research questions will allow you to quickly form hypotheses.
– Written as a statement which can be tested (not an answer)
– It is possible to state both a directional and a non-directional hypotheses in conjunction with a Null Hypothesis
Usually, it will be one sentence.
– It must include a reference to how the dependent variable affects the independent variable
This should be followed, if possible, by a predictive plot with the appropriate labels for each axis.
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