For other articles on the Extended Essay on Intense Cogitation, please see our helpful articles on The Extended Essay Outline and Sample sources for an Extended Essay – The American Civil War. Please also check out my extended essay exemplar about the American Civil War.
The 50 Excellent Extended Essays collection is, as the name suggests, 50 extended essays which rank as outstanding in the IB world for a multitude of reasons, like depth of research, originality, quality of analysis, academic perspective, etc.
Some IB coordinators do have access to this resource, so you should try asking them for printed copies whenever you do your EE.
I haven’t been able to find a resource with all 50 extended essays, but I have found this school website [link checked on 17 March 2012] that has some helpful extended essay rubrics and sample extended essays. This school website [link checked on 17 March 2012] also has some more extended essays.
When you read these exemplars, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Why did the IB choose this as an exemplar? What qualities make it distinct?
- How can I apply these qualities to my own extended essay?
- How would these essays score on the EE rubric?
- What are the strengths of these essays?
- What is (or will be) the strength of my own essay?
- What are the weaknesses of these essays?
- What is (or will be) the weaknesses of my own essay?
- How is the essay presented? Does it look professional? Does it follow academic standards in citations and works cited?
- How can I make my essay follow these standards better?
- How long are the exemplars? Did they manage to cover everything they needed to? Was their argument sound?
- If not, how can I fix that problem? How does this apply to my own essay?
Hopefully those questions will give you some assistance in analysing those essays.
If you need some EE assistance, just leave a comment and I’ll try to get back to you. 
Thanks for the article, however I am unable to access the “50 excellent extended essays” from the website you provide under the link :
‘available on this school website. ‘
If you could help me with accessing them that would be much appreciated.
Thanks again
The link has been fixed as of 20 Dec 2010.
I need help with getting started on my extended essay! I know exactly what i want to do and how im going to do it but i have no idea how to get started with the writing of my extended essay! Are there any notes that could be e.mailed to me and perhaps a few copies of good extended essays so that i can have a basic understanding to start my essay! Please this will be a great help for me! Thank-you very much!
Jessica Donohoe
To get started with the EE, I would advise just start by reading news stories and articles related to it to jog some ideas. For example, I often start by reading Wikipedia pages prior to writing the essay (I don’t actually use them in the essay, but I read it to get a general picture).
The link above should have sample extended essays for your viewing pleasure.
The website link doesn’t work
i mean the left hand side bar does not work when u reach the school website
Hm, I just tried it out and it seemed to work. Did you try a different web browser?
Nah I think its just the Economics section that doesnt work. I managed to find one of the examples on the web and now i know wat the format is for my EE. Cheers!
In case you’re wondering, the previous school site went offline. I have checked the new EE link as of 24 Feb 2011.
I have no idea of how to come up with a topic for my TA ee. Do you have any advice or example for one? Much obliged.
Theatre Arts? I tried looking through Google via some quick searches, but I didn’t really find anything useful. Your best bet is still to ask your EE supervisor to see if they have some EEs from past years.
The link for the EEs doesn’t seem to work
What would you suggest for an EE in Math exploring the applications of differential equations? I’m looking for some examples online too but I can’t find any.
I’m thinking of just taking one real-life application and writing about it thoroughly – but everything I’ve found so far involves physics and engineering to a large extent and is way too hard to understand, much less write a paper about.
Is it only available for people in that school, if not then how do u access it?
When clicking on the link for the EEs it comes up with a school login required. Please help. Many thanks.
Hmm…the EE, the biggest time-sink know to mankind. Since I’m apparantly going in the next edition of “50 excellent examples of BS” I can offer my advice: If your History HL do your EE in history on something related to the course or something that fascinates you personally. Also remember the IB love their criteria so kneel down and worship them. GL
the link requires sign up details.anyone got some?
Hi, great link you have here in your article. It’s a big help. I just had one quick question, is there any way i can access the rubric to the essays in your link. I was just wondering what IB would consider good or bad? Even a sample rubric for any one of the essays will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Hello:
Unfortunately I do not know where the rubrics could be accessed. I would suggest contacting an IB coordinator or the IB in Cardiff.
If your school has had past diploma candidates, you could ask your coordinator to retrieve old EEs for you to look at.
@Brian:
Thanks for letting me know. I will try to see if I can get my hands on a marked rubric before i have to hand in my essay. Thanks for putting up the essays anyways. They are a big help
There’s also no sample Business and Management EE’s on the school’s website… I’ve tried searching online for quite a while now, do you guys have any links to good B&M EE’s?
Unfortunately I haven’t really been able to find anything. I would recommend talking to your EE advisor for samples. If they don’t have any, then you could ask them to post on the teachers-only IB forums for some recommendations/samples.
I’d love to see some of the best 50 but I’m having trouble accessing them… Please help…
Yes, I am having trouble accessing them again too. Could you please look into that?
I also can’t access the website.. Please help.
In the process of finding some new links. I’ll try to get them up as soon as possible (hopefully within the next 24 hours).
Hi I am doing my extended essay on psychology, I am linking it to fashion and conformity. I don’t want reveal my topic here, but do you think it’s ok? It’s quite unconventional but I am a psychology student so I wouldn’t write any pop psychcology and I am a good essay writer so it won’t be not professional. Please get back to me when you can!
Hey Soumya: It’s really hard to tell with just the general subject. As long as you have a strong argument with good sources, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Talk about it with your peers and your EE supervisor and see what they think.
Hi! I just tried clicking the link to the essays, but it’s not working.
Hey Imaiya: I just checked a moment ago. The link is still working.
Link not working today
I’m having trouble choosing an essay topic, do you have any tips or ideas to help me choose?
I’m so lost!
I have to start writing my outline as soon as possible & my supervisor is putting so much pressure on me.
I actually have absolutely no idea how to write my outliine or anything.
I keep worrying that it’ll be such a bad EE.
I keep thinking that my topic is not good enough (too broad) & I should change it.
Any topic ideas?
I’d really appreciate your helpo
Hey Reem: Try to do some more background research. It often helps narrows your field of study so you can write an EE on it.
- Take a look at other EEs
- Talk to your supervisor about it — get them to guide you through the process
- Just pick something you’re really passionate about.
Hello Brian,
Thanks for the great help you’re providing here!
I’m thinking about doing my EE in computer science/math about “States the Turing machine the limits of our calculability?” or should I ask “Do limits of calculability exist?”
Thanks !
Hey Anka,
I’m not very knowledgeable about those topics, but they seem a bit vague — I would try to narrow it down to one specific aspect.
Thank you so much brian.
Any topic ideas?
Hey Reem,
Do you have a subject in mind?
sorry,,, but the link isnt working,,, what to do??
Hey Brian, would you happen to have any interesting topics for an EE in History. I thought of a few but I’m not too sure about them..
hey there, do you where i can examples of EE’s in Applied Linguistics (English)?
@John: It’s probably easier if you just skimmed over a few pages in a general history book or even Wikipedia to get a sense of what time period you would like.
@Ameen: Unfortunately I don’t know.
I narrowed it down to two ideas:
Idea #1
Title: Rape as an instrument of war – Sexual enslavement in the Bosnian War 1992-1995
Research question: To what extent was the systematic rape of women in the war used as a method of ethnic cleansing and what were the impacts on the victims
Idea #2
Title: The impacts of colonial policies implemented by the British in Africa in the 19th century (1800-1899) (should I narrow it down to a specific country like Nigeria perhaps or South Africa?)
Research question: How have the colonial policies the British empire enforced on its African territory, impacted the lives of the people residing in those countries today.
What do you think of them ? I want to make sure I’m heading in the right direction before I approach a teacher to approve of it.
Hey John,
Good start so far. Your questions are still a bit vague, but they’re OK if you’re just starting with your rough draft. (In my EE, my research question was about 1 specific ship in a specific battle) It really depends on the resources you have — do so more general reading and get your ideas down. Once you have way over 4000 words, then you’ll know what you need to focus on.
I’m considering doing my EE in Geography, do you have any interesting topics for me, I live in West Africa.
hye,i am planning to do EE on economics,but,my teacher ask me what methodology that i am going to use to mesasure the effectiveness of subsidies of government on the public transport fare.how to make methodology?
Hey Lydia,
It’s probably best if you found a topic that you’re really passionate about. What I like will be different from what you like. I’d recommend reading about geography in general and then narrowing it down to a field you like.
eg) for history, start with world history since the Renaissance –> American history since independence –> US Civil War
Hey iz,
I’m not totally sure about that, I’d recommend asking your teacher again.
Hi guys!
I have no idea about what should I write for my extended essay
I was thinking about blending it with TOK if that makes sense
I really need help in topics
Thank you guys (:
hi my e.essay is due by sunday it is currently friday … and im sooo stuck and behind what do i doo? i started a bit of research but thats about it,…. i dont know if my topic is even acceptable .. im too afraid to ask myy teachers for help. helpppp!
hey, im doing my EE in Physics, can you recommend some topics that would be related to electricity and/or mechanics? thanks!