How to write a focused Extended Essay research question
The research question decides most of an Extended Essay before a word of it is written. Too broad, and a few thousand words can only describe. Focused, and they can argue.
From topic to question
Start with a topic in your chosen subject, then narrow it the way examiners read for: a specific case, text, period, place or variable. The question should invite analysis — "to what extent", "how far", "how does" — rather than a factual answer.
Test it against the word count. If a good answer would need a book, narrow again.
Make sure it belongs to the subject
An Extended Essay is written in one subject and is assessed on that subject's methods. A question that wanders into another discipline makes the essay harder to mark well. Check your question with your supervisor and the subject guidance.
Use your supervisor well
Supervision in the Extended Essay is deliberately limited, so arrive at each meeting with a specific question. The IB's current requirements, criteria and rules on AI use come from your coordinator — confirm them there.
Checklist
- My question is focused on a specific case, text, period or variable.
- It asks for analysis, not a list of facts.
- It can be answered well within the word count.
- It sits clearly in one subject and uses that subject's methods.
- I can find enough sources or data to answer it.
Common mistakes
- A question so broad it can only be answered descriptively.
- A question that belongs to a different subject.
- A question whose answer is already settled.
Get a supervisor's eye on your own project
The StudyAI Supervisor asks the questions a good EE supervisor asks about focus and method — and never writes the essay for you.
Frequently asked questions
How specific should an Extended Essay research question be?
Specific enough to analyse in the word count: usually one case, text, period or variable. If the answer would need a book, narrow it.
Can AI help with an Extended Essay?
Follow the IB's current policy and your school's rules. Tools that help you think — questioning your focus and method — are different from tools that write for you, which you should not use.