IB ESS EE Guide – Topics, Structure & Top Tips from IB Examiner

Maria holds a PhD in Biology and decades of experience creating personalised and engaging learning experiences for IB Biology and ESS students. As an IB examiner for Biology and the Extended Essay, she has years of insight on how best to support students to thrive, including with their IB ESS EE. You can read more about Maria here.

Article reviewed and updated by Maria on July 10th, 2025.

An Extended Essay plays a huge role in the Diploma Programme. It is an endeavour that takes months to complete. And if you choose to write it on an interdisciplinary subject, such as Environmental Systems and Societies, your path will likely be even more difficult. That’s because the IB ESS EE requires you to apply two approaches – scientific and societal – at the same time.

Are you wondering how to write your External Essay in Environmental Systems and Societies? Then this guide is for you. Here, under Maria’s expert guidance, we explain everything you need to know to get a top grade, from choosing your research question to structuring your writing.

What is the IB Environmental Systems and Societies EE Extended Essay?

The IB Environmental Systems and Societies Extended Essay (ESS EE) is a research paper of 4,000 words that allows you to examine an environmental issue of your choice through both scientific and societal lenses.

Unlike Internal Assessment investigations, which can be group projects, the EE must be an individual effort. As a result, you are solely in charge of choosing an original research question, conducting an investigation, analysing its results, and presenting it in the form of an academic paper. Having said that, you can rely on the guidance from your supervisor. You will have three mandatory sessions with them, where you can clarify any uncertainties and get feedback on your research approach.

Besides the Extended Essay itself, you also have to submit the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF). It requires you to look back at the whole research process and explain how you made your decisions. Specifically, you need to provide three reflections:

Initial Reflection tells how you selected your topic and research question, as well as your initial approach to investigation;
Interim reflection describes your progress. If you faced any challenges along the way, you need to discuss them and explain how you overcame them and their impact on the research process;
Final Reflection is a summary of your EE journey. Its most important aspect is reflection on your limitations and suggestions on how you could improve your work.

All three Reflections, totalling 500 words, are assessed alongside the IB ESS EE (specifically, according to Criterion E: Reflection).

Remember, your Extended Essay is a mandatory written assignment. If you fail to submit it, you won’t simply receive your diploma. On a positive note, a top-notch essay can add a bonus point to your total IB score.

IB ESS EE: structure and format

A logician and clear structure is one of the EE assessment requirements. Besides that, it simply helps examiners better understand your investigation and the particular steps you took. Therefore, your task is to make the Extended Essay easy to read and follow.

There are a few mandatory structural elements to your essay: The title page, Table of Contents, Introduction, the Body, Conclusion, and Bibliography. However, you may further break your work into smaller sections as long as they contribute to the presentation.

Below, we introduce an effective structure you can use for your Environmental Systems and Societies EE. But before that, we’d like to note that you must choose a readable 12-point font (such as Times New Roman), apply double spacing and 2,5 cm (1 inch) margins, and place page numbering in the top right corner.

Title Page

This page contains the Title of your Extended Essay, its research question, the subject it is registered under (in this case, Environmental Systems and Societies), and the total word count. Because Extended Essays are assessed anonymously, there can’t be any identifiable information. In other words, don’t specify your name, school, or supervisor.

This section lists all major parts of your essay with their corresponding page numbers. It is also where your first page number should be.

Introduction

The introduction lets readers understand what your research is about from the get-go. Specifically, it should highlight the main environmental issue you’re investigating and explain its importance. You can also make connections to broader significance (both personal and global), i.e. explain why the issue matters to you and society at large.

After that, you need to present your research question. When applicable, introduce both independent and dependent variables.

A brief outline of the methodology should appear here as well, along with justification for why this approach best addresses the research question.

Background Information and Context

This section is about the context of your topic. For example, if your essay involves particular organisms, you should explain what makes them suitable for the research. When it comes to demographic studies, make sure to include justification for choosing participant groups and sampling locations.

Along with this, you need to highlight the scientific principles behind your environmental issue. Let’s say you have a climate change topic – it is beneficial to briefly discuss the mechanisms of climate change. Relevant diagrams, well as in-text citations from reliable sources, can help enhance this section. Please note that you can merge Background with the introduction for better flow.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is a predictable outcome from your investigation based on what you know about the topic. An effective hypothesis shows critical thinking about potential outcomes before conducting the research. If reasonable, you may include a null and an alternative hypothesis to demonstrate scientific rigour.

Strategy Section

This part outlines existing or developing approaches that address the environmental issue and directly relate to the research question. At the same time, you can talk about the stakeholders involved, from government agencies to local communities, as well as their objectives and perspectives. It is also worth discussing tensions and conflicts surrounding the strategy.

Maria explains that to investigate your topic, you can collect primary data (e.g. fieldwork or experimentation), secondary data (e.g. literature and media), or a combination of both. You always need to produce your own analysis of data, regardless of the type of data. And remember, if using secondary data, you need to manipulate the data.

Maria emphasises that in any investigation, you always need to conduct a literature review of your topic. For the Extended Essay, you are expected to review a significant amount of literature related to your research question.

Variables

In IB ESS extended essays, which rely on fieldwork and experiments, it is important to identify both the independent and dependent variables. When it comes to the independent variable, describe how you plan to manipulate it. As for the dependent variable, explain not only what it is but also how you will measure it accurately. Apart from this, you need to provide a table of control variables and explain how each is controlled and why controlling matters. Don’t forget to specify units of measurement.

Equipment

If your investigation is experimental, make sure to include a detailed equipment list. This inventory includes all apparatus with appropriate measurement uncertainties and instruments. Additionally, for solutions and chemicals, specify their concentrations. Studies involving surveys or interviews rather than laboratory work may not need this section.

Methodology

The methodology section contains step-by-step procedures exactly as you performed them. While narrative language sounds more formal (for example, ‘Samples were taken’), Maria explains that first-person descriptions (‘I took samples’) can save words, so you can write either way, just be consistent. Remember, your methodology should be detailed enough so that someone else could repeat it with the same outcome.

For survey-based research, you should explain how you prepared your questions.

Results

More often than not, the heart of this section is tables with quantitative data. When relevant, you may include qualitative observations as well. Remember, you need to provide these tables with respective numbers, titles, and captions.

Typically, you will have two types of tables: raw data and processed data. For each type of data processing (averages, standard deviations, etc.), you should provide sample calculations. Whenever it makes sense, include graphs to visualise relationships between variables. They, too, must have titles and captions along with labelled axes. For each of these graphs, include an analysis in relation to the research question to support your interpretation.

Conclusion

To begin with, you need to restate your research question and explain how the data you collected helped to address it. You should honestly acknowledge if your investigation fully or only partially answered the question. At the same time, the conclusion indicates whether your findings supported or rejected the hypothesis. Discussion of any anomalies in your data, along with possible explanations, completes this section.

Remember, the conclusion should serve as a summary of everything you talked about throughout your Extended Essay. Therefore, it is not the place where you introduce new data.

Evaluation

This section presents a balanced assessment of the investigation’s strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, you should suggest improvements for future studies on the same topic and how they could boost the credibility of your analysis. The purpose of this reflection is to demonstrate awareness of limitations and the iterative nature of scientific research.

References

The final section of your IB Environmental Systems and Societies EE is a complete list of all sources (including any non-original visuals) you cited. Proper attribution prevents plagiarism and, at the same time, demonstrates academic integrity. All the sources should be placed in the alphabetical order. The specific format will depend on the reference system preferred in your school – you should ask your EE supervisor about it.

IB ESS EE: Assessment Criteria

To ensure your hard work with IB ESS Extended Essay pays off, it’s vital to understand how examiners assess it. When you know these standards of quality, you will have a chance to give examiners what they are looking for. Here is a guide to every assessment criterion.

Criterion A: Focus and Method

This criterion focuses on the topic, research question, methodology, and their justification. To earn 6 marks here, stick to the following:

You should clearly identify your topic and ensure it is narrow enough to be explored within 4,000 words. Furthermore, you need to explain its context and why it’s a worthy area of study;
Your Extended Essay must feature a precise, well-defined research question. It needs to be a genuine question, not a statement. Otherwise, you will face a 2-mark reduction;
You need to detail how you plan to undertake your research, especially when it comes to data collection and analysis. Are your chosen methods appropriate and sufficient for academic standards in ESS? A common pitfall is using general sources instead of data-driven or scientific ones;
You need to write a detailed methodology if your approach is experimental or fieldwork;
Your essay must focus on the interaction between natural environments and human societies. Be careful not to let your topic drift into purely experimental or human sciences;
There should be a clear focus on your research question throughout the entire essay, from the introduction to the conclusion.

Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding

With 6 marks awarded, this criterion assesses your understanding of ESS theory. Here is how you can maximise your score:

Use appropriate scientific and systems terminology throughout your essay, but don’t overload it with jargon.
Whenever you use technical terms, you need to define them;
Demonstrate how your research question fits into the broader Environmental Systems and Societies context. One of the ways to do it is to connect your findings to wider ecological principles;
When you make an argument, you must support it with evidence. To make your evidence persuasive, you should draw it from acknowledged scientific sources (primarily, peer-reviewed articles and scientific reports) and apply it effectively. General websites or textbooks won’t carry the same weight in an academic argument;
If your essay focuses on a particular location, you need to provide measurements (if applicable) in this specific place. Additionally, you may offer maps or satellite images of the chosen area.

Criterion C: Critical Thinking

With 12 possible marks, this criterion carries the most weight. It looks closer at your analytical skills and critical thinking. This is how you can meet it:

Because your EE is an analytical work, you can’t simply present information without explaining what it means. Therefore, you are required to analyse your findings and use them to support (or refute) your initial argument;
A strong essay must look at both strengths and weaknesses in its methods, data, and sources. If there were any limitations or uncertainties in your approach, it is a must to discuss them. At the same time, you need to talk about their potential impact on your results;
Draw conclusions that are directly supported by your evidence and link them back to the theory. How do your results align (or not) with what experts say? If there are discrepancies, explain why they occurred. It’s also worth noting the broader implications of your findings and suggesting further research areas.

Criterion D: Presentation

This criterion focuses on the overall structure and readability of your essay. It emphasises that a clear structure is essential, and not just for your readers, but for your own thinking. You can earn 4 marks with this criterion:

General structure

Your essay’s structure and layout should follow the conventions of academic writing;
You need to include all the mandatory pages: a title page, table of contents, introduction, the body of the EE, conclusions, bibliography, and, if needed, appendices;
Starting from the Table of contents, there must be proper page numbers;
You may use divisions for larger sections. In this case, don’t forget to provide informative section headings and subheadings;

Incorporating graphs, tables and images

Whenever you incorporate tables, graphs, and images, complete them with a number, title, labels, and captions;
Make sure to integrate these visuals into the main body of your essay. It’s best that they follow the text flow, i.e. you place them right after mentioning them. However, if you include raw data or complex calculations that are too large to fit on a single page, place them in an appendix. Still, you need to make sure that the text provides key findings;
Please note that tables should not contain a significant amount of text but if they do, it will count towards the word count of the essay.

Use of appendices

You can include large tables of raw data as an appendix;
If your procedure is long and complex, it can be included in the appendix. In your essay you will have to only present a summary of your procedural protocol.
Remember that examiners are not supposed to read the appendixes. So, make sure that your essay includes all the important components that contribute to the quality of your work.

Limits and conventions

Pay close attention to the 4,000-word limit, since examiners will not read or assess anything beyond this point. Tables, their titles and captions, sample calculations, titles and headers, bibliography, and appendices don’t count toward the word limit.
Referencing must follow a recognised system, such as APA or MLA and be applied consistently throughout your work. Incorrect or missing citations can raise concerns about academic integrity. Therefore, you need to specify all the sources you cited, including non-original visuals;

Other considerations

When presenting your processed data, include formulas and sample calculations;
The file size of your Extended Essay must not be more than 10 MB.
Remember to proofread your whole essay before submitting it by using a computer spelling and grammar checkers.

Criterion E: Engagement

This final criterion assesses your personal engagement with the research journey and is heavily based on your reflections. It takes into account not only your Extended Essay but also the Reflection on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) as well as your viva voce interview. Criterion E awards 6 marks, and you need to ensure the following to get them:

Reflect on the decisions you made during the planning and execution of your essay. You will have to answer such questions as: Why did you choose this topic and research question? Why do you think your chosen method is appropriate, and what were your other options? What worked well, and what didn’t? How did you pick your sources?
Discuss any challenges you faced during your research and, importantly, how you dealt with them. You can also talk about new questions that arose and how your perspective shifted along the way;
Consider how your understanding of ESS concepts evolved or changed as a result of your research;
You can also touch upon the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills you developed throughout the process;
Reflect on what you might do differently if you were to undertake the research again and whether these changes would change the outcomes;
Reflect on what surprised you or changed your viewpoint.
Keep these reflections limited to 500 words.

Practice tips to write a strong IB ESS EE Extended Essay

And now let us explain in more detail how and what to write on your Environmental Systems and Societies EE to get a top grade.

Choose a specific and researchable RQ

A well-crafted research question holds your entire essay together. However, there are many requirements you need to keep in mind to ensure you can conduct a meaningful investigation and write about it within the 4,000-word limit.

First of all, your research question must be specific and focused. Too broad questions won’t let you tackle research effectively, since you will be drowning in information. If a potential question sounds like it could be a chapter in a book, it won’t do. “What are the effects of pollution?” is an example of exactly this type of RQ.

On the other hand, a specific question can help you narrow your focus and make research manageable. Still, you need to find enough sources to carry out your investigation.

Let’s take the following potential research question as an example: “To what extent does rising sea temperature impact coral reef ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef?” Here is what makes it a good choice:

It focuses on a clear issue and location. You may also apply a time frame to further narrow it down;
Has accessible data or sources. For instance, you can find water quality reports or biodiversity studies on Google Scholar;
It can be linked to such ESS-relevant topics as biodiversity, resource management, and climate change;
Thanks to phrases such as “How” or “To what extent”, it encourages analytical work. Remember, an essay that is descriptive (i.e. one only talks about facts without pinpointing what they mean) won’t let you get top marks.

Now it’s time to talk about how to choose your specific research question. It all starts with an area of your interest. There must be something that fascinates you or something you are concerned about.

For example, you want to investigate “deforestation.” Sure, it is too broad. However, you can use a specific place, time frame, area of the syllabus, and even a particular issue to set research boundaries. This way, you can go from “deforestation” to something like “How does deforestation in the Amazon affect local biodiversity and indigenous communities?” Here, you investigate such topics of the syllabus as Biodiversity and Conservation, as well as Human Populations and Urban Systems within a defined place.

Before you proceed with a potential research question, don’t forget to consult your supervisor. They will gladly provide their feedback on the feasibility of your approach and may even warn you about possible stumbling blocks.

Combine scientific and social perspectives in RQ

The ESS is an interdisciplinary course blending science and society. Naturally, your research question should reflect this approach.

In your EE, you need to acknowledge that environmental problems don’t exist in a vacuum. Instead, they affect both nature and people. For example, air pollution can be tied to carbon dioxide emissions and, at the same time, viewed through a lens of policies, economic costs, or public attitudes. Therefore, a research question that integrates both scientific and social perspectives will demonstrate your ability to think critically across disciplines.

When talking about the scientific side of ESS, you need to focus on phenomena that can be measured in experiments or field studies. These are, for instance, changes in biodiversity, water quality, or carbon emissions.

In terms of social perspectives, these explore human factors. Examples are economic incentives, government policies, cultural attitudes, or ethical considerations.

“To what extent does urban tree planting in City X improve community well-being through reducing air pollution?” is an excellent example of such a research question. First of all, it is possible to trace measurable air quality improvements. Second, it concerns community health benefits and urban planning policies. Third, the question makes it clear about both areas of study.

There are many topics that reflect this science and social duality – renewable energy, urban air pollution, water scarcity, deforestation, sustainable urban planning, and many others. However, it is important to find a balance between both sides of ESS and not to focus intensively on only one aspect.

Maria says:

“Remember to include terminology and models from the ESS syllabus. These may include system diagrams, inputs/outputs, flows, Environmental Value Systems, pollution management models and indicators of sustainability.”

Provide an analytical argument

Since Environmental Systems and Societies integrate knowledge from both the sciences and individuals and societies, it must reflect this dual perspective. This means your argument cannot rely solely on scientific data or purely sociological analysis. Instead, it should be a mixture of both.

Your Extended Essay may have several interconnected arguments. However, they must be tied to a single central idea, a main argument called a thesis. It appears early in your work (right in the Introduction) and, besides the main claim, it briefly outlines the method of proof. The Diploma Programme encourages students to provide a unique perspective or insight into the argument. This way, you can contribute something new to the existing knowledge.

How to ensure that your argument is effective? Above all, it must be arguable. If it talks about an obvious fact or doesn’t represent a debatable position, it is a no-go. For example, if you state that ‘pollution is bad’, there is no doubt about it. However, a claim that ‘Government subsidies for renewable energy are more effective at reducing carbon emissions than carbon taxes’ would qualify as an argument. Moreover, you yourself may come to the conclusion that your original argument was incorrect.

Naturally, you form your argument based on the results of your research. However, as you find new evidence, it might make you shift your perspective. Therefore, an initial statement isn’t always a final one, and that’s absolutely fine. Your ability to challenge your initial assumption based on emerging evidence demonstrates intellectual flexibility and a deeper engagement with the topic. All of this contributes to nailing the critical thinking assessment criterion.

If an argument is arguable, should you just ignore other viewpoints? Of course not. In fact, acknowledging counterarguments will demonstrate that you explored multiple sides of an issue. However, you must explain why you consider these counterarguments less persuasive – again, with evidence.

Analyse an environmental issue as a whole system

Environmental issues are complex, with many moving parts that influence each other. Each piece fits together to form the whole picture. Systems thinking allows you to analyse these connections and show how a change in one part affects others. This holistic approach is central to the ESS syllabus and, consequently, your External Essay.

To analyse an environmental issue as a whole system, you need to first break it down into its components and study their interactions. According to the ESS syllabus, there are three key components of a system – storage, flows, and feedback – which may serve as tools to structure your analysis.

Storages are reservoirs that hold resources (i.g., carbon in forests, water in lakes, nutrients in soil, etc.);
Flows are movements of materials or energy. These flows can be described as transformation, when energy or matter changes its form (i.g, light converts to heat) or transfers, when a resource changes its location but not itself (such as when water moves from rivers to irrigation systems);
Feedbacks are processes that amplify (positive feedback) or reduce (negative feedback) changes. For instance, melting ice increases global warming and reforestation absorbs CO2.

Often, it is helpful to make a system diagram to visualise how these components interact.

When analysing these interactions, it is a must to specify how all the components affect each other. Let’s get back to our exemplar research question – ‘How does deforestation in the Amazon affect local biodiversity and indigenous communities? – you can establish these connections using scientific and social angles:

Scientific angle: logging (flow) reduces forest biomass (storage), which leads to decreasing carbon sequestration and increasing CO2 levels (positive feedback).

Social Angle: Deforestation displaces indigenous communities (transfer flow), which, in turn, prompts policy changes (negative feedback) to protect land rights.

Using this holistic approach for your Extended Essay will contribute to your mark for Criterion C: Critical Evaluation. After all, it allows you to analyse the intricate nature of your chosen environmental issue and how multiple interrelated mechanisms contribute to it.

Apply ESS theories and models

One of the assessment criteria for your ESS Extended Essay is Knowledge and Understanding. It requires the application of relevant theories to prove you’ve mastered the ESS programme. Besides, they provide a structured frame for your analysis. This is how you can incorporate theories into your EE:

Start by choosing a theory that best suits your research question;

Introduce it briefly in your essay. Although your EE will be assessed by someone who teaches Environmental Systems and Societies, you need to assume they don’t know much about the subject. Therefore, you need to explain how this theory relates to your issue;
Use this theory to structure your analysis while relying on evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.
Provide visuals for more clarity. Those can be diagrams, graphs, as well as models promoting understanding of what you are analysing. Make sure you fully label your visuals as well as complete them with titles and captions.
Acknowledge weaknesses in the chosen models. This way, you will show the examiners that you understand that perfect models don’t exist and even those that fit the context of your investigation come with limitations. For example, if you use a carbon cycle model, you may specify that it simplifies complex atmospheric interactions and potentially overlooks local factors.

When talking about theoretical aspects of Environmental Systems and Societies, don’t forget to use proper terminology. However, use it only where it makes sense and don’t overload the text with jargon. Otherwise, it may be too difficult to read even for someone who understands the matter. At the same time, you need to be very specific when using terms. Such terms as ‘nitrogen runoff’ may better describe your issue than a vague ‘pollution’.

Use case studies and real-world data

Case studies and real-world data ground your analysis in practical contexts. These elements make your essay more convincing, as they show how abstract concepts play out in real life. Moreover, real-world data adds credibility to your arguments and even demonstrates critical thinking since you need to be careful in selecting your sources.

To ensure that your data matters, you need to select only those cases that directly support your RQ. If you’re investigating how agricultural activities affect water quality in a specific river, a case study on this river’s nutrient pollution is spot on. It connects to your topic and provides a clear context for analysis.

However, a single case study, no matter how good it is, won’t do. You need to look for well-documented cases with information available from various angles. These case studies can agree on the matter, and then you will have more proof to support your claims. Or they can contradict each other, but it is not a bad thing. This means you can propose a counterargument and explain the reasons why you preferred sources with opposite views.

Speaking about variety, if it makes sense for your investigation, you should use cases from different regions or contexts. This can show that you understand a broad perspective and impact.

Whenever possible, try to utilise recent cases. When talking about the environment, keeping things relevant matters. Therefore, a case study showing current trends is more impactful than studies from 20 years ago.

Last but not least, don’t just take facts and numbers from relevant sources. Because the Extended Essay is an analytical piece of academic writing, you need to explain what they mean. So, if you simply say that CO2 levels increased by 10% in recent years, it is a sign of a descriptive EE that doesn’t bring many marks. On the other hand, if you analyse this data, you may conclude that this increase is caused by a boost in industrial activity, and it may lead to stricter emissions policies.

Link human activities to environmental impacts

Human activities are the driving force behind many environmental challenges. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of ESS, you need to show how these actions affect the environment.

To effectively link human activities to environmental impacts, you can follow these steps:

Identify human activities that directly relate to your RQ. If you’re talking about deforestation, you may consider logging, agriculture expansion, or urbanisation. Make sure that these activities are specific to your issue and location.
Detail how these activities affect the environment on the scientific and social levels.
Support your analysis with data from credible sources, and, if possible, gather primary data.
Consider direct and indirect impacts. Direct impacts are immediate. A factory polluting a river with chemicals is an example of a direct impact. Indirect impacts are consequences of a primary action, and they are less obvious at first glance. For instance, tourism leads to infrastructure development, which, in turn, causes habitat fragmentation. In your EE, you need to address both impacts.
Explore these impacts at different scales – local, regional, or global. Deforestation in the Amazon (local) increases CO2 levels and contributes to climate change (global).
Connect your analysis to ESS theory. For example, you can use an appropriate model to show how flow, storage, and feedback manifest themselves in the chosen system.

Consider environmental issues from different viewpoints

The IB curriculum explicitly urges students to understand “diverse perspectives”. In terms of your Environmental Systems and Societies Extended Essay, this means presenting at least two viewpoints.

For starters, you need to identify who cares about the issue you’re investigating. Those are typically scientists, policymakers, business owners, local residents, NGOs, and indigenous peoples. Explain briefly how each might see the problem. For example, farmers might prioritise economic needs while conservationists consider ecosystem health.

Next, you need to ground your analysis in real-world examples to highlight these different views. Let’s take the Keystone XL pipeline as an example. This case shows industry support due to economic benefits and, at the same time, environmentalists’ opposition because of its negative impact on natural habitats.

It is important that you also explore ethical considerations, as well as who benefits and who bears the costs.

Describe methodology and ethical considerations

A methodology section explains how you are going to answer your research question. It is not uncommon for ESS investigations to rely on fieldwork. In this case, you need to explain it step by step. For example, if you surveyed a stream, you should specify where and when you took samples, how you measured water quality, how many replicates you used, and so on. If you required any tools or instruments (e.g. pH meter), explain how you utilised them and their measuring errors. It is also worth stating the weather conditions and how you controlled the variables.

At the same time, many ESS Extended Essays rely on secondary data. When using these, you should explain your selection criteria. In particular, discuss how they relate to your research question, who created them and with what purpose, are they current, do they represent diverse viewpoints, etc. You can use the CRAAP test for source analysis.

Remember, even with secondary data, you should present your own analysis or synthesis of information. If a dataset comes with its own summary, you should indicate how you reprocessed or combined it with other data to draw new conclusions.

The methodology section may also include a brief mention of your theoretical approach or model. However, it should only talk about how you gathered data and how each step helped you answer your question.

Finally, with a practical study, you should address ethics. If you conducted a survey, clearly explain its aim to the participants. All the raw data should remain anonymous; otherwise, it is mandatory to ask permission to use any personal information. If you are engaged in fieldwork, ethical considerations matter as well. Take only the samples you truly need, and avoid trampling vegetation or disturbing wildlife.

Use diagrams, graphs, and tables in IB ESS EE

Visuals are a must to clarify your findings. That’s because they can instantly reveal trends, comparisons, or relationships that might be hard to see in text alone. A well-chosen graph or chart draws the reader’s eye to your key points and can make your argument more persuasive. Diagrams, on the other hand, can map out complex processes while tables help organise raw data or exact values.

Whatever type of visual you use, you need to adhere to academic standards. Every figure must have a clear title or caption and properly labelled parts. For graphs and charts, it is important to label each axis and include units of measurement. Make sure your text and legends use consistent terminology and formatting.

Remember, all the visuals are an integral part of your discussion. This means you need to mention and explain them in the text. For instance, you can write “Figure 2 shows…” and point out what the reader needs to see. You should place each visual close to where you first referenced it in the text to ensure a smooth flow. The only exception is if a visual is too large to fit on the same page. In this case, insert it on top of the next page.

Last but not least, you need to select only those visuals that reinforce your point. Too many graphs or tables, especially unnecessary ones, will only confuse a reader. Hence, you should justify their use by adding information about what they represent.

Avoid personal opinions

Every piece of academic writing must be objective and evidence-based. Your External Essay is no exception. Although the issue you are investigating may concern you directly (such as air pollution in your home town), it is better to avoid personal opinions.

Whenever you make a claim, there must be solid evidence to support it. Sometimes, you may find sets of data that contradict each other, and your goal is to choose the ones that you find more credible and justify why you think so. To do so, objectivity is a must. However, if you let your personal biases interfere with the analytical process, this may undermine the credibility of your arguments.

Having said that, you will not get mark reductions if you include your personal opinion. You just need to do it strategically. Instead of weaving them into the main body of the essay, leave them for the Reflection section.

As a matter of fact, reflections encourage you to discuss the decisions you made, including those concerning various perspectives. But once again, you need to discuss their strengths and weaknesses and why you believe one point of view is more persuasive than the other. Here, you can mention your initial bias as one of the limitations.

Maria recommends avoiding using “I think” and “In my opinion”. You can use personal language in your reflection sessions.

Cite sources properly

Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the entire Diploma Programme. This means all the written papers, including your Extended Essay, must be original. Of course, you will be using materials from other sources to add credibility to your research, but make sure to cite them properly. The IBO’s Academic Integrity Policy emphasises the importance of citations as a way to respect the intellectual work of other authors.

Everything that you didn’t create yourself (figures from secondary sources, cites, visuals, etc.) must be directly referenced in the text and additionally specified in the Bibliography.

What is going to happen if you fail to cite your sources? In this case, your essay may be flagged for plagiarism. It is a serious issue since it doesn’t simply lead to a mark reduction; it leads to a failed Extended Essay. As you know, without a grade for the EE and other obligatory written papers, you will not be able to receive your diploma.

The bottom line, proper citing will save you big problems, says Maria.

“Organise your bibliography and in-text citations as soon as you start writing by using a citation manager (such as Google Docs’ citation tools, Zotero, or Mendeley). You can use MLA or APA academic referencing but keep it consistent. Ask your supervisor if your school recommends a specific citation format. Also, do not forget to cite the sources of the photographs and other images you use.”

Maria warns not to rely exclusively on sources found on the internet because they may not have been through a peer review process. It is always a good practice to use printed sources from the library.

Get input from your supervisor

Although your Environmental Systems and Societies EE is an independent project, you are not completely alone!. Your EE supervisor will be there to help you when you face uncertainties or questions. Formally, you will have three sessions with them throughout the EE journey. Maria recommends meeting your supervisor early in your Extended Essay journey.

The first session is an opportunity to discuss your potential research topic, title, and methodology. At this point, you should complete your preliminary research, as well as outline the plan for further actions. Your supervisor will be able to tell you if your RQ fits the ESS standards or if the chosen methodology will allow you to effectively answer it. You should also prepare some data from the sources you’ve found and discuss whether they can serve as evidence for your claims. Maria recommends:

“As soon as possible, try to test the feasibility of your potential research topic by finding at least 10 reliable sources. Your supervisor can also support you on this task.”

The next session usually occurs when you already have the first draft. At this stage, input from your supervisor is critical as it can help you meet the assessment criteria: Do you provide a theoretical framework? Do you have convincing evidence? Do you analyse your findings instead of simply describing them? Which conclusions have you reached? You should be ready to revise your work if their feedback is less than perfect.

The final mandatory session takes place when you have a final draft. By this stage, you should implement all the suggestions discussed with your supervisor. Still, there might be some roughness or small things robbing you of valuable marks – your supervisor should point them out before your submission.

Remember, you should actively participate in these sessions, and not just wait for their feedback. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask them.

Get support for your IB ESS Extended Essay

An Extended Essay on Environmental Systems and Societies is such a big undertaking that support from your supervisor alone might not be enough. The good news, here at TutorsPlus, we have a wonderful team of IB ESS tutors, some of whom are directly involved in EE supervision and assessment. You can benefit from your own personal supervisor exactly when you need them – this is an excellent way to ensure that your research is moving in the right direction.

Maria has this to say about tuition with her:

“As your tutor, I’ll help you create a timeline with manageable goals. You will also benefit from understanding how your Extended Essay can be improved through the lens of the assessment Criteria. I often give students a checklist based on the IB Criteria. With tutoring, we go through your Extended Essay and make sure every strand earns you marks.”

Whether you have issues with finding your perfect research question or you have doubts about analysis, our ESS tutors will come to the rescue. Then can break down every stage of the process and explain all the dos and don’ts of writing an essay that scores high. Many students are scared to submit their ESS EE drafts and find out that they need to redo almost everything because their evidence wasn’t strong enough or their statements are descriptive instead of analytical. However, if you let an experienced tutor guide your research process, you can reduce the risk of major revisions in the final stages.

Find out more about how TutorsPlus can support you in your ESS EE journey by contacting us at +41 22 731 8148 or . We’ll be happy to answer all your questions and find a tutor who meets your academic needs.