extended essay outline template

IB Extended Essay: Notes & Outlines

• Research Questions
• Past Essays
• Notes & Outlines
• Works Cited Page
• In-Text Citations
• Assessment Criteria
• Reflections
• Supervisor Info
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No matter which note-taking strategy you choose, be sure you: 

• Decide on a strategy and stick with it
• Paraphrase everything (Writing in your own words helps you understand)
• T race every idea in your notes back to a source
• Write just enough to remember what you meant, but not copy everything 
• Use symbols, abbreviations, diagrams, drawings 

How to Paraphrase

The rule of 4: Each note must contain

• Quoted material (in quotation marks)
• Your Comment

Research Notes Templates: Choose one and stick with it

• Grid Style: Google or Word
• Category Style: Google or Word
• Notecard Style: Google or Word

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Outline Templates

How and Why to Outline, via Purdue OWL

Basic Outline - The headings you plan to use, in order

• Basic Outline Template   (Word Doc)

Detailed Outlines - Headings, supporting ideas, your analysis, cited sources

• Detailed Outline Template  (Word Doc via E. Sturbridge)
• Detailed Outline  (PDF via Leslie Gallager)
• Grid Style Outline ( Word or Google )

MLA Style Paper Template  (Word Doc)

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• Last Updated: Nov 24, 2023 2:59 PM
• URL: https://sis-cn.libguides.com/ExtendedEssay

On Writing an Outline

On this page....

some advice on how to make an EE outline

some examples of EE outlines

Why write an outline?

Why wouldn't you? You're planning a journey and this will be your road map. There will be surprise diversions and occasional roadblocks along the way but the outline will steer you in the correct direction. Be aware however no outline is perfect. Consider it a 'working document' that can change and evolve as you go along.

Importantly, having an outline will help your supervisor understand your thoughts and ideas - which leads to far better advice and feedback for you.

The University of Melbourne

More on Outlines from the Exploration of Style Blog / Reverse Outlines

Example outlines

*Please note these are only examples of how outlines might look. We are not saying your outline must be exactly like those shown here. As always please speak to your supervisor for further guidance and to understand their expectations.

• peer advice
• creating an action plan
• tips on researching information
• developing a research question
• Introduction
• works cited & bibliography
• peer review
• Confederate statues
• Evaluating Sources
• Quickwrite #1: Renaissance
• Characteristics of Renaissance Art
• northern renaissance
• Social & Political Activism Gallery Walk
• quickwrite #2: Parallels
• Martin Luther
• English Reformation
• Counter-Reformation
• unit 1 summative part 2: Reformation summative
• SOI Current Event
• [intro] Quickwrite #3: Ideology
• 6 major world religions
• Islam: a short history
• A Little History of Religion
• Islam: the Empire of Faith
• The History of the Ottoman Empire
• quickwrite #4: Ottoman Empire
• quickwrite #5: the decline of the ottoman empire
• The Mughal Empire
• what did you learn?
• case study: China
• Quickwrite #6: Zheng He
• Case Study: Cristoforo Colombo
• case study: Hernán Cortés
• Mankind the Story of All of Us
• China in Isolation questions
• case study: japan
• case study: Myannmar
• Unit 3 Summative Assessment
• Quickwrite #7: rebellions
• 4 stages of a revolution
• French Revolution Documentary
• Quickwrite #8: is it a revolution?
• Class Presentations
• A Little History of ____
• end of the year reflection
• writing center
• How to read a primary source
• Create an Anecdote
• WWI: Why did the 'Great War' happen?
• Trench Warfare
• World War I: Military technology
• Things you should know about WWI
• WWI and Liberal Democracy
• quickwrite #1
• Paris Peace Conference
• Causes of World War II
• Quickwrite #2: Power...
• European Theater
• Pacific Theater
• League of Nations vs the United Nations
• Commanding Heights
• New Economic World Order
• effects of globalization
• Comparing Poland and Ukraine
• news analysis presentation
• 'corrupt' venezuela
• Noodletools
• Constitution Questions
• Parliamentary vs. presidential democracy
• Presidential and Parliamentary Systems Questions
• A tale of two political systems
• party systems questions
• The shadow of 1979
• Political Systems summatives
• underlying conditions of conflicts
• Genocide: worse than war
• Conflict & Resolution Summative Assessment
• Writing a Research Paper
• Assessment Strategies
• Econ IA student exemplars
• Extended Essay Outline & Layout
• Extended Essay Research & Investigation Doc
• Economics Extended Essay Grade Descriptors for the Extended Essay
• Worksheets & Notes
• In the News
• Neo-classical Economics
• Committee Memorandum
• Guns vs. Butter
• Short Answer Questions
• Higher Level
• Elasticity Questions
• Taxes and Cigarettes
• Price Floor or Price Ceiling?
• Standard Level 1.5*
• start Internal Assessment
• Backwards Test
• Perfect Competition Questions
• The Airline Industry Sucks
• Unit 1 review
• 1st semester reflection
• Tale of Two Countries
• Quickwrite: GDP
• Food for Thought
• Inflation & unemployment
• Quickwrite: Money
• the multiplier
• full employment
• economic growth
• income distribution
• low inflation
• Paul Solmon Q&A
• Equity, Equality, & Efficiency in Economics
• DP Business Management Guide 2024
• sustainability
• Command terms in use
• structuring and building your answer
• paper 1: student assessed examples
• paper 2 HL: student assessed examples
• paper 2 SL: student assessed examples
• paper 3: student assessed examples
• Internal Assessment Research Proposal
• Internal Assessment Outline option 1
• Internal Assessment Outline option 2
• Internal Assessment Scoring Rubric 2024
• Internal Assessment: student assessed examples
• IB extended essay guide
• Grade Descriptors for the Extended Essay
• tips & student exemplars for the extended essay
• extended essay peer advice
• Solaris Paper: INTERVIEW
• Wayhigh: INTERVIEW
• Disney: INTERVIEW
• ASW: interview
• REACT: Interview
• Kathryn Emery PR: Interview
• Upside: INTERVIEW
• Scope Fluidics: Field Trip
• SWOT analysis
• Ansoff Matrix
• STEEPLE analysis
• Business Plan
• Decision Tree
• Descriptive statistics
• Circular business Model
• Gantt charts [hl only]
• porter's generic strategies [hl only]
• Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions [HL only]
• Force Field Analysis [hl only]
• Critical path analysis [hl only]
• Contribution Analysis [HL only]
• Simple Linear Regression [HL only]
• Quickwrite #1
• BMT: Business Plan
• Paul Frank Industriies
• Ikea is a non-profit?
• Structuing your Answer
• personal case study
• BMT: Decision Tree
• BMT: Force Field Analysis [hl only]
• internal & external stakeholder conflict
• Stakeholder conflict & resolution
• Ansoff Matrix practice question
• BMT: SWOT analysis
• SWOT & PESTLE analysis
• Franchising [cont.]
• Case Study: Disney
• case study: buffalo wild wings
• Business Management Toolkit for Unit 1
• Practice Question
• Leadership Styles
• case studies
• practice question
• Motivation theories visual
• Types of Financial rewards
• types of organizational culture
• BMT: Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions [HL only]
• CASE STUDY: American School of Warsaw
• Unit 2 review
• Case Study: Sources of Finance
• Presentation of Financial Statements 2024
• Final Accounts examples
• Formula Sheet 2024
• Unit 3.7 Questions
• constructing a cash flow forecast
• BMT: Contribution Analysis [HL only]
• Unit 3 review
• marketing plan sample
• marketing project peer evaluations
• Coke vs. Pepsi
• Build me a case study
• case study: merchants of cool
• Case Study: Got Milk?
• Creating the Product
• Keeping the product going
• Market research WWYD?
• BMT: Simple Linear Regression [HL only]
• BMT: Descriptive statistics
• product: Build me a case study
• BMT: BCG Matrix
• price: Build me a case study
• unit 4.5 practice question
• Coca-Cola [case study]
• People [service]
• Process [service]
• Physical Evidence [service]
• 7 P's: Build me a case study
• BMT: porter's generic strategies [hl only]
• International Marketing 101
• Unit 4 review
• Factory City Documentary
• Production Methods Presentation
• Case Study: Toyota
• unit 5.1 - 5.4 practice questions
• Why Global Supply Chains May Never Be the Same | A WSJ Documentary
• case study: IN-N-OUT
• stock control chart
• practice questions
• BMT: Critical path analysis [hl only]
• BMT: Circular business Model
• BMT: Gantt charts [hl only]
• Disney and ASW crisis management
• case study: Eastman Kodak Company
• case study: gilette
• Unit 5 review
• Paper 3 Practice: Microeconomics
• Paper 3 Practice: Macroeconomics
• Trump's Trade War
• World Trade Organization
• HL Comparative vs. Absolute Advantage Problem
• Exchange Rate Questions
• Why does China have so much US treasury bonds?
• Breaking down the balance of payments
• Greece & the EU
• economic integration by region
• IB Examiner
• unit 3 review
• Economic Development Investigation
• Economic Development Investigation Part 2
• China's Belt & Road Initiative
• Economic Development Investigation Part 3
• Internal Assessment
• review worksheets
• Business Management Tools
• Internal Assessment Outline
• case study: SAG-AFTRA
• May 2020 Case Study
• May 2021 case study
• May 2022 case study
• May 2023 case study

The Extended Essay Step by Step Guide 5: Structure and Planning

When it comes to writing a brilliant first draft of your Extended Essay, or any essay, I fully believe that a solid structure is one of the surest guarantees of success there is. It’s the skeleton of the essay that makes it into a fully formed being instead of a pile of jelly. And the best way to make sure you have a skeleton instead of just gelatine (is that a rhyme?) is to create a plan or outline.

We’ve talked about how to choose a topic , go about your research , and pin down a research question. So now we’re going to address how you can take all of that work and turn it into a concrete plan. It’s all about organising your ideas so that they are as clear as possible. After you’ve done this, writing the essay will be about simply filling in the gaps!

Preparing to construct your Extended Essay Outline

Know your destination.

Although your research question should already suggest what you are aiming to achieve in the essay, your conclusion needs to take this a step further. It can’t just be the same as your introduction but in different words (as tempting as that option is!). Everything in your essay should take the reader on a journey to this conclusion. It should help progress your argument so that we get closer with every paragraph.

If you’re now realising that you don’t know your destination, take the time to figure this out before you start writing. The results of a Science experiment will make it pretty obvious, but even in more subjective subjects such as English, History and World Studies you need to decide what conclusion your research points towards.

My advice to you, if you simply aren’t sure, is to follow your instincts. Think about how your evidence has affected what you personally think about the topic. Chances are it will have convinced you of something. For a reminder of different types of essay conclusions, there are some useful summaries in this article.

Define your ideas

Take a moment to free your mind from all the details, facts, quotes and data. Go back to the essence of your essay, which is the argument you are trying to make. Without using your research to speak for itself, identify all the different ideas you want to include, and the things you want to say.

For example, you might have evidence that Virginia Woolf uses imagery of flowers frequently throughout Mrs Dalloway , but what does this actually mean in the context of your question? The idea behind it might relate more to her affinity with nature, or the parallels she draws between flowers and people.

Exercise 2: write down all the ideas you want to include in your essay. Don’t worry about an order yet. Focus instead of getting all of your ‘points’ written down somewhere. Not only is this likely to help your organise your thoughts, but it will also mean you can refer back to it later to make sure you haven’t forgotten one of your favourite ideas! This can take the form of a mind map, a list, a Word Doc. Do whatever feels easiest, because chances are this is what will help your ideas flow naturally.

Filter your evidence

I can 99% guarantee you that you won’t be able to use all the research you have done. A lot of it will be:

• Irrelevant to the question
• Repetition of what you already have
• Not quite right for your line of argument

THEREFORE it is important that you filter your evidence so that you only have the best examples and information.

Use your research question as your starting point and your conclusion sentence (the one you wrote earlier) as the end point. It is your job to make sure that every piece of research is part of a bridge between the two. Absolutely every quote, fact or piece of data that you include should actively answer your question. If it doesn’t, don’t include it.

Exercise 3: First, highlight the clearest, most informative research that you have gathered. Next, take all of these pieces of research, and write a short, one-sentence summary next to each one, describing how it relates to your question. Use your own words. You will hopefully start finding that they are backing up some of the points you know you want to include.

Constructing your Extended Essay Outline

There are different techniques you can use to structure an essay. Because the Extended Essay is much longer than what most of you will be used to, I strongly recommend using a particular technique or process to do this. Below are some examples, and you should do whatever works best for you.

The Bullet-Point Outline:

You know this one. It’s the most classic example of how to structure an essay and the one most of you have probably tried before. The trick with this one is to start small and expand outwards afterwards.

• Summarise each paragraph into one line that defines the idea or sub-topic behind it.
• Evidence, data or a quote
• How the example relates to the idea you are trying to convey
• Expand your paragraph bullet points by adding in other ideas or points that are directly relevant to the overall idea behind it

The Post-it Note Outline:

I’m defining this as anything that involves you breaking down your paragraphs into defined pieces. Post-it notes, cards, and scraps of paper are the most common examples. This option is brilliant if you struggle coming up with an order for your ideas straight away. Instead it lets you play around with all the different parts of your essay as you go, until you have put them in the best possible order.

If you like the idea of this process but can’t stand the idea of lots of physical pieces of paper, there are some apps that perform a similar function such as Gingko or Evernote .

The Spreadsheet Outline:

For the structure nuts among you. The beauty of this is that it lets you easily compare paragraphs in terms of length and content by breaking each one down into clear sections. You can choose how exactly you format it, but it might look like this:

As with the post-it version it is super easy to use this method to change the order of your paragraphs. You can also tailor the columns depending on what categories are most relevant to you. If you want to go a step further you can even colour code your sheet, for example according to 1st hand data or 2nd hand data, or close analysis and thematic analysis.

The key is to have a view of the bigger picture of your essay. How you go about it is up to you!

Read Part 6 – How to write it!

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7+ Extended Essay Templates

Looking for extended essay templates? You’re on the right page. Extended essays may require a degree of technicality. It can be a hassle and stressful for some. To have a glimpse of such essays, we have an array of templates for you.

Sample Psychology Extended Essay

Business & Management Extended Essay

Sample Abstract Extended Essay

Extended Essay Recommendations

Extended Essay Student Packet

Sample Film Extended Essay

Extended Essay Checklist

Extended Essay Mentor Proposal

Recommended Topics for Extended Essay

• Business and management extended essays. In here, the students are given the opportunity to write potential business plans and tips on how to be effective managers.
• Film extended essays. For students who fancy the film industry or for those who are film enthusiasts, this can be a great topic to dwell on. You can freely explore the bounds and horizon of filmmaking.
• Psychology extended essays. In here the primordial focus is the human mind and behavior. In here, students who are curious and interested on the inner machinations of the human mind can delve more and share their experiences and expertise as well as their thoughts.

What’s the Purpose Behind an Extended Essay?

• Enables the students to pursue a systematic process of research. In order to excel in an extended essay, the student must strategize in order to comprehensively write a topic.
• Excitement of intellectual growth. In the course of conducting an investigation and thorough research, the student can discover a lot of things and must have varied realizations and insights.
• Development of one’s critical and creative thinking. The student’s critical minds will be sharpened because they are not just describing a topic but also laying out evidence and proof to support their claims.

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