Adding everything to ManageBac

Due: 1 May 2026 14 days to go

Students

Filling in your proposal on ManageBac

Once you have a solid research question from Sprint 1, you need to register it formally on ManageBac. Open your EE project page (EE FA 2027) and click Edit Proposal. You will see the Worksheet tab with the fields below.

Subject

Select the IB subject your essay sits within from the dropdown. This should be one of your Diploma subjects. If you are writing an interdisciplinary essay, choose the primary subject here (the one that contributes most to your argument).

Pathway

Choose one of the two options:

Subject-focused Pathway: your essay uses the methodology and concepts of a single IB subject.
Interdisciplinary Pathway: your essay draws on two IB subjects to examine a topic that cannot be fully addressed by either subject alone.

Only select interdisciplinary if you followed the interdisciplinary pathway during Sprint 1 and have a clear rationale for combining two subjects.

Subject 2

Leave this blank unless you selected the interdisciplinary pathway. If you did, choose your second IB subject from the dropdown.

Interdisciplinary framework

This section only applies to interdisciplinary essays. Select the one framework that best fits your research:

Power, equality, justice: essays exploring governance, rights, fairness, or systemic inequality.
Culture, identity, expression: essays examining cultural practices, personal or group identity, or artistic expression.
Movement, time, space: essays focused on migration, historical change, spatial patterns, or globalisation.
Sustainability, development, change: essays investigating environmental or economic sustainability, progress, or transformation.
Evidence, measurement, innovation: essays centred on data, scientific measurement, or technological advancement.

If you are on the subject-focused pathway, skip this section entirely.

Research question

Type your finalised research question into the text box. This should be the version you refined during Sprint 1. It should be specific, arguable, and appropriately scoped for 4,000 words. You can update it later if it evolves, but get your best current version in here now.

Your supervisor

Your supervisor has already been entered for you. If it has since changed, you can update it here.

Saving

Once all fields are complete, click Save Changes. You can return and edit your proposal at any time before the deadline.

Link your working document

Create a single Google Document that you will use throughout your extended essay. This is your working document where you will plan, draft and refine everything. Share it with your supervisor so they can view and comment as you progress.

On ManageBac, go to the EE Documents section of your EE FA 2027 page and add a link to this working document. Keep this as your only linked working document. Do not create a new one for each sprint or draft.

Meeting notes

After every meeting with your supervisor, add a note in the Notes section of your EE FA 2027 page. Each note should record:

The date of the meeting.
A brief outline of what was discussed.
The action steps your supervisor recommended.

Keep this up to date by adding a new note immediately after each meeting. These notes will be invaluable when you come to write your Reflections for the RPF. If you leave them until the end you will have forgotten the detail.

Supervisors

Reviewing your student's proposal on ManageBac

Once your student has saved their proposal, open their EE project page on ManageBac and review the Worksheet tab. You will see their subject, pathway, framework (if interdisciplinary) and research question. Your two actions sit in the EE FA 2027 Status panel on the right-hand side of their page.

Approve the proposal

Once you are satisfied with the research question, pathway and framework, tick Approved in the EE FA 2027 Status panel. This signals to the student and the EE coordinator that their proposal is formally registered and they can proceed to Sprint 2 - to a detailed outline.

Set the progress indicator

Open the status dropdown on the EE FA 2027 card and choose one of four options:

Excellent: the student is ahead of expectations; the proposal is strong and well-scoped.
On-track: the student is meeting expectations; minor refinements may be needed.
Concern: the student is behind, has not engaged, or the proposal has significant issues that need addressing before they go further.
To Be Determined: you have not yet met with the student and cannot fairly judge their progress.

At this stage

If you have not yet held your first supervisor meeting with the student, leave the progress indicator as To Be Determined and do not tick Approved. Both should only be set after your first meeting, when you have had the chance to discuss their research question and plans in person.