Sprint 1 - to a great research question

Interdisciplinary pathway

For students combining two IB subjects to examine a globally significant issue through a local lens (interdisciplinary extended essay).

Note: ESS and Literature & Performance cannot be used in the interdisciplinary pathway. Interdisciplinary essays must be submitted in English, French, or Spanish.

1. Identify a global issue

Choose a contemporary issue of global significance — something taking place within your lifetime. Useful starting points:

• United Nations — Global Issues
• World Economic Forum — Global Risks Report

Example: The global obesity epidemic.

2. Choose your interdisciplinary framework

Decide which of the five interdisciplinary frameworks best suits your topic. Your topic should broadly fit within one framework, though it could include aspects that relate to others:

• Power, equality, justice
• Culture, identity, expression
• Movement, time, space
• Evidence, measurement, innovation
• Sustainability, development, change

Example: Health and development.

3. Confirm the two-subject approach

Does the issue benefit from being approached through two different subjects? You must develop a clear rationale for an interdisciplinary approach that uses the conceptual framework and vocabulary of two DP subjects. It is recommended that you study both subjects, at least one at HL.

Example: Are people obese for biological or geographical (socio-economic) reasons? Which is the more dominant factor? → Biology + Geography.

4. Localise the issue

Identify a local manifestation of the global issue. “Local” is defined broadly — it means a specific example or case study, not necessarily somewhere geographically close to you.

Example: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area of Texas — the most overweight city in the United States.

5. Draft your research question

Your RQ should be sharply focused and treatable within 4000 words. Including a command term is a good idea: compare, contrast, discuss, evaluate, examine, justify, or to what extent.

Example: “To what extent can we understand the obesity crisis in Texas by analysing the biological and geographical factors?”

6. Create your title

Convert your research question into a short statement that captures the key focus of the essay. It is not phrased as a question.

Example: “Understanding the obesity crisis in Texas.”

7. Research question checks

• Is the question worth asking? If it can be answered with a yes or no, it probably isn’t a good RQ.
• Does it clearly benefit from a two-subject approach? Is it evident from the RQ that an interdisciplinary lens is needed?
• Can you access sufficient data and sources from both subjects?
• Is effective treatment possible within 4000 words?
• Is it clear, focused, and arguable?

Subject-focused pathway

For students writing an EE in a single IB subject — whether that is Geography, History, Biology, Economics, English, or any other DP subject.

1. What interests you?

You will find it easier to engage for 40+ hours with a topic that genuinely interests you. Think about what fascinates you within your subject — a concept, a debate, an unresolved question.

Examples:

• Geography: The impact of heatwaves on urban populations
• History: The legacy of the 1923 Greek-Turkish population exchange
• Biology: The effect of microplastics on plant germination
• Economics: Failures in urban housing rental markets

2. What is the big idea?

Identify the key concept, theory or framework from your subject that underpins your interest. Every subject has its own lens:

• Geography: Place, Process, Power, Possibility; spatial analysis
• History: Causation, consequence, continuity, change
• Sciences: Hypothesis testing, variables, experimental design
• Economics: Market failure, efficiency, equity, trade-offs
• English/Languages: Narrative voice, literary techniques, cultural context

3. Is there an issue or argument?

A good EE needs an argument, not just a description. Ask yourself: is there a genuine question worth investigating? Is there debate, tension, or something to evaluate?

Example: Could changing how urban vegetation is managed mitigate the impacts of heatwaves?

4. Can you access data or evidence?

Think about what evidence you will need and whether you can realistically obtain it:

• Primary data subjects (Geography, Biology, Psychology): Can you collect sufficient data? Where, when, and how?
• Secondary/textual subjects (History, English, Economics): Can you access enough primary sources, texts, or data sets?

Example: Primary data on air temperature under tree canopy vs. open streets; secondary data on heatwave frequency in Switzerland.

5. Draft your research question

Your RQ tells the reader how you plan to analyse the issue. It must be sharply focused and treatable within 4000 words. Use a command term where appropriate.

Example: “To what extent could urban trees mitigate the impacts of heat waves in urban areas, focusing on the tree-lined streets of Geneva, Switzerland?”

6. Create your title

Your title is a simple statement that summarises the main focus of your essay. It is not phrased as a question — it tells the reader what your essay is about.

Example: “Potential cooling due to urban trees during heat waves in Geneva, Switzerland.”

7. Research question checks

• Is it clearly rooted in your subject? Could an examiner immediately identify which subject it belongs to?
• Is it worth asking? If it can be answered with a yes or no, it probably isn’t a good RQ.
• Is it sharply focused? Can it be treated effectively within 4000 words?
• Does it encourage an investigative or analytical approach?
• Can subject-specific concepts, theories, or frameworks be applied to it?
• Is it clear, focused, and arguable?