Sprint 3 - to a strong draft

The aims of this sprint

• To turn your detailed outline into a complete first draft.
• This work is likely to happen over the summer holidays.

Your draft should be a complete essay written in continuous prose, not a collection of notes or bullet points. By the end of this sprint you should have something that reads from start to finish, even if it is rough in places. That is exactly what a first draft is meant to be.

Draft deadline: Monday, 7 September 2026 29 days to go

Where you should be right now

You have finished Sprint 2, which means you should have:

• a clear research question, phrased as a question
• a detailed outline with question-based subheadings for the body
• a working reference list of the sources you plan to use.

Around this point you will also have your interim reflection with your supervisor. This is a good moment to talk through your outline and agree how you will break the draft down over the coming weeks. Writing the draft is the biggest single task in the whole EE, so go into it with a plan.

Using your outline to build your structure

Your outline is the skeleton of your essay. Drafting is the process of writing it into full prose, section by section.

Every extended essay needs the same core structure:

• Title page showing your personal code, the subject or subjects your essay is in (and your framework, if your essay is interdisciplinary), your research question phrased as a question, and your word count. No names anywhere.
• Contents page with accurate page numbers and your section headings.
• Introduction that sets out your research question, why it matters and how you will approach it.
• Body that develops your argument, organised under clear subheadings.
• Conclusion that answers your research question.
• References or bibliography.

Write in this order. Start with the body, where most of your thinking happens. Write your introduction and conclusion last, once you know what your essay actually says. It is much easier to introduce and conclude an argument you have already made than one you are still working out.

How it should look:

• Font size 12, 1.5 line spacing, on A4
• Pages numbered
• The file must be anonymous: no student, supervisor or school name anywhere in it
• Every table, graph, map or image clearly labelled, cited and referred to in the text.

Writing that argues, not just describes

The difference between a good essay and a weak one is usually analysis. A weak essay describes or summarises. A strong essay argues.

Build a line of argument. Your essay should follow a single thread of reasoning from introduction to conclusion. Each section should move that argument forward and link back to your research question. Signpost the thread with clear subheadings so your reader always knows where they are and why.

Use linking words to signpost too. Beyond subheadings, the right connectives keep your argument flowing and show how each point relates to the last:

• Adding a point: furthermore, moreover, in addition, also
• Comparing: similarly, likewise, in the same way
• Contrasting: however, on the other hand, conversely, nevertheless
• Cause or result: therefore, consequently, as a result, thus
• Giving an example: for example, for instance, such as
• Sequence or time: first, subsequently, meanwhile, finally
• Summing up: in short, overall, on the whole

Use PEEL or PEELL paragraphs. A reliable structure for each paragraph (some subjects call this PEAL, with Analysis as the third step):

• P (Point): make your point
• E (Evidence): give evidence to support it
• E (Explain): explain how the evidence supports the point (this is the analysis, and it is where the marks are)
• L (Link back): link back to your research question
• L (Link forward): link forward to your next point

Treat this as a scaffold, not a straitjacket. Vary it so your writing does not read mechanically.

Evaluate as you go. Do not save evaluation for a separate section near the end. Weigh up your sources, methods and findings at the point where you use them, noting limitations, bias and how convincing the evidence is. Discussion and evaluation carry the most marks in the whole essay, so this is time well spent.

Keep a record as you write. Jot down the decisions you make and the problems you solve in your reflection space (RRS) as you go. You will need this for your reflective statement and for your viva voce, the short final reflection conversation with your supervisor. It is far easier to capture in the moment than to reconstruct later.

Writing a conclusion that synthesises

Your conclusion should do more than repeat what you have already said.

• Answer your research question directly.
• Draw your findings together into a clear overall response.
• Acknowledge any limitations and questions left open.
• Introduce nothing new: no new evidence, sources or ideas.

A definitive answer is not required. Some questions do not have one, and saying so clearly, on the basis of your evidence, is a perfectly strong conclusion.

Keeping inside 4,000 words

The limit is firm: 4,000 words. Examiners are told not to read or mark anything beyond it, so a conclusion that sits past the limit will not be read.

• Give each section a rough word budget before you start, and check your count as you write.
• Keep your introduction and conclusion fairly short, very roughly 300 to 400 words each, and spend the bulk of your words, around 3,200 to 3,400, on the body.
• Do not pad, and do not try to hide text in tables or images to dodge the count. Examiners see through it.

If you are over, cut the least essential material first rather than trimming evenly. Protect the parts that carry your argument.

One working Google Doc your supervisor can follow

Keep everything in a single Google Doc. This is your working document, where you plan, draft and refine. Share it with your supervisor with comment access so they can follow your progress and leave feedback as you write.

• On ManageBac, go to the EE Documents section of your EE FA 2027 page and add a link to this document. Keep it as your only linked working document. Do not create a new one for each draft.
• Your Doc's version history is also useful evidence that the work is genuinely yours, so do all your drafting in the one place.

After every meeting with your supervisor, add a short note in the Notes section of your EE FA 2027 page recording:

• the date of the meeting
• a brief outline of what was discussed
• the action steps your supervisor suggested.

Keep this up to date. These notes will be invaluable when you write your reflections, and the detail is easy to forget if you leave it to the end.

Referencing as you go, in Chicago

Reference in Chicago style. There are two Chicago variants, notes-bibliography and author-date, so agree with your supervisor which one you are using before you start.

• Cite as you write, not at the end. Every time you use a source, add the citation straight away.
• This includes sources for images, data, maps and diagrams, not just quotations.
• Use MyBib to manage it. MyBib is a free online citation tool that supports Chicago, and its browser extension lets you capture a source and generate a correct citation in a couple of clicks. It will also build your bibliography for you.

Every source you cite in the text must appear in your bibliography, with access dates for anything online. For worked examples and the full how-to, see the Referencing guide.

Using AI carefully and honestly

AI tools can support your research, but they cannot do the essay for you. The EE must be your own work, in your own words, built on your own analysis.

• Do not have AI write, rewrite or analyse for you. The thinking and the writing must be yours.
• If you do use an AI tool at any stage, you must acknowledge and cite it: name the tool, the prompt you used and the date.
• Keep working in your single Google Doc. Your draft history shows how your essay developed and protects you if your authorship is ever questioned.

If you are unsure whether a particular use of AI is acceptable, ask your supervisor before you do it.

What your supervisor can and cannot do with your draft

Your supervisor is there to guide you, but the essay must be yours. There are clear limits on the help they can give.

• They may read and comment on one complete draft only.
• They can give you advice, spoken or written, on that draft, but they cannot edit, correct or rewrite it for you.
• This happens after your interim reflection and before your viva voce.

Once you have their comments, you act on them yourself, finish the essay and submit your final version. No changes can be made after that, so make the most of the one round of feedback by handing over a complete, properly finished draft, not a half-built one.

When you get stuck

Most people hit a wall at some point. It is normal. A few ways through:

• Start with the section you find easiest, not necessarily the first one. Momentum matters more than order.
• If the blank page is the problem, write badly on purpose. You can fix rough writing, but you cannot fix nothing.
• When you lose your thread, go back to your research question and your outline. They are your map.
• Work in focused blocks with distractions off, especially over the summer when most of the drafting happens.

Hand this over, take a breath, and get ready for your supervisor's feedback. The hardest part is now behind you.