Let's Meet John
John isn't passionate about much. He plays video games, hangs out with friends, and has absolutely no desire to write his Extended Essay. He's already planning to get an AI to do it the night before his first draft is due.
John takes Maths AI HL and Psychology HL. One Sunday, he was debating with friends about whether they would have voted for Trump or Harris in the 2024 US elections. He noticed patterns — and decided to explore voter psychology.
He wondered if he could draw conclusions between voter psychology using probability and statistics. Then he saw that the 2024 elections were heavily influenced by social media. He wondered to what extent his friends were influenced by online commentators.
John's Final Research Question
"To what extent can quantitative analysis of social media sentiment and engagement metrics explain variations in voter behaviour during the 2024 US elections?"
Notice how it's specific, analytical ("to what extent"), researchable with available data, and connects to his subjects (Maths + Psychology).
The RQ Framework
A strong research question follows these principles:
Specific
Answerable in 4,000 words. If your RQ could be a PhD thesis, it's too broad.
Analytical
Favours "to what extent" or "how" over "what." Allows for analysis, not just description.
Researchable
You can actually find data and sources to answer it. No dead-end topics.
Original
Room to present original analysis or findings — not just a summary of existing work.
Weak vs. Strong Research Questions
"How does social media affect politics?"
"To what extent can quantitative analysis of social media sentiment explain variations in voter behaviour during the 2024 US elections?"
"What is ZARA's business strategy?"
"To what extent does ZARA's supply chain model constitute the primary source of its competitive dominance in the fast fashion retail market?"
Finding Your Niche
Tip
Creativity is what turns a good EE into a great one. A unique angle on a common topic is worth more than a common angle on a unique topic. Examiners reward students who show genuine intellectual curiosity.
Note
Don't use AI to generate your research question from scratch. AI is not creative — it recycles and regurgitates. Your EE is a reflection of you. Let it be yours from the start. Once you have YOUR draft RQ, AI can help you stress-test it.
Draft your RQ
Start with your interests and academic strengths from Module 3.
Take it to your supervisor
They can help you focus and refine it. We often underestimate how focused an RQ needs to be.
Stress-test it
Can it be answered in 4,000 words? Is there enough data? Does it allow for analysis?
Lock it in
After your EE Dump (Module 5), make final adjustments. After that — no more changes.
Key Takeaways
- Your RQ must be specific, analytical, researchable, and original
- Use "to what extent" or "how" — avoid "what" questions
- Take your draft to your supervisor immediately for refinement
- Creativity in your angle is what separates good from great
Self-Check
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