How do I know if my EE topic is too broad?

Your topic is probably too broad if it requires extensive background explanation before you can begin answering the research question. Another sign is an outline containing many unrelated themes, places, periods, texts, or variables. Try summarizing your intended argument in one sentence and planning 3-5 body claims that directly support it. If this is impossible without excluding major parts of the question, narrow the period, location, case study, text selection, population, or variables. Confirm the revised scope with your supervisor before rebuilding the essay.

Can an EE research question be too narrow?

Yes, a question can be so narrow that it leaves insufficient evidence or analytical work for an Extended Essay. Warning signs include finding only one useful source, reaching an obvious answer immediately, or being unable to identify counterarguments and limitations. A narrow question may also generate a short report rather than a sustained, reasoned argument. You can broaden it by adding a meaningful comparison, a wider evidence base, or an evaluative dimension. The goal is not maximum breadth, but enough complexity to support analysis within 4,000 words.

How many sources prove that an EE topic has enough depth?

The IB does not prescribe one universal source count that proves depth across every EE subject. A literature essay, experimental science investigation, and history essay may need very different combinations of primary material, data, and scholarship. Instead of counting sources alone, check whether they provide context, core evidence, competing interpretations, and methodological support. Several repetitive websites do not create the same depth as a smaller set of carefully chosen academic sources and primary materials. Ask your supervisor what an appropriate evidence base looks like in your registered subject.

Should I change my EE topic during the fall term?

You should consider changing or refining it if preliminary research reveals unavailable evidence, an unsuitable method, excessive scope, or almost no analytical tension. A limited revision in September or October is usually less disruptive than forcing an unworkable question into a full draft. Keep the strongest part of the original idea and change only the boundary or relationship causing the problem. Record what changed, what evidence prompted the decision, and how the revision improves feasibility. Discuss any significant change with your supervisor and follow your school’s approval process.

Does using “to what extent” automatically make an EE question analytical?

No, the phrase “to what extent” does not automatically create a strong analytical question. The question still needs defined terms, realistic boundaries, accessible evidence, and criteria for reaching a judgement. A vague question beginning with this phrase can remain far too broad or invite unsupported opinion. Before adopting it, identify the factors being weighed and explain how you will assess their relative importance. Alternative forms such as “how significant,” “how effectively,” or a focused comparison can work equally well when they suit the subject and evidence.

What should I bring to my EE supervisor to discuss topic depth?

Bring two or three candidate research questions rather than only a broad area of interest. Include a short source map showing credible evidence you have found and the role each source could play. You should also prepare a provisional method, 3-5 possible body claims, and one likely counterargument or limitation. This gives your supervisor something concrete to evaluate for scope, disciplinary fit, and feasibility. After the meeting, record the decision, its reason, its effect on your investigation, and your next action.

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How to Tell If Your EE Topic Has Enough Depth

IB Diploma Extended Essay IB IB Extended Essay

• 5 Oct 2026•10

How to Tell If Your EE Topic Has Enough Depth

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How to Tell If Your EE Topic Has Enough Depth | RevisionDojo

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How to Tell If Your EE Topic Has Enough Depth

IB Diploma Extended Essay IB IB Extended Essay

• 5 Oct 2026•10

The clearest way to tell if your EE topic has enough depth is to ask whether it can sustain a focused argument. A viable topic requires analysis, subject-appropriate methods, accessible evidence, and a conclusion that can be defended within the 4,000-word limit.

During the IB EE fall term, move from exploratory reading toward a stable research question, evidence map, method, and argument-led outline. If you cannot produce these elements, refining the topic now is safer than discovering the problem halfway through drafting.

What enough depth means in an Extended Essay

The IB defines the Extended Essay as an independent, in-depth investigation culminating in a paper of up to 4,000 words. Depth does not come from choosing an enormous or highly technical topic. It comes from investigating a manageable question with enough complexity to support analysis, discussion, and a reasoned conclusion.

For students first assessed in May 2027, the revised model explicitly includes analysis and line of argument alongside discussion and evaluation. Students completing an earlier assessment model should confirm the applicable guide with their coordinator. Under either model, collecting facts without using them to construct and evaluate an argument does not demonstrate depth.

A sufficiently deep topic lets you:

interpret evidence rather than merely report it
apply concepts or methods from the registered subject
compare explanations, results, or perspectives
evaluate limitations and uncertainty
reach a qualified rather than obvious conclusion

Use the six-part EE topic depth test

Test a proposed topic against these six questions before committing to it.

Test	Evidence of sufficient depth	Warning sign
Analytical tension	Several defensible answers are possible	The answer is obvious or factual
Evidence	Credible, relevant material is accessible	Sources are repetitive or unavailable
Subject method	You can identify a disciplinary method	Your method is simply “researching”
Conceptual grounding	Subject concepts guide interpretation	The essay could belong to several subjects
Argument structure	You can plan 3-5 connected claims	Headings only describe the topic
Feasibility	The investigation fits available time and words	It requires excessive data or background

Failing one test may indicate a manageable weakness. Failing several usually means the topic needs substantial refinement.

Look for analytical tension

Try writing three possible answers to your research question. If only one answer appears plausible before detailed research, the investigation may be too predictable. If several answers are imaginable but none can be supported with evidence, it is speculative rather than deep.

Question stems such as “to what extent” or “how significant” can encourage judgement, but wording alone does not make a question analytical. The factors, boundaries, evidence, and evaluative criteria must also be clear. The RevisionDojo research question guide explains how to establish these elements.

Build an evidence map

Before finalizing the question, identify several credible sources, texts, datasets, experiments, or primary materials. Record the role each one could play:

background sources establish context
core evidence is analyzed directly
scholarly interpretations provide arguments to compare
methodological sources justify the investigation process

There is no universal official minimum number of EE sources. Appropriate evidence depends on the subject and method, so targets such as 15 or 20 sources should not replace subject-specific guidance. What matters is whether the evidence is credible, relevant, varied, and substantial enough to answer the question.

Identify the subject-specific method

Your topic must belong intellectually to the subject in which the EE is registered. Books and websites are materials, not methods.

A literature essay might analyze narrative perspective, imagery, or structure. A history essay could evaluate primary evidence and competing historical interpretations. A science essay might manipulate an independent variable, measure a dependent variable, control relevant conditions, and evaluate uncertainty.

For an interdisciplinary EE under the May 2027 guide, both subjects must contribute meaningfully to answering the question. Using one for background and the other for analysis does not create genuine integration. Consult the official framework before reviewing interdisciplinary EE examples.

Outline claims before drafting

Write 3-5 proposed body-section headings as claims rather than labels. “Economic effects” is a label, while “Short-term employment gains were limited by regional differences” is a claim that can be tested.

Under each heading, identify the evidence, counterargument or limitation, and connection to the research question. If every section provides background, the essay lacks an analytical spine. If eight or ten major sections seem necessary, the scope is probably too broad.

Recognize topics that are too broad or too narrow

A broad topic produces endless background reading, vague terminology, and disconnected sections. Narrow it through the period, location, population, texts, variables, case study, or evaluation criteria.

A narrow topic produces little evidence, one obvious claim, or an answer that could be completed in a few paragraphs. Broaden it by adding a meaningful comparison, another interpretation, or a wider evidence base.

For example:

History: Replace the causes of the Cold War with an evaluation of two defined factors during a specific period.
English A: Replace themes in a novel with analysis of how an authorial choice constructs a particular representation.
Biology: Define the species, temperature range, dependent variable, and controls in an investigation of temperature and plants.
Economics: Evaluate a defined minimum-wage outcome in a particular market, location, and period.

These are patterns rather than ready-made questions. Use the EE topic checklist and confirm disciplinary suitability with your supervisor.

A September-to-November EE plan

September: establish feasibility

Draft two or three question versions, identify the likely method, and create a source map. Bring your supervisor candidate questions, proposed boundaries, and a paragraph explaining what you will analyze. The RevisionDojo EE Guides can help you check subject-specific expectations.

October: test the argument

Create an argument-led outline and complete a small pilot analysis. This might involve analyzing one passage, evaluating two historical sources, trialling an experiment, or applying an economic model to part of a dataset.

If the method does not produce evidence relevant to the question, revise the scope instead of forcing unsuitable material into the essay. Record what changed and why in your Researcher’s Reflection Space, supported by the RRS guide.

November: stabilize and draft

By November, the question should normally be stable enough for sustained drafting, although your school’s internal calendar takes priority. Each section should contribute directly to the answer, and the planned conclusion should make a qualified judgement. Use the guide to revising an EE research question when evidence reveals a genuine problem.

Common mistakes when judging topic depth

A difficult-sounding topic is not automatically deep. Specialized vocabulary cannot compensate for weak evidence, excessive scope, or an unclear method.

Personal interest is valuable, but it must be matched by academic significance within the subject. Likewise, a large bibliography does not establish depth unless each source has a clear function in the argument.

Jojo AI can help pressure-test question versions, identify undefined terms, or suggest counterarguments, but it should not decide the topic. Verify suggestions through credible sources and your supervisor. The RevisionDojo Extended Essay support overview explains how feedback tools can support your own decisions.

Conclusion

An EE topic has enough depth when it supports a focused, evidence-based, subject-specific investigation with genuine room for analysis and evaluation. You should be able to show a workable method, accessible evidence, 3-5 connected claims, plausible limitations, and a question answerable within 4,000 words. RevisionDojo’s EE Guides and Jojo AI can help you test these elements before seeking final guidance from your supervisor.

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