Can I change my EE research question after the first reflection session?

Yes, an EE research question can develop as preliminary research reveals better evidence, boundaries, or methods. You should discuss any substantial change with your supervisor because it may affect your subject fit, pathway, or research plan. Record the original question, the problem you discovered, and the reason for the revision in your research notes or RRS. Do not keep changing the wording merely to make it sound more sophisticated. A useful revision makes the investigation more focused, feasible, or analytically defensible.

How narrow should an IB Extended Essay research question be?

It should be narrow enough to support a convincing answer within 4,000 words, but not so narrow that the answer becomes obvious or purely factual. Most workable questions limit several dimensions, such as period, place, population, text, variables, or theoretical lens. The appropriate scope depends on the discipline and the complexity of the available evidence. Test the scope by outlining 3-5 analytical claims and identifying evidence for each one. If major parts of the topic must be mentioned without being analysed, narrow the question further.

Does an EE research question have to begin with “to what extent”?

No, the IB does not require every research question to begin with “to what extent.” Questions beginning with “how,” “why,” or another formulation can support excellent analysis when they are precise and methodologically appropriate. “To what extent” is useful only when the investigation can evaluate degree, significance, or competing explanations. Adding the phrase to a vague topic does not make it researchable. Choose wording that accurately represents the analysis you will perform.

How many sources do I need before deciding that my question is researchable?

The IB does not impose one universal minimum source count for every EE subject. As a practical early test, identify 5-8 credible and directly relevant sources, or verify that the necessary data, primary material, and equipment are available. Quality, relevance, and diversity matter more than reaching an arbitrary number. Your final evidence base will depend on the subject, question, and type of investigation. A school may set its own source target for proposals, and you must follow that internal requirement.

Can a research question be researchable if I already expect the answer?

Having a hypothesis or provisional interpretation is acceptable, but the conclusion must not be predetermined. A researchable question allows the evidence to confirm, complicate, or challenge your initial expectation. You should be able to identify alternative interpretations, limitations, or results that would change your conclusion. Avoid wording that treats a disputed claim as an established fact, particularly when claiming that one factor caused another. The final answer should emerge from analysis rather than from selecting only evidence that supports your preference.

What should I do if my question is interesting but the evidence is unavailable?

Change the scope, evidence base, method, or question before investing more time in the project. You might select a different case study, shorten the period, use accessible secondary data, or examine representation rather than real-world effects. Do not build an essay around sources you merely hope to obtain later. Explain the access problem and your proposed alternatives to your supervisor before finalizing the investigation. Choosing an answerable question is better academic judgment than preserving an impressive but impossible one.

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What Makes a Research Question Actually Researchable?

IB Diploma Extended Essay IB IB Extended Essay

• 1 Oct 2026•9

What Makes a Research Question Actually Researchable?

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What Makes a Research Question Actually Researchable?

IB Diploma Extended Essay IB IB Extended Essay

• 1 Oct 2026•9

A research question is researchable when you can answer it through a realistic, subject-appropriate investigation using accessible evidence. For an Extended Essay, it must be focused enough for the 4,000-word limit, but complex enough to support analysis rather than a short factual response.

This matters particularly during the IB EE fall term. Between September and November, test your proposed question against sources, methods, time, ethics, and possible arguments before committing to extensive research or drafting.

The six features of a researchable question

An interesting question is not automatically workable. A researchable question aligns six elements: scope, evidence, method, subject, analysis, and feasibility.

Test	What to ask	Warning sign
Scope	Can I answer this convincingly within 4,000 words?	It covers several countries, decades, texts, or variables.
Evidence	Can I obtain enough credible, relevant material?	Essential sources are inaccessible, untranslated, or nonexistent.
Method	Do I know how I will investigate it?	There is no clear analytical procedure.
Subject fit	Does it use the concepts and methods of my registered subject?	The topic is approached mainly through another discipline.
Analytical potential	Could informed researchers reach different conclusions?	The answer is a definition, list, or obvious fact.
Feasibility	Can I complete it safely, ethically, and on time?	It requires unavailable equipment, vulnerable participants, or unrealistic data collection.

A strong question passes all six tests together. Narrow scope cannot rescue weak evidence, while plentiful sources cannot rescue poor subject fit.

What the IB expects

The IB describes the Extended Essay as an independent investigation resulting in a formal paper of up to 4,000 words. Its official Extended Essay overview emphasizes focused research, academic writing, and independent inquiry.

The assessment framework depends on your examination session. The Extended Essay curriculum update states that the revised EE has its first assessment in May 2027 and permits subject-focused or interdisciplinary pathways. Earlier candidates should follow the guide and criteria supplied by their schools.

In every framework, the question, evidence, and method must form a coherent investigation. Official subject-specific guidance matters because disciplines investigate differently. Literary essays interpret texts, history essays evaluate historical evidence and interpretations, and experimental science essays require reproducible methods and defensible analysis.

Schools may also impose proposal forms, source targets, or deadlines. These are internal requirements, not universal IB rules, but they remain binding for their students.

Researchable does not simply mean narrow

“What caused the Cold War?” is too broad for a focused investigation. However, a question about what one person said at one precise moment may be narrow but trivial. A better question defines a manageable issue while allowing evaluation of causes, significance, reliability, language, or competing interpretations.

Useful boundaries include a specific period, location, population, text, variable, theory, policy, event, or case study. Each boundary should improve coherence or feasibility rather than merely making the title sound precise.

Examples across EE subjects

These examples illustrate stronger directions, but they are not pre-approved questions. Every proposal must be checked against current subject guidance and discussed with a supervisor.

Subject	Weak question	More researchable direction
History	How important was propaganda in World War II?	To what extent did British radio broadcasts influence public support for rationing from 1940-1942?
English A	How is power shown in The Handmaid's Tale?	How does Margaret Atwood use spatial imagery to construct Offred's restricted agency?
Biology	How does salt affect plants?	How does sodium chloride concentration affect germination in a named species under controlled conditions?
Economics	Are minimum wages effective?	To what extent did a specified minimum-wage change affect teenage employment in one region during a stated period?
Psychology	Does social media cause anxiety?	To what extent does existing research support an association between defined social-media use and self-reported adolescent anxiety?

Question starters such as “how” and “to what extent” may encourage analysis, but they do not guarantee it. The wording must accurately represent the evidence and analysis the essay will use.

Run a feasibility test

The fastest test is to conduct a small version of the investigation. RevisionDojo's guide to crafting an EE research question offers a starting checklist, but your test must use real material from your field.

Find credible evidence

Locate 5-8 promising sources, or identify the data and equipment required for an experiment. Record what each source contributes, its credibility, relevant page numbers, and possible limitations. Search-result pages and generic summaries do not count as evidence.

If every source repeats basic information, the question may be descriptive. If the strongest material is inaccessible, revise the question before proceeding.

Test possible answers and method

Write three defensible provisional answers. One obvious answer suggests insufficient analytical tension, while no plausible answer may indicate unclear concepts or unavailable evidence.

Then explain your method in five sentences. Name the texts, data, experiment, models, source-evaluation process, or analytical framework involved. “I will research online” is not a method because it does not explain how evidence will be selected, compared, measured, or interpreted.

Finally, outline 3-5 analytical claims that collectively answer the question. Headings such as “history,” “advantages,” and “disadvantages” rarely establish a coherent argument.

A September-November EE plan

There is no universal IB deadline, so follow your school's calendar.

In September, read the relevant guidance, develop 2-3 candidate questions, and conduct preliminary research. Use the RevisionDojo EE Guides to clarify the process, and record discarded questions and decisions in your Researcher's Reflection Space.

In October, choose the strongest working question with your supervisor. Prepare a source map, method, provisional argument, and schedule. The EE reflection-session guide can help you bring specific evidence and decisions to meetings.

In November, analyse a representative sample and draft one substantive section. If the evidence exposes a problem, revise the wording and document why. A manageable IB IA and EE timeline can help coordinate this work with subject study.

Common mistakes

Watch for causal wording that assumes the conclusion, undefined terms such as “effective,” dependence on one source, disciplinary mismatch, unethical primary research, predetermined conclusions, and specialist terminology that does not improve the investigation.

Underline every important noun and verb in your question. Ask how each term will be defined, evidenced, and analysed. If you cannot answer all three, the wording needs further work.

Conclusion

A question is genuinely researchable when scope, evidence, method, disciplinary fit, analytical potential, and practical constraints align. Test it through preliminary reading, plausible answers, a method sketch, and a claim-based outline before investing heavily in drafting.

RevisionDojo's EE Guides, Jojo AI, EE Support, and Coursework Review can help test scope and argument. Your final decisions and academic work must remain your own and should be confirmed with your supervisor.

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The six features of a researchable question

An interesting question is not automatically workable. A researchable question aligns six elements: scope, evidence, method, subject, analysis, and feasibility.

Test	What to ask	Warning sign
Scope	Can I answer this convincingly within 4,000 words?	It covers several countries, decades, texts, or variables.
Evidence	Can I obtain enough credible, relevant material?	Essential sources are inaccessible, untranslated, or nonexistent.
Method	Do I know how I will investigate it?	There is no clear analytical procedure.
Subject fit	Does it use the concepts and methods of my registered subject?	The topic is approached mainly through another discipline.
Analytical potential	Could informed researchers reach different conclusions?	The answer is a definition, list, or obvious fact.
Feasibility	Can I complete it safely, ethically, and on time?	It requires unavailable equipment, vulnerable participants, or unrealistic data collection.

A strong question passes all six tests together. Narrow scope cannot rescue weak evidence, while plentiful sources cannot rescue poor subject fit.