IB Biology Extended Essay Exemplar
To what extent does urbanization impact the avian diversity and native population in the United States Midwestern ecosystems?
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Criteria A: Focus and Method
6/6
0
3
6
Criteria Strands
Topic is communicated accurately and effectively with comprehensive ecological explanation
Research question is clearly stated, narrowly focused and sustained throughout
Methodology is well‐matched to the question with clear rationale and appropriate range of methods
Minor verbosity and repetition in sections prevented perfect conciseness
Operational definition of “extent” remains somewhat vague
Some methodological details (e.g., equipment specs, habitat‐type quantitative boundaries) require tightening for full reproducibility
Criteria B: Knowledge and Understanding
4/6
0
3
6
Criteria Strands
Consistent and accurate use of subject‐specific terminology and concepts
Integration of key studies (BDFFP, Blair 2002) provides relevant theoretical framing
Application of some source material is intermittent rather than continuous
Misclassification of Brown-headed Cowbird and unclear units for ARBD and PII weaken interpretability
Some citations (e.g., Pearson’s r thresholds) lack explicit references
Criteria C: Critical Thinking
9/12
0
6
12
Criteria Strands
Robust quantitative analysis directly linked to the research question, with clear identification of outliers
Well-structured, coherent argument threaded from introduction through conclusions
Strong real-world engagement by linking findings to urban planning exemplars
Discussion occasionally overstates causation from correlational data
Lack of formal inferential tests (e.g., ANOVA) and inconsistent equation formatting
Conclusions overgeneralize beyond the study region without sufficient caveats
Criteria D: Presentation
4/4
0
2
4
Criteria Strands
Clear overall structure (abstract, intro, methods, results, discussion, conclusion) with correctly embedded figures and tables
Consistent formatting conventions: title page, TOC, page numbering, labeled graphics
Some low-resolution images and occasional misaligned captions
Inconsistent Table of Contents formatting and slightly informal narrative tone in places