IB Economics SL Extended Essay Example

The student's investigation is clearly framed around a specific country and time period, which gives the essay a real sense of direction.

The student generally stays connected to the central question through the discussion of smoking trends, lockdown conditions, health concerns, and policy influences.

The student chose an appropriate broad method for an economics investigation by using secondary evidence and trend comparison.

The causal claim is broader than the evidence can securely support, because the discussion cannot fully separate COVID-19 from other major influences.

The question sometimes becomes diluted by moving between smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption, public perception, and welfare effects.

The method would be stronger if the student explained more clearly why each data source was selected and how each one answers the question.

The student uses a relevant range of source material, including New Zealand smoking data, policy sources, and academic/public-health evidence.

The student shows a sound understanding of key economics ideas such as demerit goods, externalities, demand, welfare loss, and policy intervention.

The student makes a genuine effort to connect the evidence to economic interpretation rather than simply describing the topic.

Some evidence is applied too loosely or without enough justification, especially when moving from general trends to conclusions about smoking behaviour.

Several economic terms and ideas are used accurately in places, but there are also important conceptual slips that weaken the precision of the explanation.

At times the student treats inference as fact, especially when discussing public perception and subgroup differences.