… as well as World Studies, an interdisciplinary topic combining two or more subjects from the Diploma Programme that explores one of the following global themes:
- Language, culture and identity
- Science, technology and society
- Equality and inequality
- Conflict, peace and security
- Economic and/or environmental sustainability
- Health and development
For more information, please see pages 360 - 369 in the
The supervisor-student working relationship is probably the most important one in the Extended Essay process. The EE supervisor will advise students during the entire process such as confirm research questions, read final draft and give comments for revising it and submit a predicted grade to the IBO. It is the student's responsibility to select the appropriate supervisor for their EEs. While selecting supervisor, students are advised to consider the following issues: S/he
is interested in the topic and available to work with
What supervisors can do:
What supervisors cannot do:
If students give
Tips on choosing a supervisor...
If you are not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, I would start by creating a list of your top three choices. Next, create a list of pros and cons (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).
For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher, and we get along really well, but he teaches English, and I want to conduct an experiment to compare the efficiency of American Hybrid Cars to Foreign Hybrid Cars. Ms. White teaches Physics, I had her a year ago, and she liked me. She could help me design my experiment. I am going to ask Ms. White!
Do NOT just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor. They may be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. I would not suggest asking your Biology teacher to guide you in writing your English EE.
EXCEPTION: If you have a teacher who is passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my Theater topic), you can ask that instructor. Consider all of your options first before you do. There was no theater teacher at my school, so I could not find a theater-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.
Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form. Make sure you ask your IB coordinator if there is any required paperwork. IBO does not require any paperwork. If your school needs a Form signed, make sure you bring it with you when you ask a teacher to be your EE advisor.
Some teachers may just take on students because they have to and may not be passionate about reading drafts and may not give you a lot of feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make the draft better.
Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have no connection to; a teacher who does not know you is unlikely to push you.
Note: The IBO only allows advisors to suggest improvements to the EE, but they may not be engaged in writing the EE. The IBO recommends that the supervisor spends approximately 3-5 hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.
Source: PrepScholar, available at https://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-guide-to-ib-extended-essay-tips-grading-guideline-and-sample-essays
After choosing the subject for your extended essay, the next step in the research process is to define what your research is going to focus on - the topic.
At this stage you need to explore:
Your research topic:
Tips to choose a research topic:
Details tips on how to choose a Research Topic
[Developing a Topic video by Oregon School Library Information System]
[“Writing a Research Paper.” World News Digest. Infobase Learning, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. ]
The research question (RQ) derives from the title and is expressed as a question that is intended to be answered through researching and writing the EE. It appears on the title page and could also be visible as a header throughout the essay. It should:
• be clear and focused
• provide a path through which you can undertake achievable research
• use keywords that connect with the topic, the title, and the DP subject or world studies area of study
• support the development of an argument
1. Cannot Google the answer!
2. It should be broad enough to explore (40 hours) and narrow enough to be manageable (4000 words)
3. It does not repeat what is already known
4. It adds value to the existing knowledge
5. It expands on existing knowledge or frames it in a new context
Sample Research Questions
What is the history of Chinese theater? | How does the legacy of Mei Lan Fang contribute to modern Jingju? |
What was the impact of Ho Chi Minh’s allegiance to Lenin? | To what extent was nationalism the guiding factor in Ho Chi Minh’s adoption of Leninism in 1920? |
How important is chlorophyll to plant life? | What is the effect of different concentrations of kinetin on leaves aging and the biosynthesis of chlorophyll? |
How has grooming products changed over the time? | How has the portrayal of men in male grooming products changed from the 1980s to date? |
Five steps to developing a research question
1. Choose a topic within a subject that is of interest
2. Carry out preliminary reading.
3. Consider the emerging questions
4. Evaluate the question
5. Consider research outcomes
Note: Sometimes students may need to revise their research question; therefore, a research question should always be considered provisional until they have enough research data to make a reasoned argument.
The following video and pictorial presentations may guide you on how to formulate a research question:
Lekanides , Kosta . Extended Essay Course Book: Oxford IB Diploma Programme . OUP, 2016.
Working on a specific area of research and engaging with different sources of information and data, you may expose to different and new perspectives on issues and topics. At this stage, you need to construct a r esource Plan, identifying all the resources needed to complete the essay. You should also produce a schedule indicating when each resource will be used and note any assumptions and constraints made during the resource planning process. IB suggested that students should use both primary and secondary sources for their research. However, students should use secondary data as the basis of their EE, supported where appropriate by primary research. The sole use of secondary sources is permitted and will allow students access to all levels of the EE assessment criteria (IB EEG, p.146).
Primary vs Secondary Sources
Whether conducting research in the social sciences, humanities (especially history), arts, or natural sciences, the ability to distinguish between primary and secondary source material is essential.
Primary sources are materials that are direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or as close to the original source as possible. | Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. analyzes based on primary sources. |
Example: | Example: *Please note that a book is simply a format. You can find primary and secondary sources published in book form |
Note: Often secondary and primary sources are relative concepts. Typical secondary sources may be primary sources depending on the research topic.
How can I find and identify scholarly sources/resources?
Not very easy! but following some strategies/ methods, one can justify the scholarly resources. The following presentation may guide you on how to search and justify scholarly resources online!
Subscribed Dat abases at ICS, Zurich
Open Access Dat abases at ICS, Zurich
These are highly recommended Open Access databases. To search your desired resource click on the selected database and explore…
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
ScholarWorks (Indiana University)
HighWire (Stanford University)
BASE ( Bielefeld University Library, Germany)
Google Scholar
IB Research Database
Digital Common Networks
World Digital Library
CORE (Open Access Research Papers)
FreeFullpdf
List of Digitized Magazines
It is recommended that the student sends their supervisor an outline of their research proposal ahead of the meeting in order to give the supervisor the opportunity to review their work. Therefore, plan a Research Outline is crucial for the EE...
*Your thesis statement is the foundation of your research paper and is an answer to the research question that you formulated. Your thesis statement is not the title of your paper; it is a single sentence that summarizes the argument you intend to make or the point you want to prove throughout your paper.
Students should use their chosen style of academic referencing as soon as they start writing. That way they are less likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a later stage. Regardless of the reference style adopted by the student/school for a given subject, it is expected that the minimum information given includes (IB EEG, p.81):
• name of author
• date of publication
• title of source
• page numbers as applicable
• date of access (electronic sources)
Please, educate yourself with the IB Effective citing and referencing documents !
What to Cite and How to Cite
For the In-text citation and bibliography, follow the minimum requirements as summarized in this presentation.
More resources
Commence Reading
It is important to adapt how you read to suit the material and your purpose for reading. Depending on what you are reading and why, you will find some of the following strategies useful. The following are the effective reading strategies adapted from Charles Darwin University:
Skimming ( click and scroll down)
Keyword Spotting@Key information
Analytical Reading
Critical Reading
Reading Difficult Texts
Commence Research
If you are undertaking an Extended Essay on any subject you are required to complete some research. Research generally involves two different types: primary and secondary research. Once students have identified their topic and written their research question, they can decide how to research their answer. Consider your research goals, and whether they can be met by secondary research, or require primary research. The definition of “research” and terms such as “primary data” and “secondary data” varies from subject to subject. In some subjects, students must use both primary and secondary data. In others, students may, or even must, rely exclusively on secondary data.
Primary vs Secondary Research
Primary Research | Secondary Research |
---|---|
(field research) involves gathering new data that has not been collected before. It is based on raw data. | (desk research) involves gathering existing data that has already been produced. It is based on analyzed and interpreted information. |
Example | Example and industry publications |
Considering the complexity of research, all students must carry out secondary research in terms of a literature review for their topic (IB, EEG, p. 111). The purpose of secondary research is to:
Use of Scholarly resources
It is also important that you consult relevant and reliable scholarly and peer-reviewed sources in your research. You need to evaluate all the sources that you use for your secondary research. The authority and credibility evident in scholarly sources will improve the quality of your paper or research project. Moreover, the use of scholarly sources is an expected attribute of academic coursework.
How can I tell if a source is scholarly?
Not very easy but following some strategies/ methods such as ABCDE, CRAAP, CRAB methods, one can justify the scholarly resources. The following presentation may guide you on how to search and justify scholarly resources online!
Research Skills Guide: Brought to you by...
Oregon School Library Information System@ Learn how to do Research
State Library of Victoria@ Research Skills
Kentucky Virtual Library@ How to do Research
Writing the extended essay
The structure of the essay is very important. It helps students to organize the argument, making the best use of the evidence collected. Six required elements of the extended essay:
Title page Contents page Introduction Body of the essay Conclusion References and bibliography
Integrate others' ideas through Paraphrasing, Summarizing and Quieting
In academic writing, we have to incorporate other ideas and research findings to our research. Now the question is how do we do that? Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing are the three main ways of integrating others’ ideas in your academic work.
Writing Tips: Brought to you by...
Purdue University-OWL@ Academic Writing
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School@ Writing an Introduction
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School@ Writing a Conclusion
Plagiarism Tutorials: Brought to you by...
University of Sydney Library
Vaughan Memorial Library
Plagiarism Quizzes: B rought to you by...
Turnitin
Staffordshire University
You are highly encouraged to read the document "How to Write a Research Paper" at Research Guide . <https://icsz.libapps.com/libguides/admin_c.php?g=664309&p=4700645>
The length of the extended essay
The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. Given that the extended essay is a formally written research paper, it should strive to maintain a professional, academic look.
To help achieve this, the following formatting is suggested:
• the use of 12-point, readable font
• double spacing
• page numbering
• no candidate or school name on the title page or page headers
• the essay should be a maximum of 4 000 words (the examiner won’t read anything past this cut off point!)
• the file size must not be more than 10 MB.
Note that the RPPF is uploaded separately and is not part of the overall file size of the essay!
Word counts
The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays. Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit. Please refer to the following guidance on what content should be included in the word count (IB EEG, pp. 82-83):
Included in the word count | Not included in the word count |
---|---|
The introduction | The contents page |
The main body | Maps, charts, diagrams, annotated illustrations |
The conclusion | Tables |
Quotations | Equations, formulas and calculations |
Footnotes and/or endnotes that are not references | Citations/references (whether parenthetical, numbered, footnotes or endnotes) |
The bibliography, appendices, survey form | |
The Reflections on planning and progress form | |
Headers |
Exception: Students writing their extended essay in Japanese or Chinese should use the following conversions:
• Japanese: 1 word = approximately 2 Japanese characters (upper limit 8,000 characters)
• Chinese: 1 word = approximately 1.2 Chinese characters (upper limit 4,800 characters)
There are two types of assessment identified by the IB:
• Formative assessment informs both teaching and learning. It is concerned with providing accurate and helpful feedback to students and teachers on the kind of learning taking place and the nature of students’ strengths and weaknesses in order to help develop students’ understanding and capabilities. Formative assessment can also help to improve teaching quality, as it can provide information to monitor progress towards meeting the course aims and objectives.
• Summative assessment gives an overview of previous learning and is concerned with measuring student achievement.
Assessment of the extended essay is a combination of formative assessment (the Reflections on planning and progress form) and summative assessment (the extended essay itself). However, generic assessment criteria are used with subject-specific interpretations.
What are the criteria to assess the Extended Essay?
There are five (A-E) criterion to assess the EE and each criterion is organized at three levels of information. Firstly, the markband , which relates to the mark range available; secondly, the strand , which relates to what is being assessed; and, thirdly, the indicators , which are the demonstration of the strands within a markband.
Criterion A: Focus and method – This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding – This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore the research question. Criterion C: Critical thinking – This criterion assesses the extent to which critical-thinking skills have been used to analyse and evaluate the research undertaken. Criterion D: Presentation – This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication. Criterion E: Engagement – This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process.
Overview of the Criteria
B: knowledge and understanding | C: critical thinking | D: presentation | E: engagement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Topic • Research question • Methodology | Context • Subject-specific terminology and concepts | Research • Analysis • Discussion and evaluation | Structure • Layout | Process • Research focus |
Mark | Mark | Mark | Mark | Mark |
6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 6 |
How is the Extended Essay assessed? All extended essays are externally assessed by examiners appointed by the IB. They are marked on a scale from 0 to 34. The score a student receives relates to a band. The bands are:
As the extended essay is an important component of the Diploma Programme, and a substantial piece of work, students need to ensure that they understand the expectations of the task and manage their time and workload effectively. The following suggestions are given as guidance to help with the process.
Students are strongly recommended to:
• develop a Researcher’s reflection space as a planning tool
• use the Researcher’s reflection space to prepare for reflection sessions
• share excerpts from the Researcher’s reflection space with the supervisor during the reflection sessions
• choose a subject, followed by a topic, and then think carefully about the research question for their essay
• plan how, when and where they will find material and sources for their essay before deciding on the final topic and research question
• plan a schedule for both the researching and writing of their extended essay, including extra time for delays and unforeseen problems
• record sources as their research progress using their Researcher’s reflection space rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end
• make the most of their supervision and reflection sessions by arriving prepared to discuss their work
• have a clear structure for the essay before beginning to write
• check and proofread the final version of their extended essay
• make sure that the version they submit for assessment is the final version with all sources correctly and consistently referenced
• ensure that all requirements are met
Adapted from IB EE Guide, pp.48-49.
At ICS, Zurich students are required to:
Supervisor's support:
You should think of your EE supervisor as a resource for general feedback, but do not rely on them to hold your hand through this process. You must take the initiative on all fronts, from choosing your subject to writing a plan and setting internal deadlines for yourself so that you can meet school deadlines! You will edit your EE on your own; do not expect your EE Supervisor to read, edit, or mark up your drafts in any way.
Think of it this way: The IB’s general EE guidelines require you to spend at least forty hours researching and writing your Extended Essay. In contrast, your EE Supervisor should spend no more than about 3-5 hours advising your work along the way.
That said, your supervisor can be a valuable support to you through this process - someone to bounce ideas off, clarify your understanding and support your time-management. Make them your first point of call if you have difficulties…do n't suffer in silence, they are there to help!
The supervisor-student working relationship is probably the most important one in the Extended Essay process. The EE supervisor will advise students during the entire process such as confirm research questions, read final draft and give comments for revising it and submit a predicted grade to the IBO. Supervisors must ensure that they understand the important role they play in supporting students in this process.
Supervisors are required to:
Supervisors are strongly recommended to:
Adapted from IB Extended Essay Guide, pp.46-47.
The following FREE online courses may guide you throughout your extended essay (click on the course image):
1. Developing Your Research Project
What topics will this course cover?
Academic research: principles and definition
Drafting and developing research proposals
Gathering information from literature and from findings
Research methods: choosing an appropriate methodology
Academic reading and note taking
Referencing, plagiarism, and academic integrity
Academic writing: organising sources, structuring essays
Academic writing: summarising a research project into an abstract
Academic presentations: preparation and delivery
2. Information & Digital Literacy for University Success
3. Research Writing: How to Do a Literature Review
Yes. If you do not complete the extended essay (or it does not meet minimum standards) you will be deemed ineligible to receive your IB Diploma.
No. However, it is strongly recommended that you select a topic from one of your Higher Level (HL) subjects. Other subject areas may be chosen; however, that will only be allowed if there is a qualified staff member to help so that you have every opportunity to do well in that area. If you are not currently enrolled in a course in the subject area from which you choose your EE topic, you must have a solid knowledge base in that subject area. In general, you are ‘wisest’ to choose a topic in an area that you are passionate about and currently studying at the HL.
Unlike most student/teacher relationships, for the Extended Essay, you are the one in the driver’s seat. Yes, there are deadlines and guidelines and you must meet them, but you choose your topic and you plan your research on your own and you write and edit the essay on your own. Your EE Supervisor is there as a resource if you need help, or if your essay is heading in the wrong direction or stalled. Think of your EE Supervisor as a backseat driver - you may hear “Watch out!” or “Go [write] faster!” but, ultimately, you are the one responsible for putting your foot on the pedal and making sure you are in good shape coming down the home stretch of the Extended Essay process.
Learning how to edit your own work is an invaluable skill, though it may be painful at first. Some tried-and-true tips for copy-editing as you go along:
Relax. Many students are overly worried about writing academic papers simply because they may not be able to visualize what exactly an academic paper will entail, and how it differs from the school papers they have been writing in one form or another since elementary school.
Here is the quick definition: an academic paper is a piece of formal writing (i.e., unlike a conversational tone such as what I am using now, you will most likely be using the third person voice, and should avoid colloquialisms and unfounded generalizations). At the heart of most academic papers is the thesis statement, which describes what you believe and what you are trying to prove, out of all the research and analysis you have done. All the other points in the paper will go towards supporting your thesis statement.
You will write the Extended Essay to emulate an academic journal article. Because these journal articles are published, there is often a very strict methodology for how you go about writing them. This is great for you because it means there are a lot of resources, both online and off, available to teach you about these methodologies! Good luck, and happy writing!
You will have the opportunity to explore an interesting self-selected topic in-depth. You will develop your research skills and, if applicable to your subject area, your investigative skills. As well, you will improve your presentation skills, as you will be required to use MLA/APA as a citation format and to prepare an annotated bibliography. These skills will be extremely useful in your post-secondary studies.
Yes! As noted above, if you do not submit an extended essay, or if your extended essay does not meet the minimum requirements, you will not receive your diploma. As well, your assessment on your extended essay and your ToK essay and project are combined into a point matrix. You may qualify for up to three additional points which are added to your total IB Diploma score.
Step -1: Read the key EE documents
Step -2: Record your thoughts@RRS
Step -3: Choose a subject & supervisor
Step -4: Confirm a research topic & title
Step -5: Formulate a research question
Step -6: Identify sources
Step -7: Plan a research outline
Step -8: Decide on reference style
Step -9: Commence research/reading
Step -10: Writing the essay
*Write 3 reflections according to the ICS timeline
Susan Trower from West Sound Academy
Luke MacQuoid
The IB Extended Essay is the pinnacle of academic writing for students pursuing the IB Diploma Progeame. This research-based essay requires students to dive deep into a topic of their choice and present a well-developed argument. However, there is one essential aspect of the essay that students must master: meeting the IB EE word count requirement.
So, Extended essay word count is what I will focus on in this read.
The IB Extended Essay word count requirement is 4000 words, including the abstract, main body, footnotes, and quotations. It is a vital aspect of the essay because it is a testament to a student’s research, analytical, and writing skills.
As stated previously, the extended essay maximum word count of 4000 words is typically divided into several sections, each with a recommended number of words.
The approximate word limit for each section of IB extended essay may vary depending on the subject area , research question, and approach taken by the student. However, the following is a general breakdown of the recommended word count for each section:
It is important to note that the word count for each section is not set in stone, and students should use their own judgment to determine how much space each part of their essay requires.
What counts towards your word count in IB extended essay is explained in the video above:
Extended essay minimum word count is 3,500 words. This includes the main body of the essay but does not include the abstract, contents page, bibliography, or any appendices.
However, it is important to note that meeting the minimum word count is not necessarily sufficient to produce a high-quality Extended Essay. Therefore, students should strive to meet the full 4,000-word requirement in order to fully develop their research and analysis and write a comprehensive essay .
The most critical aspect of the essay is to produce a well-researched, well-argued, and well-written piece that addresses the research question in a thoughtful and meaningful way.
Crafting an IB Extended Essay is like building a house – every brick counts towards the final result. However, failing to meet the minimum word count requirement of 3,500 words can act like a wrecking ball to your efforts. It can lead to a heartbreaking disqualification, leaving your essay collecting dust on the shelf instead of being awarded a well-deserved grade .
On the other hand, exceeding the 4,000-word limit can have consequences as well. Like a gatekeeper standing at the word limit threshold, the examiner may stop reading your essay at 4,000 words and not consider any content that spills over the limit. This can be a crushing blow if critical information is tucked away in that portion, rendering it invisible in the grading process.
Therefore, it’s crucial to find a balance and use the right amount of words to paint a clear and concise picture of your research, analysis, and ideas. Remember, the goal of the Extended essay is not to write as many words as possible, but to demonstrate your research and writing skills and present a compelling argument.
So, take care to plan your essay carefully, express your thoughts effectively, and adhere to the word count guidelines to ensure your essay is a strong and successful one.
Students need to plan and organize their essay to meet the word count requirement. Therefore, starting early is essential to give oneself enough time to research, draft, and revise the essay.
Creating an outline is another important step, ensuring that the essay covers all relevant aspects of the topic.
Using concise and relevant writing is also crucial to keep the essay focused and on track. This will help students avoid using unnecessary jargon or repetitive phrases that can bloat the essay and cause it to exceed the word count limit.
Lastly, peer review and editing are essential to help students identify areas that need improvement and ensure that the essay meets the word count.
While meeting the word count is critical, students need to avoid common mistakes that can lead to falling short or exceeding the word limit. Repetitive writing is one of these mistakes that students make when they use the same phrases or expressions multiple times.
Irrelevant information is another mistake to avoid because it does not add value to the essay and can cause it to exceed the word count. Strike a balance between depth and breadth of analysis and ensure that the essay provides enough detail to support your arguments without going off-topic .
The Extended Essay can be a daunting task for any IB student. With so many criteria to meet and a strict word count limit, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost in the process. But lucky you! ExtendedEssayWriters.com is here to guide you through and help you craft an essay that shines bright like a diamond.
Our team of writers is not only knowledgeable in the IB curriculum, but also passionate about helping students achieve their academic goals. We understand that every student is unique, and we work closely with you to tailor our services to fit your individual needs. So whether you need help brainstorming ideas, researching, or simply adhering to the word count guidelines, we’ve got you covered.
You can also use our extended essay writers team’s services if you need assistance selecting a topic. Furthermore, we can also help you write your IB extended essay from scratch or edit your draft following the IB criteria.
We take pride in providing high-quality and well-researched extended essays that meet all the necessary criteria, while still showcasing your own unique style and voice.
With our help from ExtendedcEssaycWriters, you can submit an essay that not only meets the word limit and criteria but also stands out from the rest. Let’s help you take the stress out of the Extended essay and make the journey a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Hence, the IB Extended Essay word count requirement is an essential aspect of the essay that students must master. Effective planning and organization, using concise and relevant writing, and avoiding common mistakes are the keys to meeting the word limit requirement.
By mastering the word count, students can produce an essay that demonstrates their research and analytical skills, making it a valuable contribution to their academic studies.
Luke MacQuoid has extensive experience teaching English as a foreign language in Japan, having worked with students of all ages for over 12 years. Currently, he is teaching at the tertiary level. Luke holds a BA from the University of Sussex and an MA in TESOL from Lancaster University, both located in England. As well to his work as an IB Examiner and Master Tutor, Luke also enjoys sharing his experiences and insights with others through writing articles for various websites, including extendedessaywriters.com blog
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The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. Given that the extended essay is a formally written research paper, it should strive to maintain a professional, academic look.
To help achieve this, the following formatting is suggested.
The title page should include the:
DO NOT include any personal information like your name, the name of the school, or your candidate number. The IB wants each EE to be anonymous and assessed without bias.
From the mla style guide at purdue, labels, captions, and source information.
Illustrations appear directly embedded in the document. Each illustration must include a label, a number, a caption and/or source information.
Figure Example
In-text reference:
Some readers found Harry’s final battle with Voldemort a disappointment, and recently, the podcast, MuggleCast debated the subject (see fig. 2).
Figure caption (below an embedded podcast file for a document to be viewed electronically):
Fig. 2. Harry Potter and Voldemort final battle debate from Andrew Sims et al.; “Show 166”; MuggleCast ; MuggleNet.com, 19 Dec. 2008, www.mugglenet.com/2015/11/the-snape-debate-rowling-speaks-out.
Appendices are not an essential part of the extended essay and examiners will not read them, or use any information contained within them, in the assessment of the essay. Students must take care to ensure that all information with direct relevance to the analysis, discussion and evaluation of their essay is contained in the main body of it. Appendices should therefore be avoided except in the following instances:
Students should not continually refer to material presented in an appendix as this may disrupt the continuity of the essay and examiners are not required to refer to them.
The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays.
Please note: Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit. This means that essays containing more than 4,000 words will be compromised across all assessment criteria.
Please refer to the following guidance on what content should be included in the word count.
The introduction | The contents page |
The main body | Maps, charts, diagrams, annotated illustrations |
The conclusion | Tables |
Quotations | Equations, formulas and calculations |
Footnotes and/or endnotes that are not references | Citations/references (whether parenthetical, numbered, footnotes or endnotes) |
The bibliography | |
The | |
Headers |
Please refer to the document entitled Assessment principles and practices—Quality assessments in a digital age for further clarification of word count requirements.
A note for students writing in Chinese, Korean and Japanese:
Students writing their extended essay in Japanese, Korean or Chinese should use the following conversions.
When typing in Chinese, Korean or Japanese word processing software is likely to include the number of characters and punctuation in the word count. Students are asked to not include punctuation in the word count for assessed work. The word count should only take into account the number of characters typed.
A note about acknowledgments and dedications:
An acknowledgment/dedications page may be included in the EE if this is important to the student, but it must contain no “identifiers”, for example, people should not be detailed in any way that makes the student’s school identifiable. An acknowledgment/dedications page is not a formal requirement of the EE, so it does not contribute to either the word count or assessment.
Students may wish to use the header function for their research question, so that it appears on each page. This may help retain focus.
Footnotes and endnotes may be used for referencing purposes and if this is the case will not be included in the word count of the essay. If information is contained in a footnote or endnote and is not a reference, this must be included in the word count. In order to avoid confusion and unwittingly exceed the word limit, students are advised to avoid using footnotes or endnotes other than for referencing purposes unless it is appropriate.
One appropriate use of footnotes is for the placement of the original quotation (where the original quotation is in a language other than the language of registration). This use of footnotes would not need to be included in the word count.
As footnotes and endnotes are not an essential part of the extended essay students must take care to ensure that all information with direct relevance to the analysis, discussion and evaluation of their essay is contained in the main body of it.
An essay that attempts to evade the word limit by including important material in footnotes or endnotes will be compromised across the assessment criteria. Please note that footnotes and endnotes are added to the word count as they are encountered.
Font and spacing
Use a readable 12-point font and double spacing. You will be helping your examiners read and assess your essay on-screen.
Referencing and citations
The IB does not specify what referencing/citation format you should use. Whichever system you choose, make sure that you follow it consistently. Check, too, that it meets the minimum requirements for acknowledging both written and electronic sources expected by the IB. See the IB publication:
The title page should include only the following information:
Distinguishing Between the Title and the Research Question
Your extended essay can have a title and a research question. The research question is required on the cover page, while the title is optional.
What should NOT be on the first page/title page of your EE?
The title page should NOT include only the following information:
When work is uploaded, the IB tags each document with the student's digital profiles so personal details like your name, your school, and your candidate number are not required. Very important: to make sure that IB assessment is unbiased and fair, IB does not give your name to examiners, so there should be nothing that could identify you in the essay itself.
Compare and contrast: which would be better to send to IB?
Submitting a paper in the recommended format will set a serious tone. Take a look at the example text below formatted in two drastically different fonts. Notice the difference in tone and mood—which format would be easier for the examiner to read, assess and comment on?
Example A (12 point, Arial, double-spaced)
The revenue received by the government will increase with the increasing prices if there is no significant change in demand. As it does not, the revenue will rise but not at a steady pace. The sales of used cars will increase the scope of the revenue of the government, as its demand will rise as a result of the rise in COE prices of relatively new cars. However, its full impact cannot be determined as its supply fluctuates in different time periods as the government predefines the number of quotas released every six months in a year. |
Example B (9 point, Comic Sans, single-spaced)
The revenue received by the government will increase with the increasing prices if there is no significant change in demand. As it does not, the revenue will rise but not at a steady pace. The sales of used cars will increase the scope of the revenue of the government, as its demand will rise as a result of the rise in COE prices of relatively new cars. However, its full impact cannot be determined as its supply fluctuates in different time periods as the government predefines the number of quotas released every six months in a year. |
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by Antony W
October 28, 2023
Have you read the Extended Essay assessment criteria but find them somewhat confusing? You’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we’ll explore the extended essay requirements and give you some tips that you can use to make the writing process less stressful from start to finish.
The extended essay assignment gives you a taste of academic freedom by allowing you to decide what to write and how to write it.
By choosing a topic that interests you, or an area you find interesting to explore, you’ll find the process of writing an extended essay not only easy but also enjoyable.
Because writing the essay helps you to develop the writing skills necessary to write academic assignments when you join college or university, it’s important to understand the EE requirement first before you start writing.
So you don't have enough time left to complete your EE project? You can hire the writing service of the team at Help for Assessment to get the task completed in good time.
Every student wishes to score high marks for their extended essays, but only a few ever manage to score 34.
It’s not that IB EE is difficult to write. It’s only that they don’t pay close attention to the requirements of the essay.
Our goal at Help for Assessment is to help you succeed in IB by guiding you as much as we can so you can score top marks for your EE. If you can’t do your best to score a 34, aim for a 25 or a 29.
To make sure you’re on the right track from start to finish, here are some extended essay requirements that you need to take seriously:
The IB program gives you the liberty to write an Extended Essay on the topic of your choosing. However, it does put a cap on how much you can, even if you find the topic a lot more interesting than you initially did.
As an assignment that requires independent research and compilation of your findings, the Extended Essay should be at most 4,000 words long . Keep in mind that 4,000 is the set maximum and any additional word can cost you some marks.
You might find yourself with more words as you write your first draft, and that’s completely fine. You should come back to your work later and edit to bring the length down to 4,000 words at least.
Some students think that their extended essays have to hit the exact word limit set by IB. That’s not often the case. It’s important to understand that 4,000 is the maximum number of words you can write in an EE, not the exact target.
That means you can write an EE that’s 2,500 words long and do just fine. However, for clarity and comprehensiveness’s safe, we do suggest that you make your essay at least 3,500 words long.
You can have the best ideas for your extended essay assignment, but you will fail if you don’t use the proper format recommended by IB.
Take your time to prepare your outline, and make sure you include all the relevant sections before you start writing.
Your extended essay should have:
You will notice that we haven’t included an abstract in the outline. That’s because IB no longer requires you to write a 300 words summary of the essay anymore.
You can read more about EE abstract here to learn why it’s no longer necessary and what you should do instead.
Just because you can write an EE on any topic doesn’t mean you have the freedom to write on anything really. IB does put limitation on the extent to which you can go when it comes to choosing a topic to write.
In other words, your EE can be on any topic provided it falls into one of the six subject groups approved by the IB. The subject groups we’re talking about are as follows:
As you can see, you do have quite some options when it comes to topic selection. All you have to do is to identify a subject category and then explore as many topics as possible to choose one that you can easily work on.
In 2018, IB added a reflection process as part of the extended essay assignment with the intention to ensure every student do the best possible to score high grades. It’s important to note that reflection process is mandatory and will reflect in your final grades.
The rule of the reflection process is simple. You have to meet with your supervisor three times to discuss your extended essay.
During these meetings, you and your supervisor will discuss your engagement with your research process.
By helping to reflect on the elements that matter the most, your supervisor can give you feedback that not only help you to think differently but also encourage you to reevaluate your research process.
The final meeting with your supervisor is the viva voice. It’s usually 10 to 15 minutes long and takes place in the final state of the extended essay.
During the viva voice, your supervisor will focus on plagiarism and malpractice, reflect on your success and failures, and stress on what you’ve learned throughout the process. Also, it’s here that your supervisor writes a report about your essay, which will reflect in your grade.
As you can see, these extended essay requirements are so simple that’s easy to overlook them.
However, we do suggest that you pay close attention to these so that you have an easy time working on your assignment right from the first day all the way to the end.
About the author
Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.
Criteria D is giveaway marks time - You get 4 marks for just formatting and citing properly. Do not lose any of these marks for simple errors.
Recommendation for Criteria D - If you want to get full marks on Criteria D you should use this fantastic template provided by Sammy Strozo....
PLEASE NOTE
7 years ago the syllabus changed. You must not put an abstract in your Extended Essay. If you do you will lose many marks.
a) because it will show your lack of engagement
b) it will use up 300 words at the beginning of the essay. Therefore your conclusion will not be read.
Use only the latest criteria!!! DO NOT WRITE AN ABSTRACT
There are a number of checklists that you can use to ensure that you max out for Criteria D.
1) This is one that I recommend and is in a google doc format - the checklist.
2) The one below (which you can download here as a pdf ) is taken from the excellent EE course companion by Kota Lekanides that is found in all of your AG classes.
There is also a fantastic check list in the book that you have in your AG classes. It is Simply called Extended Essay by Paul Hoang.
Required Formatting
The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. Given that the extended essay is a formally written research paper, it should strive to maintain a professional, academic look.
To help achieve this, the following formatting is required:
Required S tructure
The structure of the essay is very important. It helps students to organize the argument, making the best use of the evidence collected.
There are six required elements of the final work to be submitted. More details about each element are given in the “Presentation” section. Please note that the order in which these elements are presented here is not necessarily the order in which they should be written.
Six required elements of the extended essay:
1. Required Title Page
The title page should include only the following information:
The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays.
Please note: Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit. This means that essays containing more than 4,000 words will be compromised across all assessment criteria. Given the holistic nature of the assessment criteria, students who write in excess of the word limit will self-penalize across all criteria.
Note for Chinese/ Korean/ Japanese Essays - Clarification of word counts in Chinese for EEs. When typing in Chinese, word-processing software is likely to include the number of characters along with punctuation. Teachers and students are asked not to include punctuation in the word count for assessed work. The word count should only take into account the number of characters typed. (IBO Feb 2023)
Students writing their extended essay in Japanese, Korean or Chinese should use the following conversions.
source: ibo.org
2. Required Contents Page
A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered. Please note that an index page is not required and if included will be treated as if it is not present.
3. Required Introduction
The introduction should tell the reader what to expect in the essay. The introduction should make clear to the reader the focus of the essay, the scope of the research, in particular an indication of the sources to be used, and an insight into the line of argument to be taken.
While students should have a sense of the direction and key focus of their essay, it is sometimes advisable to finalize the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.
4. Required Body of the Essay (research, analysis, discussion, and evaluation)
The main task is writing the body of the essay, which should be presented in the form of a reasoned argument. The form of this varies with the subject of the essay but as the argument develops it should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been discovered, where/how it has been discovered and how it supports the argument. In some subjects, for example, the sciences, sub-headings within the main body of the essay will help the reader to understand the argument (and will also help the student to keep on track). In structuring their extended essay, students must take into consideration the expected conventions of the subject in which their extended essay is registered.
Once the main body of the essay is complete, it is possible to finalize the introduction (which tells the reader what to expect) and the conclusion (which says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved).
Any information that is important to the argument must not be included in appendices or footnotes/endnotes. The examiner will not read notes or appendices, so an essay that is not complete in itself will be compromised across the assessment criteria.
5. Required Conclusion
The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. While students might draw conclusions throughout the essay based on their findings, it is important that there is a final, summative conclusion at the end. This conclusion(s) must relate to the research question posed.
6. Required References & Bibliography
Students should use their chosen style of academic referencing as soon as they start writing. That way they are less likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a later stage. For more information on this, refer to the guidelines in the IB document Effective citing and referencing.
Writing the essay takes time but if students have used their Researcher's reflection space and reflection sessions in a meaningful way they should be well prepared to develop their arguments.
source: concordian-Thailand
For more information, including examples of different materials in the different styles of referencing, as outlined by the IB, please follow this link.
Longwriter: unleashing 10,000+ word generation from long context llms.
Current long-context large language models (LLMs) can process inputs up to 100,000 tokens, yet they struggle to generate outputs exceeding even a modest length of 2,000 words. Controlled experiments reveal that the model’s effective generation length is inherently limited by the examples seen during supervised fine-tuning (SFT). In other words, this output limitation stems from the scarcity of long-output examples in existing SFT datasets.
Recent advancements in long-context LLMs have led to the development of models with significantly expanded memory capacities, capable of processing history exceeding 100,000 tokens in length. However, despite their ability to handle extensive inputs, current long-context LLMs struggle to generate equally lengthy outputs.
To explore this limitation, LongWriter probes the maximum output length of state-of-the-art long-context models with multiple queries that require responses of varying lengths, such as “Write a 10,000-word article on the history of the Roman Empire.” The results show that all models consistently fail to produce outputs beyond 2,000 words in length. Meanwhile, analysis of user interaction logs reveals that over 1% of user prompts explicitly request outputs exceeding this limit, highlighting a pressing need in current research to overcome this limitation.
To address this, LongWriter introduces AgentWrite , an agent-based pipeline that decomposes ultra-long generation tasks into subtasks, enabling off-the-shelf LLMs to generate coherent outputs exceeding 20,000 words. Leveraging AgentWrite, LongWriter constructs LongWriter-6k, a dataset containing 6,000 SFT data samples with output lengths ranging from 2k to 32k words. By incorporating this dataset into model training, LongWriter successfully scales the output length of existing models to over 10,000 words while maintaining output quality.
LongWriter also develops LongBench-Write, a comprehensive benchmark for evaluating ultra-long generation capabilities. The 9B parameter model, further improved through DPO, achieves state-of-the-art performance on this benchmark, surpassing even much larger proprietary models.
In this article, we will discuss the LongWriter framework, explore its architecture, and compare its performance against state-of-the-art long-context large language models. Let’s get started.
Recent advancements in long context large language models (LLMs) have led to the creation of models with significantly increased memory capacities, capable of processing histories that exceed 100,000 tokens. Despite this ability to handle extensive inputs, current long-context LLMs struggle to generate outputs of comparable length. To investigate this limitation, LongWriter examines the maximum output length of state-of-the-art long-context models through various queries that require different response lengths, such as “Write a 10,000-word article on the history of the Roman Empire.” Based on the findings, LongWriter observes that all models consistently fail to generate outputs longer than 2,000 words. Furthermore, an analysis of user interaction logs indicates that over 1% of user prompts specifically request outputs beyond this limit, highlighting an urgent need in current research to address this issue.
LongWriter's study reveals a key insight: the constraint on output length is primarily rooted in the characteristics of the Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT) datasets. Specifically, LongWriter finds that a model’s maximum generation length is effectively capped by the upper limit of output lengths present in its SFT dataset, despite its exposure to much longer sequences during the pretraining phase. This finding explains the ubiquitous 2,000-word generation limit across current models, as existing SFT datasets rarely contain examples exceeding this length. Furthermore, as many datasets are distilled from state-of-the-art LLMs, they also inherit the output length limitation from their source models.
To address this limitation, LongWriter introduces AgentWrite, a novel agent-based pipeline designed to leverage off-the-shelf LLMs to automatically construct extended, coherent outputs. AgentWrite operates in two stages: First, it crafts a detailed writing plan outlining the structure and target word count for each paragraph based on the user’s input. Then, following this plan, it prompts the model to generate content for each paragraph in a sequential manner. LongWriter's experiments validate that AgentWrite can produce high-quality and coherent outputs of up to 20,000 words.
Building upon the AgentWrite pipeline, LongWriter leverages GPT-4o to generate 6,000 long-output SFT data, named LongWriter-6k, and adds this data to train existing models. Notably, LongWriter-6k successfully unlocks the model’s ability to generate well-structured outputs exceeding 10,000 words in length. To rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, LongWriter develops the LongBench-Write benchmark, which contains a diverse set of user writing instructions, with output length specifications ranging from 0-500 words, 500-2,000 words, 2,000-4,000 words, and beyond 4,000 words. Evaluation on LongBench-Write shows that LongWriter's 9B size model achieves state-of-the-art performance, even compared to larger proprietary models. LongWriter further constructs preference data and uses DPO to help the model better follow long writing instructions and generate higher quality written content, which has also been proven effective through experiments.
To summarize, LongWriter's work makes the following novel contributions:
To utilize off-the-shelf LLMs for automatically generating SFT data with longer outputs, LongWriter designs AgentWrite, a divide-and-conquer style agent pipeline. AgentWrite first breaks down long writing tasks into multiple subtasks, with each subtask requiring the model to write only one paragraph. The model then executes these subtasks sequentially, and LongWriter concatenates the subtask outputs to obtain the final long output. Such an approach of breaking down a complex task into multiple subtasks using LLM agents has already been applied in various fields, such as problem-solving, software development, and model evaluation. LongWriter's work is the first to explore integrating planning to enable models to complete complex long-form writing tasks. Each step of AgentWrite is introduced in detail below.
Inspired by the thought process of human writers, who typically start by making an overall plan for long writing tasks, LongWriter utilizes the planning capabilities of LLMs to output such a writing outline given a writing instruction. This plan includes the main content and word count requirements for each paragraph. The prompt used by LongWriter is as follows:
“I need you to help me break down the following long-form writing instruction into multiple subtasks. Each subtask will guide the writing of one paragraph in the essay and should include the main points and word count requirements for that paragraph. The writing instruction is as follows: {User Instruction}. Please break it down in the following format, with each subtask taking up one line: Paragraph 1 – Main Point: [Describe the main point of the paragraph, in detail] – Word Count: [Word count requirement, e.g., 400 words] Paragraph 2 – Main Point: [Describe the main point of the paragraph, in detail] – Word Count: [Word count requirement, e.g. 1000 words]. Make sure that each subtask is clear and specific, and that all subtasks cover the entire content of the writing instruction. Do not split the subtasks too finely; each subtask’s paragraph should be no less than 200 words and no more than 1000 words. Do not output any other content.”
After obtaining the writing plan from Step I, LongWriter calls the LLM serially to complete each subtask, generating the writing content section by section. To ensure the coherence of the output, when LongWriter calls the model to generate the n-th section, the previously generated n−1 sections are also input, allowing the model to continue writing the next section based on the existing writing history. Although this serial manner prevents parallel calls to the model to complete multiple subtasks simultaneously, and the input length becomes longer, LongWriter shows in validation that the overall coherence and quality of the writing obtained this way are far superior to the output generated in parallel. The prompt in use by LongWriter is:
“You are an excellent writing assistant. I will give you an original writing instruction and my planned writing steps. I will also provide you with the text I have already written. Please help me continue writing the next paragraph based on the writing instruction, writing steps, and the already written text.
Writing instruction: {User Instruction} Writing steps: {The writing plan generated in Step I} Already written text: {Previous generated (n-1) paragraphs}
Please integrate the original writing instruction, writing steps, and the already written text, and now continue writing {The plan for the n-th paragraph, i.e., the n-th line in the writing plan}.”
LongWriter tests the generation length and quality of the proposed AgentWrite method on two long-form writing datasets. The first one, LongWrite-Ruler, is used to measure exactly how long of an output the method can provide. The second, LongBench-Write, is mainly used to evaluate how well the model-generated content aligns with user instructions in terms of length and writing quality.
LongBench-Write : To evaluate the model’s performance on a more diverse range of long-form writing instructions, LongWriter collects 120 varied user writing prompts, with 60 in Chinese and 60 in English. To better assess whether the model’s output length meets user requirements, LongWriter ensures that all these instructions include explicit word count requirements. These instructions are divided into four subsets based on the word count requirements: 0-500 words, 500-2,000 words, 2,000-4,000 words, and over 4,000 words. Additionally, the instructions are categorized into seven types based on the output type: Literature and Creative Writing, Academic and Monograph, Popular Science, Functional Writing, News Report, Community Forum, and Education and Training.
During evaluation, LongWriter adopts two metrics: one for scoring the output length and another for scoring the output quality. The model’s output length is scored based on how close it is to the requirements specified in the instructions. For output quality, LongWriter uses the LLM-as-a-judge approach, selecting the state-of-the-art GPT-4o model to score the output across six dimensions: Relevance, Accuracy, Coherence, Clarity, Breadth and Depth, and Reading Experience. The final score is computed by averaging the length score and the quality score.
Validation results : LongWriter presents the output length measurement on LongWrite-Ruler and finds that AgentWrite successfully extends the output length of GPT-4o from a maximum of 2k words to approximately 20k words. LongWriter also assesses both the output quality and adherence to the required output length on LongBench-Write, showing that GPT-4o can successfully complete tasks with outputs under 2,000 words in length when evaluating AgentWrite’s performance.
Longwriter conducts training based on two of the latest open-source models, namely glm-4-9b and llama-3.1-8b. both of these are base models and support a context window of up to 128k tokens, making them naturally suitable for training on long outputs. to make the training more efficient, longwriter adopts packing training with loss weighting. the training on the two models results in two models: longwriter-9b (abbreviated for glm-4-9b-longwriter) and longwriter-8b (abbreviated for llama-3.1-8b-longwriter)..
At the same time, LongWriter notices that if the loss is averaged by sequence, i.e., taking the mean of each sequence’s average loss within a batch, the contribution of each target token to the loss in long output data would be significantly less than those with shorter outputs. In LongWriter's experiments, it is also found that this leads to suboptimal model performance on tasks with long outputs. Therefore, LongWriter chooses a loss weighting strategy that averages the loss by token, where the loss is computed as the mean of losses across all target tokens within that batch.
All models are trained using a node with 8xH800 80G GPUs and DeepSpeed+ZeRO3+CPU offloading. LongWriter uses a batch size of 8, a learning rate of 1e-5, and a packing length of 32k. The models are trained for 4 epochs, which takes approximately 2,500-3,000 steps.
To further improve the model’s output quality and enhance its ability to follow length constraints in instructions, LongWriter performs direct preference optimization (DPO) on the supervised fine-tuned LongWriter-9B model. The DPO data comes from GLM-4’s chat DPO data (approximately 50k entries). Additionally, LongWriter constructs 4k pairs of data specifically targeting long-form writing instructions. For each writing instruction, LongWriter samples 4 outputs from LongWriter-9B and scores these outputs following a specific method. A length-following score is also combined as computed. The highest-scoring output is then selected as the positive sample, and one of the remaining three outputs is randomly chosen as the negative sample.
The resulting model, LongWriter-9B-DPO, is trained for 250 steps on the above data mixture. LongWriter follows a specific recipe for DPO training.
LongWriter evaluates 4 proprietary models and 5 open-source models on LongBench-Write, along with the trained LongWriter models. To the best of LongWriter's knowledge, Suri-IORPO is the only prior model that is also aligned for long-form text generation. It is trained based on Mistral-7B-Instruct-v0.2 using LoRA. Consistent with the evaluation setup on LongWrite-Ruler, LongWriter sets the output temperature to 0.5 and configures the model’s generation max tokens parameter to the maximum allowed by its API call. For open-source models, it is set to 32,768.
Observing the output length score SlS_lSl for prompts in each required length range, LongWriter finds that previous models generally perform poorly (scoring below 70) on prompts in the [2k, 4k) range, with only Claude 3.5 Sonnet achieving a decent score. For prompts in the [4k, 20k) range, almost all previous models are completely unable to reach the target output length, even scoring 0 (meaning all output lengths are less than one-third of the required length). By adding training data from LongWriter-6k, LongWriter's trained model can effectively reach the required output length while maintaining good quality, as suggested by the scores in the [2k, 20k) range and the scatter plots.
By comparing the scores of LongWriter-9B and LongWriter9B-DPO, we find that DPO significantly improves both Sl (+4%) and Sq (+3%) scores, and the improvement is consistent across all ranges. This shows that in long generation scenario, DPO still helps to improve the model’s output quality and can better align the model’s output length with 8 Preprint Figure 7: Cumulative average NLL loss of GLM4-9B and Llama-3.1-8B at different positions of LongWriter models’ outputs. Figure 8: LongWrite-Ruler test results of LongWriter models, showing their maximum generation lengths between 10k-20k words. the requested length. The latter conclusion has also been recently observed in Yuan et al. (2024) in shorter generations. We also manually annotate pairwise wins and losses for GPT-4o and three longwriter models on their outputs in LongBench-Write and visualize the results in Figure 9. We can see that humans prefer the DPO-trained model over LongWriter-9B in 58% of the cases. Moreover, despite having fewer parameters, LongWriter-9B-DPO achieves a tie with GPT-4o.
Following the LongWrite-Ruler tes,we also present the LongWrite-Ruler test results of LongWriter models. The results suggest that their maximum generation lengths are between 10k-20k words. The lack of SFT data with longer outputs is likely the primary reason preventing the model from achieving longer output lengths.
In this work, we have talked about LongWriter, an agent-based pipeline that decomposes ultra-long generation tasks into subtasks, identifies a 2,000-word generation limit for current LLMs and proposes increasing their output window size by adding long-output data during alignment. To automatically construct long-output data, LongWriter develops AgentWrite, an agent-based pipeline that uses off-the-shelf LLMs to create extended, coherent outputs. LongWriter successfully scales the output window size of current LLMs to over 10,000 words with the constructed LongWriter-6k. Extensive ablation studies on the training data demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. For future work, LongWriter suggests the following three directions: 1. Expand the AgentWrite framework to construct data with longer outputs to further extend LLMs’ output window size. 2. Refine the AgentWrite framework to achieve higher quality long-output data. 3. Longer model outputs bring challenges to inference efficiency. Several methods have been proposed to improve inference efficiency. It is worth investigating how these methods can ensure improved model efficiency without compromising generation quality.
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
The extended essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper. One component of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) core, the extended essay is mandatory for all students. Read about the extended essay in greater detail. You can also read about how the IB sets deadlines for ...
Body of the essay. Conclusion. References and bibliography. Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories, or IB subject groups, which are as follows: Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature. Group 2: Language Acquisition. Group 3: Individuals and Societies. Group 4: Sciences.
When double-spaced, the typical requirement for the extended essay, a 4000-word document will usually span about 15 to 16 pages. This estimate includes a title page and often a table of contents, which, while they do not contribute to the word count, are essential parts of your essay's structure.
The extended essay provides: practical preparation for undergraduate research. an opportunity for students to investigate a topic of personal interest to them, which relates to one of the student's six DP subjects, or takes the interdisciplinary approach of a World Studies extended essay. Through the research process for the extended essay ...
Extended Essay Word Count and Requirements. The EE has a maximum word count of 4,000 words. This does not include the abstract, contents page, bibliography, or footnotes (which must be used sparingly). Here are some essential requirements: Research Question: Your essay must be focused on a clear, concise research question. You should aim to ...
When selecting a research question for an extended essay, it is crucial to choose one that aligns with the academic requirements and guidelines. The chosen research question should be carefully considered to ensure that it is focused, feasible, and allows for in-depth analysis within the given word limit.
write the first draft of your extended essay.Directions: You will write an introductory paragraph and a list of p. tential sections from the body of your essay. On the top of the page you must write your research question and subject area, and on the bottom you must. plicitly state your research.
Formal presentation of the extended essay The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. The use of word processors is encouraged. The length of the extended essay The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays.
IB mission statement The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
In addition, three core elements—the extended essay, theory of knowledge, and creativi-ty, activity, service—are compulsory and central to the philosophy of the programme. These DP subject briefs illustrate four key course components. I. Course description and aims II. Overview of the extended essay process.
Required Formatting. The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. ... The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays. Please note: Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit. This means that ...
Introduction. The extended essay, a compulsory requirement of the IB diploma programme, is an independent, self-directed piece of research and an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from one of your six chosen subjects for the IB diploma. It is intended to promote high-level research, writing skills, intellectual discovery, and creativity.
Here's how, in my experience, you can distribute your word count effectively across the various parts of the Extended Essay: Introduction (10-15% of total words). Typically, this would range from 400 to 600 words. This section introduces your research question and provides the necessary background information.
All essays must follow this format: Labelled "Table of Contents" in 12-point, readable font (Arial is recommended) Headings and page numbers for required components of the essay include: Introduction. Body of the essay: Headings and subheadings within the body of the essay may be included. Conclusion.
The 4000-word essay is then accompanied by a reflection form that should contain a maximum of 500 words. If you are currently in the process of writing your extended essay, or if you are an upcoming IB student who wishes to understand more about this IB requirement, this article is right for you.
Extended Essay The E xtended Essay (EE) is a mandatory core component of the IB Diploma Programme. It is a research paper of up to 4,000 words giving students an opportunity to conduct independent research or investigation on a topic that demonstrates their passion, enthusiasm, intellectual initiative and/or creative approach for their chosen topic.
The IB Extended Essay word count requirement is 4000 words, including the abstract, main body, footnotes, and quotations. It is a vital aspect of the essay because it is a testament to a student's research, analytical, and writing skills.
Please refer to the document entitled Assessment principles and practices—Quality assessments in a digital age for further clarification of word count requirements. A note for students writing in Chinese, Korean and Japanese: Students writing their extended essay in Japanese, Korean or Chinese should use the following conversions.
the word count (required) the subject for which the essay is registered (required) if it is a language essay it should also state which category it falls into; if it is a world studies essay it should also state the theme and the two subjects utilized Distinguishing Between the Title and the Research Question. Your extended essay can have a ...
If you can't do your best to score a 34, aim for a 25 or a 29. To make sure you're on the right track from start to finish, here are some extended essay requirements that you need to take seriously: 1. Pay Attention to the Set EE Word Count. The IB program gives you the liberty to write an Extended Essay on the topic of your choosing.
Required Formatting. The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. ... The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays. Please note: Examiners are instructed not to read or assess any material in excess of the word limit. This means that ...
This Table shows what information is required by the IB when citing and referencing each different type of resource: For more information, including examples of different materials in the different styles of referencing, as outlined by the IB, please follow this link.
A world studies extended essay must focus on a topic of global significance. This encourages the student to reflect on the world today in relation to issues such as the global food crisis, climate change, terrorism, energy security, migration, global health, technology and cultural exchange. The student should then explore how their chosen ...
To better assess whether the model's output length meets user requirements, LongWriter ensures that all these instructions include explicit word count requirements. These instructions are divided into four subsets based on the word count requirements: 0-500 words, 500-2,000 words, 2,000-4,000 words, and over 4,000 words.