Extended Essay: The Love/Hate aspect of the IB

One of the biggest keys to the Extended Essay is choosing which subject you want to write your work in and developing that crucial research question. Annoyingly, coming up with that idea and research question can be the toughest part of the entire process. Writing 4,000 words about something you are interested in is a big ask and it often feels impossible to narrow down your thoughts. To make everything super clear, here are 100 Extended Essay Topics for you to draw inspiration from! Use these as a springboard to create your own research question!

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How to Begin Your IB Extended Essay

Before we look at specific topics for your essay, let’s recap the 10-steps you’ll need to follow to complete your extended essay.

Define the Topic and Draft the Research Question
Create a Timeline
Identify and gather Sources
Set Deadlines
Plan the structure according to the total word count
Evaluate
Independent Research
Write the extended essay draft
Edit
Present

By following the steps above, you should be able to produce a logical and coherent rationale to follow when writing the extended essay for your IB diploma programme.

By starting with a solid research question, you’ll be able to put an extended essay of global significance together, from the research and writing process all the way through to your final submission with a favourable extended essay grade.

Below, we’re sharing 10 topics across 10 subjects to inspire your next IB extended essay.

Biology

How the change of habitat affects an X organism?
How does climate affect the growth of X plant?
Can photosynthesis take place without sunlight?
What is the effect of age and gender on the photoreceptor cells in the human retina?
How is climate change impacting the appearance of coral reefs?
An evaluation of how antioxidants work in our bodies?
Does hand sanitizer, hand soap or antibacterial wipes have the greatest ability to inhibit the growth of E. Coli?
To what extent do live cultures in yogurts/milk/other dairy products reduce the concentration of lactose present over the course of a 2 hour incubation period at x°C?
What is the relationship between population density between X and population size of X?
What is the relationship between indoleacetic acid, a growth hormone, and the growth of X (a crop)?

ESS

How does human influence impact an aquatic ecosystem?
How can one organize a pollution check along a X canal in X?
What is the effect of the increased ecological footprint in the Amazon?
What are the forest and woodland restoration in Siberia, Russia and which one is most effective?
How does human interference cause ecological imbalances in an X city/country/continent?
What is the impact of urban development on the bee population in X city?
What are the differences in the conversation efforts in Yosemite National Park (California, USA) and the Lake District National Park (UK)?
To what extent have healthcare policies in X country influenced their human population curve?
How have changes in environmental systems influenced the value system of X country?
How has X landfill site affected the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem?

Economics

What is the profitability of airline companies?
How does unemployment affect the market?
Why did X recession occur?
How did the financial Policy affect the economy in X?
How effective are government policies in reducing overconsumption of alcohol (specifically hard liquor)?
To what extent are public buses and subways substitute goods in a country?
How did the tax reform in country x affect its growth and development? (many countries to choose from)
To what extent was weak government policy responsible for the Latin American financial crisis of 1997?
How effective is the Big Mac Index in measuring purchasing power parity?
To what extent would the UK suffer from leaving the European Customs Union if Brexit happens?

Psychology

Is there an association between viewing violence on television and the display of violent acts?
What motivational climate should a coach employ in order to achieve optimal performance in athletes?
How does X hormone affect human behavior?
Compare theories explaining altruism in human behaviour
Discuss short-term and long-term consequences of exposure to violence
Why do relationships change or end?
Discuss how social variables (poverty, parenting, educational environment) may the affect cognitive environment.
To what extent do mirror neurons play a role in empathy? (2014)
To what extent does Mindfulness help people cope with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
To what extent is drug therapy effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder?

History

Does the British Parliamentary reforms act of 1832 deserve its title as the great reform act?
To what extent are there similarities in Hitler and Mussolini’s Rise to Power?
To what extent did Mao’s tackle the problems which he faced?
Was Tsar Alexander II of Russia reforms a success or failure?
To what extent was the bombing of Dresden in 1945 justifiable?
To what extent can Sweden be considered neutral during WWII?
The impact of structural economic weakness on the collapse of the Soviet Union.
How were women treated differently in 1920s and 1950s Great Britain?
Why did Israel win the Six Day War of 1967?
What role did economics play in the unification of Germany from 1834 to 1871?

English Literature

What are the Compare and Contrast Jane Austen Books?
How does Joseph Conrad’s portray Racism in A Heart of Darkness?
How does Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman critique today’s capitalist society? The American Dream?
To what extent does Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild escape familial influence?
What are the similarities and differences between J.K. Rowling’s characterization of Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?
How does Yaa Gyasi use structure in her novel Homegoing to portray the evolution of time?
What is the impact of the social context on Holden Caufield and Huckleberry Finn?
How does Sylvia Path’s use of Inanimate objects in Bell Jar?
How is the empowerment of Feminine portrayed in the Lord of the Rings?
Compare the political rhetoric as used in the inaugural addresses of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Physics

The design, construction and calibration of an apparatus for measuring lipid concentration in milk.
What is the effect of a change in the optimal lift on the horizontal gliding distance of an aircraft?
How does the sugar concentration affect the refractive index of water?
How does temperature affect the viscosity of X juice/soda?
Is the relationship between temperature and conductivity and insulators and conductors?
What is the Oberth Effect?
What is the temperature dependence of work performed on an AA battery?
How can the rotational frequency of a fan driven by a flame measure distance?
Do wine bottles of different shapes behave as Helmholtz resonators?
How does the diameter of a wheel affect stability in different weather conditions?

Geography

What factors influence the location of industries in country/city X?
An investigation into the significance of preserving the quality of water in a continent/country/city?
An investigation into the degree to which City X can be considered a Sustainable City/Community.
To what extent is Biodiversity being managed successfully in city X?
To what extent does the education and employment of women affect Country x’s fertility rate?
To what extent do gender, educational attainment, and working parameters influence obesity risk?
To what extent has urban development affected human thermal comfort levels in Country/city x (a country/city that has developed in a rapid rate over the past decades)?
To what extent is the Company x corporate waste management program effective, demonstrating environmental sustainability?
To what extent is biodiversity being managed successfully at National Park X?
What types of urban design encourage high rates of vandalism in X neighbourhoods?

Chemistry

The kinetics of Enzymatic Reactions.
How do Iron Intake Diets differ in X country?
What are the different factors that affect the iodine values in cooking oils?
What is the effect of standing time and temperate on the acid content in X juice or soda?
Can caffeine in tea or coffee be reduced?
What is the effect of temperature on the souring of milk?
What are the sources of error in calorimetry?
Does brushing your teeth affect the pH in your mouth after eating?
How does changing the concentration of the reagents affect the formation and spacing between Liesehang rings in the reaction between X chloride and X when conducted in a test tube?
What effect does the coating of aspirin tablets have on the hydrolysis of aspirin?

Social and Cultural Anthropology

How clothing relates to the cultural anthropology of X culture.
The extent to which social media networks affect different societies.
The relationship between ritual, myths and faith in an X society.
The history of rituals in X culture.
How different marriage rituals inform the cultural anthropology of X culture.
Climate change and its impact on the evolution of different creatures on the planet.
Understanding the social and cultural anthropology of the supernatural in X culture.
An analysis of body modification in relation to social and cultural anthropology.
Chaste systems and social ranks in societies.

Other Popular Subjects

There are so many class subjects that can form the basis of your extended essay, including these popular six subjects:

Information technology
Computer science
Health science
World studies
Visual arts
Business management

Extended essays are a great way to improve your writing skills in academic writing. Essays of a high standard that demonstrate critical thinking and in-depth analysis can be submitted to academic journals. These have the potential to reach the global society.

Start Writing Your Extended Essay Topic

We hope this gave you some great inspiration for the variation of topics available for your Extended Essay. The research question you select is what will carry you through the entire process, so be sure to choose wisely!

Remember, if you are looking for more help with your Extended Essay, make sure to check out our guide which will tell you exactly how to plan, structure, research and write your Extended Essay!

Grab Free Extended Essay Resources!

No matter the subject groups in your diploma program, we’re here to help all of our IB students. Whether you’re writing about social and cultural anthropology, business management, design technology, or scientific methods for your IB diploma, Lanterna has you covered.

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The Extended Essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, culminating in a 4,000-word paper. It's a core component of the IB Diploma Programme, allowing students to investigate a topic of special interest and develop high-level research and writing skills essential for university.

Your research question is the foundation of your entire Extended Essay. A well-defined, focused, and arguable question guides your research, helps you stay on track, and ensures your essay has a clear purpose and depth of analysis. This guide offers inspiration to help you craft yours effectively.

This guide provides 100 diverse topic ideas across various subjects to inspire your own research question. It also outlines the 10 key steps to writing a successful EE, from defining your topic to final presentation, helping you structure your approach and avoid common pitfalls.

The topics in this guide are designed to be a springboard for inspiration. While you can draw ideas from them, it's crucial to refine and narrow down any chosen topic into a specific, arguable research question that allows for in-depth investigation, personal engagement, and meets the IB's criteria for originality.

The guide outlines 10 crucial steps: defining your topic and drafting the research question, creating a timeline, identifying and gathering sources, setting deadlines, planning the structure, evaluating, conducting independent research, writing the draft, editing, and finally, presenting your essay.

Lanterna has over 300 expert tutors who have excelled in their own Extended Essays and understand the IB criteria inside out. They provide personalised guidance on refining your research question, structuring your essay, conducting effective research, and polishing your writing to maximise your grade, all while upholding academic honesty.

Our EE tutors are high-achieving IB graduates (many scored 40+), experienced IB teachers with an average of 10+ years of teaching at top schools globally, and even former IB examiners. They offer invaluable insights into what examiners are looking for, covering a wide range of subjects at both SL and HL.

The Lanterna IB consultation is a free, no-pressure 20-30 minute session with an IB Student Success Expert. For your EE, they can help you clarify your research question ideas, discuss potential challenges, and outline a personalised plan to approach your essay effectively, with zero obligation to book tutoring.

Yes, absolutely. Our 20-30 minute consultation with an IB Student Success Expert is completely free. It's designed to give you clarity and a personalised plan for your IB journey, including your Extended Essay, without any commitment to further services.

Our Student Success Experts are highly experienced professionals with deep knowledge of the IB Diploma Programme. They're skilled at understanding your unique situation, offering strategic advice, and helping you identify the best path forward for your studies, including complex components like the Extended Essay.

After your free 20-30 minute consultation, you'll walk away with a clear, personalised plan for your Extended Essay, including priorities and next steps. There's no obligation to book tutoring, but if you feel you need ongoing support, your Student Success Expert can discuss how Lanterna's expert tutors could further assist you.