The RRS and developing the question

1. Extended Essay student workshop 2.
The RRS AND developing the question.
March 2017.

2. Timeline
At this stage, you should have
• Chosen your subject, met with a supervisor, submitted your supervisor agreement.
• Read your EE subject-specific guide.
• Read some sample essays for your subject area.
• In discussion with your supervisor, decided on a topic.
• Commenced reading broadly on your topic.

3. The Researcher’s Reflective Space
The emphasis in the Extended Essay is on process reflection
• reflecting on conceptual understandings
• decision making
• engagement with data
• the research process
• time management
• methodology
• successes and challenges
• appropriateness of sources

4. The Researcher’s Reflective Space
What does it look like?
physical or digital.
It is a space to record what you are thinking, reading, writing; record emerging
questions; respond to media items; create mind maps; evaluate resources
(notated bibliography).
It helps students demonstrate their planning, discuss their learning, evaluate
their progress.

5. The Researcher’s Reflective Space
Reflecting throughout the research process.

6. The Researcher’s Reflective Space
Reflecting throughout the research process.

7. The Researcher’s Reflective Space
It will help you prepare for your reflective sessions with your
supervisor and inform those discussions.
EE Libguide – Reflections
Criterion E – Engagement.
Connection to the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form.

8. The Researcher’s Reflective Space
You need to:
Develop your Researcher’s Reflective Space.
Reflect often.
Share your RRS with your supervisor during informal meetings.
Bring your RRS to your initial reflection session with your supervisor to
guide your RPPF (Week 1 Term 2).
.

9. Developing your question
Criterion A. Focus and method.
EE libguide – Topic, title and question.
Video – expanding your search terms to narrow a question that is too
broad.

10. Developing your question
EE Libguide – tab topic, title, question.
Five steps to developing a research question.
In pairs: Practice exercise – formulating well-focused research
questions.
I want to learn about (topic). Why?
I want to learn about…because…how/why?
I want to learn about…because…in order to understand…
Test your question by asking it in another way: How? To what extent?

11. Developing your question
Review your question with your supervisor. Now!
Is your supervisor able to understand the nature of your research?
Is it clear to your supervisor how and why your topic is relevant in your
subject area.
Can you adequately respond to the “So what?” question?
You may need to revise your question as your research grows.