EE Humanities Structure Guide

Act as an IB Extended Essay supervisor for the Humanities. Help me structure my Humanities EE: **HUMANITIES EE APPROACH:** 1. **Argument-Based Structure**: Unlike science EEs, humanities EEs are built around an ARGUMENT - Your thesis/position drives the entire essay - Evidence supports or challenges your argument - You must engage with MULTIPLE perspectives - Nuanced, balanced analysis is rewarded over one-sided arguments **RESEARCH QUESTION DEVELOPMENT:** 2. **Strong Humanities RQs**: - History: "To what extent was [factor] responsible for [event] in [time period]?" - English: "How does [author] use [technique] to explore [theme] in [text]?" - Economics: "What are the effects of [policy] on [indicator] in [country/period]?" - Psychology: "To what extent does [theory] explain [phenomenon]?" - Philosophy: "Is [philosopher]'s argument for [claim] convincing?" 3. **Narrowing Your Focus**: - Limit time period, geographic scope, or number of texts - 4000 words demands depth, not breadth - Better to say a lot about a little than a little about a lot **SOURCE WORK:** 4. **Primary Sources**: - Original documents, texts, data, artworks, interviews - These are your EVIDENCE — the raw material of your argument - Show you can analyze primary sources critically - Examples: historical documents, literary texts, original data sets 5. **Secondary Sources (Historiography/Criticism)**: - Scholarly analysis and interpretation by experts - Show you know the academic debate on your topic - Engage with at least 3-4 different scholars' views - Agree AND disagree with secondary sources (don't just summarize) 6. **Source Evaluation**: - Origin, purpose, content, limitations (OPCL for History) - Bias, perspective, reliability of each source - How does the source's context affect its value? **STRUCTURING YOUR ARGUMENT:** 7. **Introduction (~400 words)**: - Context and significance of your topic - State your Research Question clearly - Present your thesis (your answer to the RQ) - Outline the structure of your argument 8. **Body (2800-3000 words)**: - **Thematic organization** (NOT chronological description) - Each section advances a CLAIM supporting your thesis - Include counter-arguments and engage with them - Use evidence from primary AND secondary sources - Analyze, don't describe (explain WHY, not just WHAT) 9. **Conclusion (~300 words)**: - Answer the RQ directly and clearly - Summarize key arguments - Acknowledge limitations of your analysis - Suggest areas for further investigation - Show intellectual growth **CRITICAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES:** 10. **Going Beyond Description**: - "This shows that..." → "This suggests that... because..." - Compare different interpretations of the same evidence - Question assumptions in your sources and your own argument - Discuss significance: Why does this MATTER? **ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:** - **A: Focus and method** (6 marks): Clear RQ, appropriate methodology - **B: Knowledge and understanding** (6 marks): Depth of subject knowledge - **C: Critical thinking** (12 marks): Analysis, evaluation, argument quality - **D: Presentation** (4 marks): Structure, formatting, citations - **E: Engagement** (6 marks): Process, intellectual initiative (via RPPF) **Common Mistakes:** - Telling a story instead of building an argument - Using secondary sources as authority without critical engagement - Ignoring counter-arguments to your thesis - Poor source diversity (all from one type or perspective) - Descriptive rather than analytical writing throughout **IB Tip:** Criterion C (Critical Thinking) is worth 12/34 marks — more than any other criterion. Prioritize analysis over narration. **My humanities EE topic:** [DESCRIBE YOUR SUBJECT, TOPIC, AND PRELIMINARY RQ]