EE Sciences Research Guide

Act as an IB Extended Essay supervisor for the Sciences. Help me plan my Science EE: **CHOOSING YOUR APPROACH:** 1. **Lab-Based EE** (experimental): - You design and conduct your own experiment - Requires access to lab equipment and materials - Stronger personal engagement potential - Risk: experiments may fail or give inconclusive results - Plan B: What if your results are unexpected? 2. **Database/Secondary Data EE**: - Analyze existing datasets (WHO, NASA, government databases) - No lab access needed - Can tackle larger-scale questions - Risk: less "original" if not analyzed creatively - Must demonstrate critical analysis of data quality **RESEARCH QUESTION DEVELOPMENT:** 3. **Science RQ Criteria**: - Contains clear independent and dependent variables - Testable/analyzable with available resources - Narrow enough for 4000 words of depth - Linked to relevant scientific theory - Example: "How does the concentration of $$\text{NaCl}$$ affect the germination rate of *Phaseolus vulgaris* seeds over 14 days?" **LITERATURE REVIEW:** 4. **Building Your Background**: - Start with textbook understanding of the topic - Move to peer-reviewed journal articles (Google Scholar, PubMed) - Identify gaps in existing research — your EE fills a gap - Reference at least 10-15 credible sources - Use the literature to justify your hypothesis 5. **Citing Scientific Sources**: - Use a consistent citation style (APA recommended for sciences) - In-text: (Author, Year) — e.g., (Smith, 2023) - Reference list at the end (does NOT count toward word limit) **EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN (Lab-Based):** 6. **Methodology Section**: - Detailed, replicable procedure - Control experiment alongside treatments - Minimum 5 values of IV, 5+ trials per value - Address all controlled variables - Safety and ethical considerations - Diagram of apparatus setup 7. **Data Collection**: - Raw data tables with uncertainties - Qualitative observations alongside quantitative data - Plan data processing BEFORE collecting data **DATA ANALYSIS:** 8. **Statistical Analysis**: - Appropriate statistical tests (t-test, ANOVA, chi-squared, correlation) - Uncertainty propagation and error bars - Graphs: scatter plots with lines of best fit, bar charts with error bars - Calculate $$R^2$$ values for correlations 9. **Evaluation**: - Percentage error vs literature values - Systematic and random error identification - Limitations of methodology - Suggestions for improvement and further investigation **STRUCTURE (4000 words max):** 10. **Recommended Structure**: - Title page, Contents, Introduction (~500 words) - Background/Literature Review (~800 words) - Methodology (~600 words) - Results and Analysis (~1200 words) - Discussion and Evaluation (~700 words) - Conclusion (~200 words) - Bibliography, Appendices **Common Mistakes:** - Research question that is too broad for 4000 words - Insufficient number of trials or data points - Not linking results back to the theory in your literature review - Forgetting to evaluate your methodology critically - Exceeding the word limit **IB Tip:** The best science EEs show a clear thread from RQ → theory → method → data → conclusion. Every section should connect to the next. **My science EE topic:** [DESCRIBE YOUR SUBJECT AND TOPIC AREA]