The Reflection Process

新增加的“反思”部分要求考生需诚实地对整个论文的写作过程进行反思，并完成RPPF（计划和过程进度表），这是IB监控学术诚信的重要步骤，也符合IB一贯提倡的学习模式。

大纲评定要求：

考生在整个论文的准备和写作过程中必须完成三份反思报告，三份报告的建议字数以600字（不包括标点符号）为上限。

第一份反思报告集中记录研究题目的确立过程，即考生如何选择自己的研究题目？与导师交流的过程中，论题是如何一步步缩小、聚焦的？

第二份反思报告集中记录自己的研究过程、研究方法、遇见的问题和解决方式。

第三份反思报告集中记录自己在完成整篇论文后的心得体会，整个研究过程中的得与失，以及未来如果有机会可以继续推进的研究方向。

大纲评定要求：

考生在整个论文的准备和写作过程中必须完成三份反思报告，三份报告的建议字数以600字（不包括标点符号）为上限。

第一份反思报告集中记录研究题目的确立过程，即考生如何选择自己的研究题目？与导师交流的过程中，论题是如何一步步缩小、聚焦的？

第二份反思报告集中记录自己的研究过程、研究方法、遇见的问题和解决方式。

第三份反思报告集中记录自己在完成整篇论文后的心得体会，整个研究过程中的得与失，以及未来如果有机会可以继续推进的研究方向。

As of 2018, the IBO requires a reflection process as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IBO calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are mandatory, and they're part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research processes.

According to the IBO, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." In other words, these meetings are in place to allow your supervisors to give you feedback, push you to think differently and encourage you to evaluate your own research processes.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short interview (10 to 15 minutes) between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report (which factors into your EE grade). The topics covered in your viva voce are:

A check on plagiarism and malpractice
Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then sent to the IBO to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

Iborganization. “What Is the Extended Essay?” International Baccalaureate®, www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/extended-essay/what-is-the-extended-essay/.

Initial Reflection Instructions

Initial Reflection Guiding Questions

RPPF Initial Reflection Exemplars

I knew I wanted to research a topic related to architecture or urban environments, as I want to study this field in the future. Producing a lost of many title ideas in my RRS has helped me narrow the scope of my essay into something both manageable and unique. I centered my ideas around Oxford and London so that I can collect primary data and produce an essay that is relevant to my own life. My supervisor liked my idea of exploring homogenization of the urban environment and I realized that Oxford Westgate was a great case study, as there is much debate currently over its role in Oxford, with divided opinions. Instead of judging its success, I have decided to investigate its impact on Oxford’s identity, as this angle offers the opportunity for original analysis methods, although I think it will be challenging to find sources as the topic has not been investigated this way before.

I knew right away that I wanted to write about the killing fields, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge because this is part of my history as a Cambodian. I talked to my supervisor and history teacher about this need to write about this topic, and he encouraged me to find an angle or focus for my essay. I kept coming back to questions that started with ‘why’ or ‘how’: ‘Why did the Khmer Rouge kill so many people?’ ‘How did they come to power?’ I found myself describing the historical events that led up to the Killing Fields, and I noticed a thin red line: foreign influences. Pol Pot never would have gained sympathy, if it hadn’t been for America’s carpet bombing of eastern Cambodia. And my history teacher told me to look at China’s involvement as well, which I didn’t know much about when I started. So really it wasn’t so difficult to arrive at my research question: ‘To what extent were foreign influences the main cause in the Khmer Rouge’s rise in power?’

I have developed a strong interest in food production and arming, influenced partly because of my father’s career in agriculture. Therefore, for my extended essay, I decided to evaluate the sustainability of intensive farming using two case study farms in the Fenland in East Anglia. I have a personal connection with them. One of the farms belongs to my family and is a partnership between my parents, sisters, and me. The other one is owned by somebody who my father knows well and is a family friend. Through reading papers such as, “Why farmers matter i the Fens,” published by the National Farmers Union, I was made aware that both farms were located in a very fertile and productive part of England, which was a good reason for me to focus on sustainability of intensive farming in this area. I will carry out primary research through interviewing owners and employees of the farms, as well as analyzing field and economic data. This, along with reading articles and published papers, will help me assess the extent to which these two case study farms are sustainable. My challenge will be to focus on the most relevant data and to relate this to the broader food and farming challenges.

I knew early on what I wanted the focus of my Extended Essay to be. I wanted to choose a personal interest as I knew that would increase my engagement with the subject matter. I brainstormed a few ideas with the PE staff and decided on researching the effectiveness of whey protein supplements for building muscle, within the subject of biology. I am interested in the science behind protein supplements and will investigate the different amino acids that make up the whey protein. My next steps are to look into an appropriate timeline for my research and set out a clear method for investigation.

I wanted to research men's and women’s gender roles as dictated by the media in the West and the Middle East. I had started to look at magazines and analyze language as well as images in order to draw conclusions and compare the views of different societies. Before I went any further, my mentor said my topic was too wide and suggested I stick to four magazines, two from each region, and 2-3 texts from each. This seems a better plan.

I have chosen my magazines and sent for the Emirati ones, and done some more research. My initial ideas have been slightly transformed with regard to the scope, but in turn, have become much more focused. I now have the R.Q. “To what extent do women’s magazines in the UAE and USA promote traditional gender roles towards females?”. In our meeting, my supervisor reminded me that “text” for Category 3 essays refers to images as well, but that I shouldn’t just rely on the magazine titles and cover images as sources. I need to check the Language and Literature syllabus guide before I go any further and make further changes to make my ideas more focused and sensible.

Because I want to study English literature at university, I decided that my extended essay should definitely be a literary analysis. I thought about possible books to analyze and landed on Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I really like this book, and it’s a little different from most novels because the main character has Asperger’s syndrome, and the book is basically a book that he “writes”, so the narrative is quite unusual. I still need to decide what exactly I should analyze, and my supervisor gave me a few ideas to look into.

I first brainstormed topics that I have interest in such as music, Asian-American civil rights and drug abuse/addiction. I chose World Studies because I felt that it would allow me to explore broader concepts in my topic. I ultimately chose acupuncture in the treatment of addiction because I knew I would enjoy this topic and be able to write a good EE on it. My first concerns included finding enough resources that relate to acupuncture and addiction treatment. So I went away from the reflection session and looked in various places – the library, internet, bookstores etc and asked the librarian for help.

Interim Reflection Instructions

Initial Reflection Guiding Questions

RPPF Interim Reflection Exemplars

I’ve discovered so much just by reading books, articles, and webpages about the rise of the Khmer Rouge. There are so many explanations on how Pol Pot and his friends went from being a weak group of college dropouts to powerful despots. It’s tough to figure out which sources to use and which to ignore. I’m not sure how to write an essay without simply restating what other authors have already written so well. I think I’m going to start with the basics and walk the reader through the events that led up to the Killing Fields. My supervisor / History teacher has suggested I keep my focus on foreign influences by organizing each section around a particular foreign influence. So now I have to think about the order in which I’m going to present each foreign influence. It’s like I have a bunch of puzzle pieces and I have to figure out how to put them together. What’s worse, every time I think I have all of the pieces, I discover a new one. I know I should stop reading and start writing, but it’s difficult to do this when I’m finding out so much.

Upon realizing that the structure of the essay could become confusing, I formulated a flow diagram which would simplify the structure and provide the basis for my research. Which has been effective in maintaining clarity for me and, I hope, the future reader. I decided to base the investigation on Edward Relph’s three elements of urban identity, as he is a recognized authority on the subject, and these allowed me to generate ideas for data collection methods with clear aims. It has been really rewarding to gather data for my investigation, especially the questionnaire responses, as I had to carefully consider how to word my questions in a neutral manner, and now I have some good quality primary data to work with. It has been interesting taking diverse analytical approaches, as each gives a different perspective on the topic and I think they make the investigation well-rounded and thorough. Being really persistent with secondary data collection has paid off: although it has been time-consuming trawling the internet for sources, very useful documents were hidden away in caches and download links, such as those from the City Council. I have also greatly improved my web-searching skills, so it should be easier next time.

With the first draft of my EE completed, I felt that I could review it critically, pinpointing areas for improvement. From the initial processing of the data, it was evident it would support my initial conclusions. Presenting the data correctly was, initially, a little challenging to ensure that it was easily comprehensible. After looking at various options I decided that pie charts and bar graphs would be most effective. While the research I conducted about plastic pollution was beneficial, it became apparent that when developing my argument, I needed more detailed evidence to support my thesis. For example, when assessing whether or not physical factors have an influence on the amount, type and distribution of plastic on beaches, I found that the analysis conducted by Ian West useful in providing evidence for a specific point. This more detailed research and subsequent analysis made me question my initial conclusions, as I had not envisaged that factors such as currents and coastal morphology would play such a significant role in the distribution of plastic found on beaches, especially round the Selsey area.

I have chosen my magazines and sent for the Emirati ones, and done some more research. My initial ideas have been slightly transformed with regard to the scope, but in turn have become much more focused. I now have the R.Q. “To what extent do women’s magazines in the UAE and USA promote traditional gender roles towards females?”. In our meeting my supervisor reminded me that “text” for Category 3 essays refers to images as well, but that I shouldn’t just rely on the magazine titles and cover images as sources. I need to check the Language and Literature syllabus guide before I go any further, and make further changes to make my ideas more focused and sensible.

I looked into various possibilities to analyse the text in my essay, but it’s quite difficult to find kind of hidden meanings and interpret this specific text because of the way it is written. But one thing that is clearly evident in the text is the condition of Christopher who has Asperger’s syndrome. So what I am planning to do is to write about aspects of the condition that limit Christopher, but also about aspects that are assets to him.

I’ve done a lot of research on autism and Asperger’s syndrome, and I will use this to help my analysis. I’ve collected a lot of information so far, but I’m not yet sure how to use all of it to support my essay. My supervisor advised that I have a look at other academic essays and see how they are written and what they are meant to look like. I think this is a good idea because it’s very helpful for me to see concrete examples. I’m also going to look at the assessment criteria to help me understand the requirements of the essay.

I have finished all my research on the treatment of addiction. I know the processes of treatment – the difficulties patients can face, as well as the things they need to overcome during treatment. I have an idea of where acupuncture can fit into treatment. One challenge I face now is deciding what information I do not need. I found myself writing about things that interested me but did not relate to my paper. My supervisor suggested I could solve this problem by prioritizing. One change that is needed is using a wider range of resources. My main resources are print books and encyclopedias. He thinks it would be beneficial for me to look at online academic journals and articles as they have another aspect that print books do not have.

Final Reflection

IBDP Extended Essay 3rd Reflection (RPPF)

Guiding Questions

Use a mix of the final stage and Viva Voce questions

Final Stage of your Writing

Do I have a reasoned argument that can be sustained throughout the essay?
Am I able to make coherent links between different points made and the evidence presented?
To what extent have I answered my research question?
What reasons may have affected my ability to answer my research question?
If I have been selective in the evidence presented in my essay, can I justify my choices?
Is there a clear summative conclusion, and does this reflect the discussion that has taken place?
To what extent do I think I have fulfilled the expectations of the extended essay as a task?
Has my research resulted in me changing my perspective or views on the topic in question?
What strategies have I employed that have worked particularly well at this stage of the process?

Viva Voce

To what extent has my thinking been confirmed or changed about my chosen topic as a result of my research?
What strategies did I employ that proved particularly effective in the research process?
What skills have I developed and how might these be useful in the future?
What improvements might I suggest to my own working practices?
How might different research strategies have impacted my outcomes?
What did I learn about myself as a learner in this process?

RPPF Interim Reflection Exemplars

My initial ideas have been realized to a large extent. I believe this is due to the amount of information that was available to me. Although the use of acupuncture in the treatment of addiction is relatively new, there is a lot of information out there on the subject. But not too much! I was able to ‘connect some dots’ on my own and still speculate on the potential drawbacks of acupuncture in addiction treatment. I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed my topic. I found very interesting pieces of information which I will remember for the future.

I am glad that I chose this topic because it really changed the way I think about how Amazon will impact the online grocery industry. Through this EE, I got a chance to see how many difficulties Amazon may face in the future despite their dominating and powerful practices. During the writing process, I found out that one of my strengths would be critically analyzing and evaluating new information that I found. I was able to interlink it to other information I already recorded. One of the biggest challenges would be putting all the information together and making sure that the writing flows. This is because there were always new updates on Amazon’s acquisition, and it was difficult to stay focused on finding accurate data that links to the research question. If I were to plan the writing process of the EE again, I would work on my organizational skills during the research process. This is to ensure more time for the actual writing of the essay. However, the time spent on on-going research was helpful, enabling my writing process to be more smooth and well-connected. Moreover, consistently citing all the sources would be useful as it was challenging to organize all the sources I used, correctly.

My interest in the growth of Tesla and electric vehicles peaked during an in-class discussion, leading to extensive research and deeper understanding. I decided that exploring Tesla Inc would be the ideal way of strengthening my knowledge of Tesla’s plan of opening production in China. The strongest part of my essay is investigating different market trends in the Chinese markets and thus incorporating Business tools as a way of answering my research question. A notable weakness would be the lack of reliable data which proved hard to attain to support all the claims made. I overcame this by finding and triangulating relevant information that appeared in credible sources. Something that I learned in this process was the ability to write an intellectual report regarding a firm with the application of different tools. However, something that I would do differently is to use more research before going into a new topic. This would have helped me navigate the challenges of doing this essay. Finally, this question has helped open my mind on the electric vehicle market and the staggering growth it has achieved in different countries around the world in general and Tesla in particular.

Initially, my curiosity on this topic revolved around the preconceived idea that handedness can impact us in many ways. Through this process, I re-affirmed my understandings and also gained a knowledge base that I did not have before. If I was to do the research again, I would manage my time better and choose studies with stronger evidence. This is because certain studies were invalid with their over-weighing limitations. I believe that this learning experience has set me up for University as my research skills using academic databases have strengthened. My expectations before beginning my research were wild and I didn’t think it would be possible for me to successfully complete the essay. However, it was very rewarding when I finished considering the amount of research accomplished and I’m proud of this achievement. I would advise other students doing the EE in the future to manage their time and organize their information properly to avoid stressful situations.

In the initial stages of figuring out my extended essay topic, I decided on a topic that had to do with stress because I was eager to know ways I could reduce my own stress. I believe that the strongest part was critical thinking. This is because initially, I did not have any critical thinking, and after my draft, I realized it was something I would have to focus on. A weakness of my essay, was the conclusion because I had to find a way to link together a lot of information. I learned a lot about my question which was that there would not be one answer, instead, there would be several, but choosing when to apply coping mechanisms was the tricky part, as they seem to be dependent on the situation. The most rewarding part of the process for me was when I was finally happy with all the studies that I had. I knew that the studies I picked (from having 15), would give me a good argument. Throughout the process, I developed perseverance. There were times I didn’t think I could pull it off, but I worked hard. If I were to do something differently, this would be to put much more effort into my first draft, so that my final would be even better. Overall, this was a great learning experience and I was very glad about the end product.

I think a big part of my EE process was acquiring magazines from the UAE. It seemed so simple in the initial planning stages – call up my uncle and have two shipped. Unfortunately, it was really hard to find a men’s magazine written and published in the UAE that wasn’t focused on sports or business. I had to cut out the whole idea of working with men’s magazines and base my entire essay on women’s magazines. By the end, I was glad I narrowed it down: I was able to expand more on texts from the women’s magazines, rather than cramming in too much information. The high points of the research and writing process were definitely the beginning and end, for me. In the beginning, I had such big ideas and goals for my EE, but I had to cut out a lot of them because I just didn’t have access to the sources. Having to completely revise ideas was one of my low points because I felt like I would lose all my initial ideas in the revising process and have to go ahead with something less personally interesting and relevant. The next high point, however, was when I came close to the end of the process; I learned there was a way to keep some of my ideas and pick out the ones that I couldn’t actually do. By mixing them together with some fresh ideas, I think I came out with something just as interesting!

I’m very satisfied with my essay and the way I managed the process. The topic was very interesting and I learned about autism and Asperger’s syndrome, so I now have a better understanding of how the mind of people with these conditions works. I had some issues with regards to organizing my sources and all the information, which led me to miss one deadline that my supervisor set for me. I realized that already from the beginning I should have kept better track of my readings and better record references that support my argument. This definitely influenced my time management as well.