Academic Research Booklet

Academic Research

Crafting an essay question

Narrowing down a broad topic into a viable essay or dissertation question can feel daunting but using the formula below could help a lot.

Start with your TOPIC and consider what VARIABLES impact on said topic, add in a SPECIFIC factor and you’ll quickly find yourself with a viable essay question – or at the very least a decent starting point to discuss with your supervisor.

For example:

SUBJECT

MEDICINE

TOPIC

WOMEN’S MEDICINE

VARIABLE

GROUP: ETHNICITY AND/ OR AGE RANGE

VARIABLE

OUTCOME: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

SPECIFIC

MEDICAL CONDITION: ENDOMETRIOSIS

SPECIFIC

LOCATION: NORTH AMERICA

Question: To what extent does ethnicity affect the timeline of diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis in women between the ages of 18-45 in North America?

Example essay questions To what extent does VARIABLE impact TOPIC according to SPECIFIC place/ location/ company/ sector/ person, author etc.

To what extent does the effect of climate change impact the economy of South Africa ? How far was the Christian Democrat victory in the Italian elections of 1948 influenced by Cold War tensions ? To what extent was poor leadership the reason for the defeat of the Ottoman armies at the gates of Vienna in 1683 ? To what extent is wireless networking a feasible alternative to cabled networking within a whole-city context of San Francisco ? To what extent has Zoonation’s interpretive dance successfully transformed the characterization of the White Rabbit and the Red Queen in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to explore mental illness ? To what extent does geography influence the use of French idiomatic expressions ? How is Flaubert’s portrayal of Emma in Madame Bovary delivered and affected by the costuming in the film version by Claude Chabrol (1991) ? Can the physical and chemical properties of the undiscovered elements be predicted using the law of periodicity ? How does the exponential function, and its calculus , inform areas of science such as nuclear physics, geology, anthropology or demography ? To what extent would a 10% decrease in honeybees change the output of crops grown in the UK ? To what extent do energy drinks affect recovery rates in middle-distance runners ? To what extent does wisdom imply acting in accordance with the order of nature , according to the Tao Te Ching ?

Planning your research Carefully planning your research will help you both save time and stay organised throughout your project. Not only is it a good idea to think carefully about the questions you need to answer and the sources you need to look at, but you will also need to think about how long you have to get things done. Creating a timeline for completion is incredibly important as project end dates which are over a term away can make it feel like you have all the time in the world, but in reality you have that long because there is a lot to do. Breaking down the tasks early on is essential. Top Tip: use your diary to work back from your deadline and set yourself goals per lesson, week, cycle and per half term. Methodology As you research, you’ll need to make deliberate decisions about which sources to focus on. These decisions form your methodology —your approach to research—which in an EE should be written about in your essay introduction and reflections, or if doing an EPQ your methodology will be covered in further detail in the literature review and your project log. Note: If you're writing a science-based essay, use the term "approach to research" in the introduction. You may also need a separate methodology section to describe your experiment or data collection—check this with your supervisor. If your essay includes a literature review, you don’t need to include your methodology in the introduction, as the literature review will cover your research approach in more detail.

Click here to jump to methodology guidance.

Click here to jump to literature review guidance.

Planning research can feel daunting at the outset however it can be as simple as devising a timeline for completion and asking yourself:

‘What do I already know?’ and ‘Based on what I already know, what do I need to find out?’ To create a timeline for completion start with any deadlines you have been given such as your final hand-in date and work backwards to determine what you need to do and by when to stay on track. The best plans will be detailed (probably even more so than the one on the right below!).

Research potential topics using Wikipedia and simple Google searches

Finalise essay question

Weeks 1&2

Finalise topic and propose question

Week 3

Plan research: write out questions I need answers to and consider where to find the information

Begin research

Week 4

Start reading the author biography

Weeks 4&5

Start writing

Look up definitions of terminology used and key events or people

Week 5

Search for and read articles and essays on my topic

Week 6

Finish writing

Look for book reviews and critiques of the book and the performance

Week 7

Review notes and questions I still need to explore, adapt plan

Complete bibliography

Week 8

Review notes, specifically, make links between sources explored so far and then consider questions I still need to explore.

Week 9

Hand in essay!

Make a basic essay plan and identify what information I still need

Week 10

Research to fill in the gaps in my knowledge

Week 10&11

Review notes and develop essay plan

Week 12

Writing out a series of questions you need answers to is an excellent way

Notice how this is not yet a question, at the early stages it’s normal to have a focus or topic but to not have succinctly worded your question.

Focus: Alice’s Adventures i explore mental health issues

Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Based on what I know now, what do I need to find out next?

Author b

Author m

What did the author say about the book?

Letters and essays w

What is the authors personal story?

Reviews on book wr public

What have other people said about the story?

Essays written a

What are some specific moments in the book which point to mental health issues?

Critical analyse

Video and written inte company and

The book was written before mental health issues were openly discussed; how definitively can we therefore say there is a link?

Dance comp

Were there any defining moments in the authors life which influenced the writing of the novel?

Reviews of the

Journal articles/ essay mental

To answer these questions and explore the topic fully a range of sources will need to be consulted.

Definitions and interpr terminology used; men colour theory, stag

to start planning and develop your methodology (approach to research).

Consider your topic, what is a logical starting point? What do you need to know first? In this case, the pupil needs to read the book and watch the performance.

in Wonderland adapted to s through interpretive dance

Performance: dance adaptation (video)

Based on what I know now, what do I need to find out next?

iography

memoir

How are mental health issues portrayed through the dance?

written by the author

ritten at the time of cation

What is the dance company background/ history/mission statement?

about the books

What was the directors motivation and vision?

es of the book

What have other people said about the performance (critiques, reviews etc.)?

erviews with the dance d/ or director

Who else has made the link between the book characters and mental health?

pany website

e performance

How are mental health issues defined?

ys linking the book to health

The proposed sources in the middle column cover books, websites, journal articles, interviews and videos giving a well-rounded overview of the topic.

retations of words and ntal health conditions, ing and movement

Books Start with the school library catalogue, Access-IT. Log in using the Microsoft 365 option to create reading lists, view your current and past loans, and reserve books. If a book you need isn’t in the library, email Ms Eldred (eldreds@stedwardsoxford.org), or visit her in person in the library. Effective use of time You don’t need to read the whole book! Start with the blurb (on the back or inside cover) or the summary on Access-IT. Read the contents page and note any relevant chapters. Use the index to scan for keywords and go straight to those pages. Read around the relevant sections, then decide whether to keep or discard the book based on its usefulness. Credible sources Credible sources are materials that are trustworthy, accurate, and written by experts in the field. These typically include academic books, peer-reviewed journal articles, reputable news organisations, and official websites such as those ending in .gov, .edu, or .ac.uk. Credible sources are well-researched, clearly referenced, and published by recognised institutions or professionals. One Search Accessit's One Search function helps you find credible sources—like books, articles, and trusted websites—all in one place. It saves time and makes it easier to find reliable information for your research. Click here for more on One Search.

Journal articles Journal articles—written by academics and researchers—are credible sources and should be central to your research. Find via One Search on Access-IT or click here to view all databases provided by the library.

Key Resources: JSTOR: Over 2 million academic articles—an excellent place to start.

Google Scholar: Searches scholarly material and supports Boolean operators to refine results. Articles sometimes hidden behind paywalls, email Ms Eldred if you cannot access an article. ResearchGate: Offers millions of articles (some require a request). Access it via the school library pages to avoid needing an account—email the Ms Eldred with the title if you’d like help requesting an article.

Effective use of time Journal articles often contain dense information therefore make the best use of your time by only reading those that are truly relevant to your research. Read the abstract or first and last paragraphs first. Use CTRL+F (Windows) or CMD+F (Mac) to find keywords. Read around those keywords to ensure you understand the context before deciding whether to read in full. ⚠️ Be cautious: using keyword searches or indexes can help you scan quickly, but may lead to information being taken out of context. Always read around key points to understand their meaning properly.

Getting specific Boolean search terms are words and symbols which you can use in combination with your key words to create ‘word equations’ to narrow down your results when searching in databases and search engines such as Google and JSTOR. Operator Works On Function Example Notes

Finds results containing both terms Finds results containing either term Excludes results with the second term Excludes subtracted words Considers just the words in the brackets Searches for exact phrases Stands in for unknown words Finds words close together (meaning they are likely related) Limits search to a specific website Finds articles with the keyword in the title Filters for a specific file format

JSTOR, Google

women AND education

Google assumes AND by default between words

AND

JSTOR, Google

suffrage OR voting rights

Use for synonyms or related terms

OR

education NOT university

Google uses - instead, see next

NOT

JSTOR

education -university

Use no space between - and word Use when combining with other operators to make word equations Great for proper names or key phrases For thinking outside the box!

- (minus)

Google

(UK OR United Kingdom)

(brackets)

Google

JSTOR, Google

"" (quotes)

“women's rights”

* (wildcard)

Google

British * in 1920s

women NEAR/10 education

Use 5, 10, or 25 for best results

NEAR/

JSTOR

suffrage site:jstor.org

Good for narrowing results

site:

Google

intitle:"empress Cixi"

Helps find more targeted sources

intitle:

Google

Useful for finding downloadable documents

civil war filetype:pdf

filetype:

Google

Getting around academic paywalls You’ve found the perfect article—then hit a paywall! Don’t worry, there are ways around it: Email the link to Ms Eldred —if she can access it elsewhere, she’ll send it to you. Read the abstract —it summarises the main findings and can help guide your research by giving suggestions of further avenues of research and mentioning other researchers or studies which you can then find yourself. Check the bibliography —you can follow the author’s sources to find similar material that is accessible. Search the author —many researchers post free versions of their work on personal sites or link to interviews, reviews, or related resources. Use ResearchGate —millions of academic articles are free to read. If access is restricted, Ms Eldred can request it for you.

Academic Honesty Plagiarism is using someone else’s work without acknowledging it.

It can be intentional—like copying from a website and claiming it as your own—or unintentional, such as forgetting you copied something. Examiners can't tell the difference, so accidental plagiarism is treated the same as deliberate cheating. Plagiarism can have serious consequences, including losing your qualifications or being barred from future courses with the same governing body. When writing your essay, it’s important to use others’ work to support your ideas. To avoid plagiarism, you must cite your sources using references and a bibliography (see pages 29–34). Using AI AI may one day be acceptable in academic work—but that time hasn’t come yet. Using tools like ChatGPT or CaktusAI to write your essay is not allowed. If you’re caught, your work will be invalid, and you’ll receive a failing grade. These tools often cite sources incorrectly—or invent them entirely. AI-generated work can also be reliably detected by plagiarism checkers. It’s simply not worth the risk!

Adding sections and subsections Formal academic work should be broken up into sections highlighted by section titles. Optional: within each section you may want to include further sub-sections. Section titles: Highlight the section title ⟶ Home tab ⟶ ⟶ Styles ⟶ ⟶ Choose Heading 1 Subsection titles: Important! Sections DO NOT start on new pages, they run on from each other with a simple line space in between.

Highlight the subsection title ⟶ In the Home tab select Styles ⟶ ⟶ Choose Heading 2

Adding a bibliography This can only be done once you have created your references. The bibliography starts on a new page at the end of your essay References tab

⟶ Bibliography drop-down ⟶ ⟶ Choose the first option

If you add or make changes to your references: Click on the Bibliography list ⟶ Click the Update Citations and Bibliography option

When to use

Example Sentence Starters

This essay set out to explore... The central question of this investigation was... The purpose of this research was to determine whether... Throughout the essay, it has been demonstrated... Evidence suggests... The main arguments presented have shown... In answer to the question, To what extent ... In response to the essay question, the findings suggest the extent to which... It can therefore be concluded... In response to the question posed, this essay finds... The findings indicate... These findings are significant because... This has wider implications for... The topic remains important in current debates around... While this essay offers insight into..., there are limitations to... Further research could explore... Due to limited scope, this essay did not... Ultimately, this essay highlights the importance of... In conclusion, understanding [topic] is vital because... This analysis contributes to ongoing conversations about...

Restating the research question or aim

Summarising your key findings/arguments

Answering the question clearly and directly

Reflecting on implications or significance

Acknowledging limitations or further questions

Ending with a thoughtful final statement

How to quote Notice how the wording changes in the following examples yet the same information is given. Regardless of how the information is written all three examples still have a citation. Original quote (a direct quote): “Pandas are often seen eating in a relaxed sitting posture, with their hind legs stretched out before them. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers.” (National Geographic, 2020). Reduced quote with added words: Though “Pandas are often seen eating in a relaxed sitting posture… [and] may appear sedentary… they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers.” (National Geographic, 2020). Quote completely reworded (an indirect quote) : For a lot of the time pandas often sit in a relaxed posture where they stretch their legs out in front of them, they are very good at climbing trees and swimming even though they seem to spend most of the time not doing very much (National Geographic, 2020). When should you cite your sources? If the information is a fact. If the information is something you didn’t already know. If you are quoting someone. If you copy and paste or copy and reword information. Use ellipses… to show words have been removed and [square brackets] to show words have been added.

A quick reminder on how to reference using Word

Remember: drop in to see Ms Eldred in the Library if you get stuck!

Descriptive vs. reflective writing

Avoid writing descriptively by ensuring every sentence discusses skills learnt or being developed, a challenge anticipated/ overcome or solutions/ proposed solutions to those challenges.

Consider the exemplars and analysis on the following pages which were written by previous Teddies IB pupils for their EE. The ‘Descriptive writing’ pupil received a total of 1 out of 6 points for their reflections, the ‘Reflective writing’ pupil received 6 out of 6 points. If doing an EPQ , you should be writing reflectively in your project log and evaluation, if doing an EE you will write 3 reflections throughout the process, in both cases your ability to reflect on your progress will be marked. X Descriptive writing On the 19th of May I had my first Reflection meeting with my supervisor. So far I have read and made comprehensive notes on 5 different historical secondary sources. We also discussed a research plan for half term. Over Half term, I will read the rest of the sources my supervisor put on the shared space, which will make my bibliography 12 sources long, I will find 2 different primary sources, at the moment I will investigate Garibaldi’s “My Life” and the different manifestos Mazzini’s secret societies published. I will also do brief source analysis on these primary sources. I have narrowed my research question as I will either, look at it from the perspective of Garibaldi being the most important factor (which is the consensus amongst most historians) or look at it from the perspective of Count Cavour, and his diplomatic work. (144 words)