🏛️ Ultimate Guide to Acing Your History Extended Essay (EE)

The History EE can feel like an intimidating 4,000-word mountain — but with the right strategy and structure, you can not only reach the summit, but actually enjoy the climb. This guide walks you through everything you need to know: from picking the right question to building a powerful argument, all while satisfying the IB criteria.

Let’s turn your curiosity into a polished piece of historical scholarship. Let’s go! 💪

📚 What Is the History EE All About?

Your EE is a 4,000-word academic essay where you investigate a focused historical question of your choice. Unlike the IA, the EE emphasizes your research process, source evaluation, and development of a strong argument grounded in historical thinking.

Your goals:

  • Explore a focused question rooted in the human past (10+ years ago)
  • Use both primary and secondary sources
  • Engage in critical analysis
  • Present a clearly structured, well-supported argument
  • Reflect on the research journey in your RPPF (Researcher’s Planning and Progress Form)

✅ Word Limit: Max 4,000 words (excluding footnotes, bibliography, and visuals)

✅ Assessment Criteria:

  1. A. Focus and Method (6)
  2. B. Knowledge and Understanding (6)
  3. C. Critical Thinking (12)
  4. D. Presentation (4)
  5. E. Engagement (6)

🔍 Step 1: Choosing Your Topic & Research Question (Criterion A)

Your topic should be:

  • Focused and clearly historical (i.e., not current events or general social science)
  • At least 10 years in the past
  • Narrow enough to analyze in detail within 4,000 words
  • Rich in primary and secondary source material

🎯 Great Research Questions:

  • "To what extent did external forces contribute to the 1973 overthrow of Salvador Allende in Chile?"
  • "How significant was Mao’s use of propaganda in consolidating power between 1949 and 1956?"
  • "How far did the 1919 Treaty of Versailles contribute to the outbreak of WWII?"

🚫 Avoid Broad/Vague Questions:

  • "Was World War II bad for Germany?"
  • "How did Hitler rise to power?"

💡 Make it Analytical, Not Descriptive: Use phrasing like:

  • "To what extent..."
  • "How significant was..."
  • "How successful was..."

🧱 Step 2: Structure and Planning (Criteria A & D)

Your EE should follow this structure:

  1. Introduction

    • Introduce your research question
    • Give historical context
    • Justify the relevance of your topic
    • Explain your method and scope
    • State your argument or thesis clearly

    ✅ Strong Opening:

    "This essay investigates the extent to which Cold War tensions influenced the outcome of the 1948 Italian election. This topic is of historical significance as it marks a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and European political alignment."

  2. Main Body (The Argument)

    Organize this section thematically, not just chronologically. Each section should:

    • Begin with a clear topic sentence
    • Provide relevant evidence from primary and secondary sources
    • Include analysis and interpretation
    • Evaluate the value and limitations of sources in context
    • Consider alternative perspectives

    📌 Examples of Thematic Sections:

    • Propaganda and public opinion
    • Economic pressure or aid
    • Role of foreign intelligence services

    ✅ Tip: Integrate historiography. Show how historians disagree, and why.

  3. Conclusion

    • Revisit your research question
    • Sum up your findings
    • State your final judgement
    • Acknowledge limitations or areas for further study

    🚫 Avoid introducing new arguments here!

📈 Step 3: Using and Evaluating Sources (Criteria B & C)

Your EE should be research-driven. That means more than just Googling articles. It means:

✅ Using Both Primary & Secondary Sources

  • Primary: Official documents, speeches, letters, newspaper articles, propaganda posters, interviews
  • Secondary: Books, academic articles, documentaries, historian interpretations

✅ Evaluating Sources In-Text (NOT in a separate OPCVL-style section):

"While Source A, written by a British diplomat in 1948, offers insight into Western perceptions, its limitation lies in its potential bias against the Italian left."

🧠 Critical Thinking in Action:

  • Compare and contrast interpretations
  • Weigh competing causes
  • Assess source reliability, bias, and perspective

🧠 Step 4: Writing with Analysis and Judgment (Criterion C)

This is where most marks are won or lost. Your EE should:

  • Present a clear line of argument throughout
  • Support claims with specific, well-explained evidence
  • Engage deeply with your sources
  • Acknowledge alternative views and explain why you agree/disagree

🚨 Weak EE: Lists facts without connecting them to the research question.

✅ Strong EE: Explains why facts matter and what they reveal about the topic.

🛠️ Useful Phrases for Analysis:

  • "This suggests that..."
  • "This challenges the assumption that..."
  • "However, historian X argues..., which reveals..."

🎨 Step 5: Formatting and Referencing (Criterion D)

✅ Title page, table of contents, page numbers ✅ In-text citations + full bibliography (MLA, APA, Chicago — be consistent!) ✅ Visuals only if they enhance your analysis (charts, maps, photos) ✅ Keep within 4,000 words

🧼 Presentation = clarity and professionalism. Sloppy formatting = lost marks.

✍️ Step 6: RPPF and Engagement (Criterion E)

This is your Researcher’s Planning and Progress Form. It includes 3 written reflections:

  • Initial ideas: Why did you choose this topic? What do you hope to find out?
  • Middle stage: What challenges are you facing? How are you adapting?
  • Final reflection: What did you learn about doing historical research?

✅ Be authentic! Examiners want to see personal growth, decision-making, and problem-solving.

🚫 Avoid generic responses like "I learned that history is complicated."

✅ Strong Example:

"Initially, I believed U.S. involvement in the Italian election was marginal, but deeper research into declassified CIA documents challenged this assumption and reshaped my entire argument."

💡 Expert Tips to Maximize Your Mark

  • 🧠 Focus your essay on analysis, not narration
  • 🔎 Integrate historiography where relevant
  • 📑 Evaluate sources as part of your argument, not in isolation
  • 📚 Use a mix of credible academic books, journal articles, and primary documents
  • 🎯 Stick to your research question throughout
  • 📝 Edit multiple times for flow, clarity, and logic

🚀 Final Thoughts

The History EE is your chance to think like a historian: not just to explain what happened, but to question how and why. Choose a topic you care about, build your skills step-by-step, and don’t be afraid to challenge existing interpretations. Your curiosity and critical thinking are your superpowers.

You've got this! 📜✨