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Formal Presentation Essay Sample

The extended essay should be a formal academic paper between 3,000-4,000 words that investigates a focused research question. It must include key elements such as an abstract, table of contents, introduction stating the research question and thesis, body developing the argument, and conclusion reflecting on the research. Sources must be properly cited and referenced in a consistent academic style. The essay should have a clear structure and formal presentation with carefully edited content to effectively argue the thesis.

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Micheal
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218 views3 pages

Formal Presentation Essay Sample

The extended essay should be a formal academic paper between 3,000-4,000 words that investigates a focused research question. It must include key elements such as an abstract, table of contents, introduction stating the research question and thesis, body developing the argument, and conclusion reflecting on the research. Sources must be properly cited and referenced in a consistent academic style. The essay should have a clear structure and formal presentation with carefully edited content to effectively argue the thesis.

Uploaded by

Micheal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Extended Essay: Formal Presentation

The extended essay should be written in formal academic style appropriate to the subject. The essay
should be limited to 4,000 words maximum, which includes the introduction, the body, any quotations
and the conclusion, but does not include the abstract, contents page, bibliography, endnotes, annotated
illustrations, and any appendices.

Required elements:
• Title page
The title should provide a clear indication of the focus of the essay. Do not use your research
question or hypothesis as the title.

• Abstract
The abstract presents an overview of the research question, and should be written last. The
abstract should clearly state the research question, the scope of the investigation, and the
conclusion reached; it should not exceed 300 words.

• Contents page
A table of contents must be included at the beginning of the essay, and all pages numbered.

• Introduction
The introduction
indicates why the topic is interesting, significant and worthy of investigation
provides background information and places the topic in an appropriate context
clearly and precisely states the research question
a clear, succinct statement of the thesis and argument

• Body (Investigation)
The body of the essay is a systematic development of a reasoned argument in relation to the
research question. To put it more simply, the argument of the essay should be logical and
convincing. It should demonstrate very good knowledge and understanding of the topic, and it
should be apparent that an authoritative and relevant range of sources has been consulted, or that
appropriate data has been gathered. The essay should reveal that the method of investigation has
been well planned.

The structural conventions of the essay will vary with the subject. For example, sub-headings
may be required for scientific investigations, which usually have separate sections for method and
results. In other subjects, however, sub-headings should be avoided because they disrupt the flow
and unity of the essay.
• Conclusion
The conclusion is clearly stated, relevant to the research question and substantiated by the
evidence presented in the essay. It should indicate any unresolved issues or new questions that
have emerged from the research.

• References and bibliography


The extended essay must reflect intellectual honesty in research practices. Students must
accurately cite their sources using consistently applied documentation in an acceptable academic
style. Failure to document sources will be viewed as plagiarism and treated as a case of
malpractice.

• Appendices
Appendices, footnotes and endnotes are not an essential section of the extended essay and
examiners are not required to read them. Care should be taken to include all information of direct
relevance to the analysis and argument in the main part of the essay. Unless considered essential,
complete lists of raw data should not be included in the extended essay.

Formal Presentation (General Assessment criterion I)


The layout, organization, appearance and formal elements of the essay should follow a consistent format.
The formal elements include: title page, table of contents, page numbers, illustrative material, quotations,
documentation (references, citations, bibliography), and appendices (if used).

In regard to illustrations, presentation and overall neatness are important. If graphs, diagrams, charts,
tables, maps and the like are included, they must be well-labeled and easily interpreted. All such material
must be directly related to the text, and acknowledged where appropriate.
“Reflections of an extended essay examiner”
Hugh Robertson

Body and development:


“…sole function (of the body) is the development and substantiation of the thesis or argument. Eliminate
all irrelevant descriptive, narrative, biographical and anecdotal details.”

Conclusion
“Remember that last impressions are lasting impressions. The conclusion pulls the essay together and
sums up the major points that shaped the thesis.”

Quotations
“Use quotations judiciously and integrate them smoothly into the text of the essay. They are frequently
used` to excess and parachuted into the essay as space fillers.”

Style
“Write your essay in a style that is clear and smooth and in a tone that is formal and scholarly. Precise,
articulate expression has persuasive power.”

Subheadings/chapters
“Longer essays in certain subjects, like the sciences, might require section headings. However, headings
can fragment the flow of the argument. Effective paragraphing will often eliminate the need for
subheadings and chapters.”

Documentation
“Whether you are citing a quotation, an idea, an illustration or Internet information, you must document
the source. Ensure that you use a major documentation style that is pertinent to the subject from which
your topic is drawn.”

Length
“The most successful essays are in the 3,000 – 3,500 word range. Prune and cut your rough draft as you
revise and edit so that your final copy is a crisp, clear, and cogent piece of writing. Remember that words
should be weighed, not counted.”

Formal presentation
“Proofread your essay meticulously from title page to bibliography. Use computer technology to enhance
the layout. An error-free and attractively laid out essay will have a positive effect on the examiner.”

Appendix
“All material placed in the appendix must be directly relevant to your thesis. This material must be cross-
referenced to the development of the thesis.”

Technology
“Evaluate and filter Internet information with caution. Mindlessly downloading data and pasting it into
the essay format does not constitute critical thinking and may be plagiarism.”

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