Choosing a Global Politics Extended Essay Research Question
Choosing your EE Research Question in Global Politics can be particularly challenging. This article will tell you how.
The GP guide says that you are to “deeply analyze an important, contemporary global political issue.” If you aren’t sure what is considered a political issue in Global Politics, this page makes it really simple to understand what a political issue is (and what to do with one).
The 3 Tests of a Good Global Politics EE Research Question
Test 1: Is it Contemporary?
One rule you need to remember for Global Politics is that your issue needs to be contemporary means it is something that happens during your lifetime (so during the past 18 years). It also can’t be the same political issue that you’ve used for another assessment component (i.e. the EA or an extension presentation). .
Test 2: Can you be more specific?
Keep focused on a tightly defined question. Not broad. The most common feedback I give to my students (and those I help online) is that you want to tighten your question. For example, make it about more of a specific case or more of a specific time-period. Obviously it is possible to make it too specific (i.e. so not enough data is available). We’ll explore how to handle this challenge in more depth online.
Test 3: How can you explore this?
We’ve seen before (i.e. with the 7 Areas) that GP is different from other Group 3 courses. Here again, there’s an important difference. In Business or Economics certain topics just ARE clearly appropriate topics. As a Business and Econ teacher I can tell students almost right away whether their topic will work. For GP quite a range of possible topics can be workable. What matters is HOW you are going to explore it. If you can explore it using the 7 Areas for Global Politics and it’s contemporary you’re
Here are some RQ examples
Students can explore quite a big variety of types of questions for their Global Politics EE. Here are some explanations of what topics you would explore, with example questions for each:
How media portrayals can differ from government information
- For example: “A comparison of how the Hong Kong protests of late 2014 were portrayed in the official media in Singapore versus the reporting undertaken by NGOs X, Y and Z active in Singapore” (Example from the GP Guide).
How the success of a political party in one country can influence outcomes in another country.
- For example: “The influence of the election success of Syriza in Greece on the campaign and outcomes of the 2015 parliamentary election in Spain” (Example from the GP Guide).
How particular groups or individuals have struggled for political power.
- “An evaluation of the ability of Mexican migrants to achieve a political voice in county X in Arizona” (Example from the GP Guide).
Political trends in a particular country.
- “To what extent should we be worried about the use of “big data” in election campaigns? The case of the Obama 2012 campaign.” (Example from the GP Guide).
A comparison of global political trends have had different effects in two countries.
- “To what extent are the ideological and practical forces that drive urbanization global instead of nation-specific? A comparison of the political rhetoric, government policies and impact of global forces in driving migration from rural areas into cities in Australia and Indonesia.” (Example from the GP Guide).
How a single crisis has affected political relations between two countries.
- To what extent is the evolution in the Russia–China relationship during and after the 2014– 15 Ukraine crisis evidence that a realist view on international politics still has applicability?” (Example from the GP Guide).
There are a few more tests
All of the above questions would be potentially-acceptable EE research questions.
However, there are a few reasons that they still might not work for you. You can talk your RQ ideas through with me here (IBMastery Coaching) or you can access my online Global Politics Mastery Resources to better understand what EE question would be a best fit for you.
Written by Tim Woods
Tim’s passion for supporting students led to him creating IBMastery in 2009. Since then he’s helped many thousands of IB students and teachers around the world. Tim is now available for personal tutoring every day, to help you get your best possible marks in IB. Click here to work with him.
Recent Posts
"This course has been excellent and of so much help to me.” - Kanika V. (India)
"This saved my life. 10/10
-Harold L (Hong Kong)
"Thanks a ton! I have used this article to guide me for my last 2 IA's and when I was assigned my 3rd and final Econ IA, the first thing I did once I got my Econ article, was open this page. Much appreciation from Pearson College UWC!
-Keegen Payne (Victoria, British Columbia)
"I actually just wanted to let you know that you have been a very big help for me in TOK and Economics. With your effort to publish all this information and advice to IB students, you're really making a difference!"
-Anne-Sophie T. @ UWC Maastricht (The Netherlands)
"I want to thank you for the resources that have been provided. As a result, I got an A for EE in business after following the steps written in this website, including the help from my supervisor of course. I would recommend the current IB students to read the resources in your web, in order to obtain more insights. Thank you once again, sir!"
-Cynthia @ Universitas Kristen Petra (Surabaya, Indonesia)
"I'm an IB student who has been lost until I found this website! This has the best advice on the web and I'm definitely recommending it to all my fellow IBers back at school. Definitely wish you were my economics teacher! Thank you so much for taking time to write these guides. You have truly saved my IB life!"
-Cat (UK)
"WOW! Thank you already for helping me. So many great posts about IB and how to be effective. So awesome. I will defiantly spend more time here and hopefully learn a lot. I just wanted to let you know how great and helpful your website is :)"
-Nea @ HF-kursus og IB World School (Denmark)
"Thank you so much Mr Woods. The Economics exam will start in 4 hours and I think I am ready for it!"
-Thao @ Auckland International College (New Zealand)
"Your website is amazing! I got two level 7's in my last IAs with the help of your site. Thank you, all the way from UWCSA"
-Nicolette Sauramba @ Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (Swaziland)
"@adnamaweit Every self-motivated IB student knows @timwoods..."
-Amanda Tiew @ Campaka Schools (Malaysia)
"Just want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for this website and all the effort you've channelled into helping others with your knowledge and skills. I've found it extremely helpful and I cannot thank you enough!"
-Hachi @ Anglo-Chinese School (International) School (Singapore)
"Just wanted to send you a note of appreciation for the great and selfless contribution you have made. You must have already made a difference to so many lives and achieved the real purpose of our lives. "
-Hina Nihal @ Jeddah Knowledge International School (Saudi Arabia)
"Thank you so much Mr. Woods. I find it absolutely incredible that you take the time to answer students and write your posts. Just today I was talking with another friend of mine who, I just found out, also happens to be following your blog."
-Alyson @ EF Academy (New York)
"I just wanted to say that I got a 6 on my SL economics exam last year, and I strongly believe that was because of all the help I got from this website on commentaries. A big thank you from Dallas, TX."-Tashi
"Dear Mr. Woods, thank you so much for your structure for TOK essays. It's really helped me develop a clear idea of what to do when I was absolutely clueless before! Definitely recommending to all my peers."
-Justine @ Tunas Muda International School (Jakarta)
"This page is awesome. Thank you very much for your help in my IA. You saved my life. Argentina wishes the best for you. Gracias!"
-Carlos (Argentina)
"Thank you for this piece of gold! I was about to give up on my TOK when I saw this page! Now I know I can deal with the IB and TOK in particular! Greetings from PERU!"
-Mateo (Peru)
"Thank you so much for all of this voluntary support. I'm taking an online economics HL course and it becomes quite difficult at times to find assistance. You're a life saver!."
-Theone (Bangkok, Thailand),
"Hello, I just wanted to say thank you for writing these guides. They have been extremely helpful for me, I was just about to panic and give up on my IA and now I am actually really proud of it."
-Sofie Lind
"Dear Mr. Woods, your initiative is highly appreciated and needless to say, the resources on this website are helping thousands of students tremendously. As for me, I thank you sincerely for your notes on IB Economics, the Extended Essay and for Theory of Knowledge. Hats off! Nothing better than spreading wisdom! Congratulations!"
-Anonymous
"Everyone at my school in Mexico uses your Structure for TOK essays. I've used it on all of mine and I've never gotten lower than an A-. I just wanted to thank you for being a lifesaver."
-Maria @ Greengates School (Mexico City)
"How to structure an Economics Internal Assessment is amazing. Absolutely great. It is such a great help to have word counts of different sections and a detailed description on how to score high marks. Thank you so much."
-"Desperate Student"
"Just wanted to say, as a fellow Economics & Business teacher of IB, I love your site. So plain, simple but so effective. My students in Barcelona love it too and it makes my job easier. Keep up the good work, and thank you once again. Really good and inspirational information on your site!"
-Faraz Mirza @ International School of Amsterdam
"Thank you! This is tremendously helpful. I am writing three IAs tonight. Unsure as to what I would do without these posts these posts as a guide. Thanks again."
-"Procrastinator"
"I am an IB student from India and I am very very thankful to you for these sites. My extended essay, TOK essay and business IA are the result of your articles and ideas. Your site gave my extended essay a plan on how to go about it and made the journey simpler. The article how to score full marks in the business IA was really helpful as it gave me a plan and coming into TOK I was able to build my ideas in structured pattern.
-Srikanth Reddy @ Sreenidhi International School (Hyderabad, India)
"I was looking about to get some support material for my son’s TOK and EE today and your pages have been great. They are easy to follow and digest. My son was very grateful. Your blog has been a fabulous resource! Keep up the great work!"
-Karen (Doha, Qatar)
"Just wanted to write you a quick thank you note for putting up such a great revision website! It is honestly one of the best I have encountered online for IB Economics revision. If I was at OFS it would be a pleasure to have you as my Econs teacher!"
-Avi @ United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), Singapore
"Your Economics IA slideshow really helped me understand what assessors were looking for, and how I could easily avoid loosing marks (word count etc). I really appreciate the time that you have spent to help students like me."
-Anonymous Student @ IBS of Provence (France)
“I teach ToK in Midvale, UT and LOVE your site. The students have really struggled with the essay writing process and your site structures it better than anything else I've ever received. Thanks”
-S. Allen (Utah, USA)
“i am an IB student here in India, and i was demotivated with regards to the workload this course has dished out to us every week. but i went through this website, and all of a sudden there's been a change of heart. thank you for posting such beautiful stuff that i can relate to.”
-Adi C.
“Your site is amazing!! Thank you so much! I am a senior in IB economics and thanks to you did very well in my IA! Just thought I had to let you know.”
-Pamela A.
"woooooooooooooow How to Write Successful College Application Essays has opened my eyes like so wide. thanx tim woods i sure will apply all these tips"
-Julie H.