General
assessment criteria A, C and D refer to inappropriate research questions,
which fall
into
two main types.
There
are some research questions which are too broad in scope to be
dealt
with effectively, on more than a superficial descriptive level, within
the limits of an
extended
essay. Many examples of such research questions are given in the subject
guidelines.
Such research questions will not achieve greater than level 1 on criterion
A, and
may
well fail to successfully address some of the other general and subject
assessment
criteria.
The
other category of inappropriate research question involves those studies
which are too
simplistic,
too limited in scope or too speculative, providing either an easily accomplished
or
insignificant
outcome, or a self-evident outcome which should have been predicted in
advance.
Such extended essays will be awarded a level 0 on criterion A and, because
they can
in
theory satisfy the requirements of criteria C and D with some ease, they
will be restricted
to
a maximum of level 2 in both these cases.
Examples
of the second category of research question, which are defined as not lending
themselves
to systematic investigation in the context of an extended essay, are:
Biology How
is photosynthesis affected by the absence of light?
Biology What
causes genetic diseases?
Classical
languages The frequency of the
ablative absolute construction in
Computer
science How to buy a CD using the Internet.
Environmental
systems The annual net productivity
of a pet gerbil.
Geography The
potato – areas of cultivation and the uses of the
potato.
Geography Does
History Why
did the Emperor Claudius have a limp?
History Would
the native people of
frontier
wars if they had first invented firearms?
History Tracing
human evolution in the Rift Valley in
extraterrestrial
origins.
Mathematics The
duodecimal system.
Social
anthropology Is it possible to analyse
the culture of San X apart from
by
its sculpture? (when it is soon apparent that
nothing
else
is known about the culture except the sculptures
from
this pre-Columbian archeological site)
Theatre
arts An investigation into whether
stage lighting has an effect.
It
is important to note that judgement on the
suitability of the above research questions could
not
be made on the basis of the title alone. Some research questions which
appear trivial from
the
title may be given a sophisticated treatment and produce worthy findings.
Thus, although
the
title of the extended essay may act as a guide, decisions about the awarding
of criteria
levels
in regard to this matter can only be made on the basis of the whole essay.