Extended+Essay

 **Extended Essay** Information technology in a global society (ITGS) is concerned with how information technology (IT)  systems affect people. All IT systems do affect people—this is why they were devised in the first place.  Most IT systems are designed to bring some economic or quality-of-life benefit to people. Most also affect  the way that people work. It is also true that IT systems can have deleterious effects on people’s  lives—usually, but not always, unintentionally produced. An ITGS extended essay should examine how  an IT system or systems has affected people in positive and/or negative ways, with particular reference  to the underlying technology.  An extended essay in ITGS offers an opportunity to undertake research into an IT-related topic in an area  of personal interest to the student. It gives students a framework to develop research skills, to develop  their technical understanding of IT, and to relate an IT system in the real world to its effects on individuals,  organizations and society in general.
 * ||    <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">TEMPLATE FOR EE:

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The choice of topic may result from a news story, issues brought up in class discussion or a personal <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> interest. The topic must be firmly focused on an issue that has IT at its core. A topic that concentrates on <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> another discipline but which has an IT angle is not suitable for the development of an ITGS extended <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> essay.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">Choice of topic **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">IT provides a rich field for the choice of an extended essay because of its extremely rapid development. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> We are living through an information revolution that is so far-reaching that unprecedented moral and <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ethical issues are emerging. This gives the ITGS extended essay student much opportunity to be original <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and innovative in approach—qualities that can enhance and enrich an extended essay in ways that few <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> other subject areas can match. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Much of the evidence quoted will inevitably be obtained from Internet sources, but essays should also <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> include other sources, such as books, newspapers and magazines, as well as primary evidence collected <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> by the student. Students should be aware of the pitfalls in relying on unsubstantiated material, from <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> whatever source, when undertaking their research. The essay should, therefore, include some critical <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> analysis of the evidence.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Students writing an ITGS extended essay must be capable of demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">some aspect of IT. It is expected that IT terminology is used accurately in order to describe the system or **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">systems under investigation, and that a level of expertise is shown that goes well beyond general **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">knowledge. **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> In choosing their topic, students are strongly advised to concentrate on developing a research question, <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> carrying out relevant research, and applying IT theory, tools and techniques. It is important that the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> research question is sufficiently focused to allow adequate treatment within the word limit. Topics that <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> depend entirely on summarizing general secondary data should be avoided, as they are likely to lead to <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> an essay that is essentially narrative or descriptive in nature. However, the effective use of relevant <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> secondary data to support primary data in answering the research question will be fully rewarded by the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> examiner. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Students are encouraged to research a current issue. A successful essay will concentrate on one issue, <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> but the issue should be significant enough to provide a wide variety of suitable evidence. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The following examples of titles for ITGS extended essays are intended as guidance only. The pairings <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> illustrate that focused topics (indicated by the first title) should be encouraged rather than broad topics <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (indicated by the second title). <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · “An investigation into the ways in which IT can assist patients with motor-nerve damage” is better <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> than “IT and physical disabilities”. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · “Flight simulators as a means of training pilots to deal with wake turbulence” is better than “Virtual <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> reality systems”. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · “Measures that can be taken to protect the transmission of banking information” is better than <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Hacking”. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · “How the layering of network protocols has contributed to the rapid development of music downloads” <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> is better than “Music and the Internet”. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · “Issues in developing natural language interfaces” is better than “The uses of robots”. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · “How Open Source software has led to improved corporate networking” is better than “Modern <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> operating systems”. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> It is essential that the topic has an IT system or IT systems at its core. This means that the system(s) <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> concerned must involve some form of data processing. Essays that focus on technology such as <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> engineering, or on a science topic, are not suitable for ITGS essays. Similarly, an essay that has a social <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> problem as its focus with only tenuous relevance to IT is unlikely to have sufficient depth. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Treatment of the topic <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Although an ITGS extended essay is not intended to be an exercise in demonstrating IT skills, it must <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> clearly demonstrate in-depth technical understanding of the chosen area. Students who do not have <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> well-developed IT practical skills are unlikely to show the level of insight that is required for the highest <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> levels of attainment. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Although an ITGS essay should clearly demonstrate technical expertise, the inclusion of program code, <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> markup codes (for example, HTML) or detailed electronics should only ever be supportive and not the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> main focus of the essay. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> It may help if the student defines the topic chosen for study in the form of a research question, followed <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> by a statement of intent that indicates which broad process is going to be used in answering the question. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> In this way, the approach to the topic chosen may be even further clarified. Some examples of this could <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> be the following.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Information technology in a global society <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Topic The future of natural language interfaces <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> To what extent is it likely that natural language interfaces will replace <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> the keyboard in the production of office documents?

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Primary data is collected through interviews with university lecturers and <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> researchers working in the field of natural language interfaces (qualitative <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> research). The algorithms used, difficulties faced and progress to date <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> are discussed. Questionnaires are e-mailed to office managers to <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> determine to what extent there is a need for natural language data input <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and whether this could improve productivity. Public domain examples <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of natural language software are downloaded and its effectiveness <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> assessed. Secondary research is collected by accessing Internet-based <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> reports from universities working in the field. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Approach <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The effectiveness of e-learning as an enhancement to conventional <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> teaching <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Topic <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Does the addition of e-learning systems improve the performance of <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> students in mathematics?
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">Research question **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">An Internet survey of e-learning systems, highlighting methodologies <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> used by different systems. Quantitative comparisons are made of <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> examination results before and after its adoption from schools that have <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> adopted e-learning methods. Teacher and student opinions are surveyed <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> by issuing questionnaires to teachers who have adopted e-learning and <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> those who have rejected it. Secondary research is carried out by surveying <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> teacher discussion boards. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Approach <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Topic The impact of Open Source software <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Has the wide availability of Open Source software resulted in improved <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> security for networks? <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Research question <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Primary research is carried out by means of circulating questionnaires to <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> network managers. Network managers who make use of Open Source <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> are interviewed. Questionnaires are e-mailed to web site developers. A <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> study is made of an example of an Open Source e-business system. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Secondary research is carried out by looking at recent articles in IT trade <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> magazines and surveying “help” web sites for network managers. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Approach <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Interpreting the assessment criteria <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Criterion A: research question <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The research question must be clearly and concisely stated in the introduction and the abstract. It can <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> be defined in the form of a question or as a statement or a proposition for discussion. The IT system <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> chosen as the focus of the essay should be sufficiently limited so that specific results of research can be <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> demonstrated and linked to the social consequences. It is important to avoid vague generalizations and <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> sweeping statements.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Research question **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This should explain, succinctly, the context of the research question, the significance of the topic and <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> why it is worthy of investigation, and provide an overview of the impact of the issue. While it is important <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> in the introduction to consider the theoretical context for the essay, it is not the place for a full review <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> or explanation of that theory.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Information technology in a global society **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criterion B: introduction **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There must be clear evidence of a well-planned investigation. Students are expected to use a wide range <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of both primary and secondary sources. Wherever possible, the secondary research can be followed by <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and further supported by primary research. Primary research can include carefully considered interviews, <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> surveys and investigations. All of these techniques must be concisely explained and critically assessed <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> in the essay, along with the analysis of the results. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The precise details from the data collection must be included in the appendices according to accepted <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> standards for recording data using these techniques.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criterion C: investigation **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The essay must demonstrate a substantial and secure understanding of the IT issues being investigated. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> To this end, the level of IT knowledge must be clearly greater than general knowledge and show some <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> professional insight and specialized study. The essay must not be a sociological study with some simple <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> IT references—it should ideally address an IT-aware audience, not the general public.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criterion D: knowledge and understanding of the topic studied **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The argument should always relate to the research question and the evidence provided. The essay should <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> show a logical development of the argument throughout, providing a clear sense of direction.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">Criterion E: reasoned argument **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">to the subject <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Sufficient data should be collected so that there is scope for it to be summarized and presented in new <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ways to support the arguments being developed in the essay. Graphs and tables may be considered as <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> methods for presenting some of the analysis. Materials collected in the research for the essay should be <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> used selectively to make the desired points. Effective analysis occurs if the information provided is used <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> to create a sound, reasoned and logical argument. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Effective evaluation occurs if the possible social and ethical impacts of the IT developments are considered, <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> where possible, from both local and global perspectives. Students should also show critical awareness <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of the validity of their information and the possible limitations of their argument. Very importantly, the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> essay should clearly note any assumptions that the student has made in setting out the argument and <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> reaching the conclusions.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criterion F: application of analytical and evaluative skills appropriate **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Extensive and accurate usage of IT terminology should feature throughout the essay. It may be appropriate <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> for students to include limited amounts of program, HTML or other code to illustrate an argument, or it <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> may be helpful for them to quote various system specifications or configurations. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> A lack of IT terminology would suggest that the original topic is not suitable for an extended essay in <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ITGS. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Definitions should be clear and precise.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criterion G: use of language appropriate to the subject **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The conclusion must develop from the argument and be consistent with it. New or extraneous content <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> must not be introduced at this point. Material from the introduction should not be reintroduced or <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> repeated here, but there should be a new synthesis in light of the discussion. Any unresolved <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> questions/issues should be included in the conclusion. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Criterion I: formal presentation <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> This criterion refers to the extent to which the essay conforms to academic standards about the way in <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> which research papers should be presented. The presentation of essays that omit a bibliography or that <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> do not give references for quotations is deemed unacceptable (level 0). Essays that omit one of the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> required elements—title page, table of contents, page numbers—are deemed no better than satisfactory <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (maximum level 2), while essays that omit two of them are deemed poor at best (maximum level 1). <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Any material included in the essay that is based on secondary sources should be referenced in the body <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of the essay. A full bibliography must also be provided. Extracts of interviews, correspondence and copies <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of relevant e-mails should be provided in an appendix. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Criterion J: abstract <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The abstract is judged on the clarity with which it states the research question, explains how the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> investigation was carried out and summarizes the conclusion. However, the quality of the research <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> question or the conclusion is not judged in this criterion. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Criterion K: holistic judgment <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Qualities that are rewarded under this criterion include the following. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · Intellectual initiative: Ways of demonstrating this in ITGS essays include a choice of topic that shows <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> originality or a new viewpoint on a well-known issue. Some IT issues are well known and regularly <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> debated. Better essays may identify an issue that has not previously been extensively debated in the <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> public domain. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · Insight and depth of understanding: An ITGS essay should show signs of in-depth IT knowledge. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Linkage of the technology to the effects on people should be clear and convincing rather than <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> speculative. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> · Creativity: A good ITGS essay should deal with an issue of some contention. The suggestion of creative <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and technically feasible solutions to problems can demonstrate a higher level of achievement in this <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> criterion ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Information technology in a global society **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criterion H: conclusion **