Step 1
Record sources as you research
Capture bibliographic details when you first use a source. Reconstructing citations at the end increases the risk of missing acknowledgements or losing track of where ideas, quotations and data came from.
Extended Essay academic integrity guide
Academic integrity in the Extended Essay research process
Academic integrity is easier to protect when good research habits are built into the process from the beginning. Students should keep clear source records, distinguish evidence from interpretation and understand where legitimate support ends and authorship begins.
Step 2
Separate source content from your own thinking
Use notes that clearly distinguish direct quotations, paraphrases, summaries and your own interpretation. This makes later writing more accurate and helps avoid accidental plagiarism.
Step 3
Keep ownership of the writing and argument
Supervisors may question, guide and provide permitted feedback, but the student remains responsible for the research decisions, analysis, argument and final wording.
Step 4
Use AI only within school and current IB expectations
If AI tools are permitted, students should follow the school’s approved guidance, acknowledge use where required and avoid using tools to generate assessed work that should demonstrate the student’s own thinking.
Step 5
Maintain an evidence trail
Research logs, source annotations, stage workspaces, drafts and meeting notes can help students explain how the work developed. These records support good process habits and can also help supervisors understand the student’s authorship.
Practical checklist
Full source details are recorded consistently.
Direct quotations and paraphrases are clearly distinguished in notes.
Images, data and ideas from others are acknowledged.
Supervisor feedback has not become co-authorship.
Any AI use follows school and current IB expectations.
The student can explain the development of the research and argument.
Frequently asked questions
Can a supervisor rewrite part of the Extended Essay?
The student must retain authorship. Supervisors can provide guidance and permitted feedback but should not rewrite assessed work for the student.
Do AI tools automatically mean academic misconduct?
No. The key issue is whether use follows current IB and school expectations and whether the final assessed work remains authentically the student’s own.
Why keep a research log?
A research log helps students manage sources, decisions, changes and reflection evidence. It also makes the development of the work easier to explain.
Manage the full EE journey in one place
Extended Essay Dashboard gives students a structured research journey while supervisors and coordinators get clear school-scoped oversight.
This guidance supports school practice and does not replace current official IB documentation or your school's approved Extended Essay policies.