Have you searched the web for the best History Extended Essay topics only to come out empty?
Or maybe you some topic ideas in mind but you’re not sure if you can explore the research issue within the scope of an Extended Essay?
You’ve come to the right place.
Writing an EE is quite involving. Combine this with class sessions and other assignments that require your attention, and you’re more than likely to find the work overwhelming.
Hire our Extended Essay Writers today, and benefit from the flexibility of professional writing help on the web.
If all you want is to learn how to choose a topic because you have the time to write the essay yourself, continue reading this guide to learn more.
How to Choose A Good IB History Extended Essay Topic
History falls into the third group of the six IB subject groups which covers Individuals and Societies, including humanities and social science courses.
Choosing is a big part of the IBDP coursework, although by now we assume that you have already settled on doing a history essay.
You can have a lot of fun when choosing your subjects. However, unlike other topics, history extended essay topics must follow certain guidelines.
What Makes a Good History Extended Essay Topic?
A good History Extended Essay topic should meet the following requirements:
1. The Topic Should Focus on History Dating Back 10 Years or More
In IB, an issue that’s not older than 10 years is a current event and therefore unsuitable for the History Extended Essay.
The topic you choose must focus on human’s past, going back far enough to be actual history.
To score high grades for topic selection, your idea for the EE should be at least 10 years older.
2. The Topic Should Be Relevant and Acceptable
You don’t have to choose your topic from the IB history subject. You’re free to choose any topic you want.
However, the topic you choose should be relevant and acceptable.
Your supervisor will review your proposed topic and determine whether you can analyze its historical significance to humanity.
According to IB, the topic must be “worth of study”.
3. Pick a Topic You Can Explore in 4,000 Words
The scope of your chose topic shouldn’t be too wide or too specific.
It should be right enough to allow an in-depth analysis without overshooting the maximum word count or being too shallow.
4. Your Topic Should Allow Critical Analysis and Commentary
Develop an open-ended research issue that allows you to develop an analytical approach rather than a descriptive or a narrative one.
Your research question should start with words like “to what extent” or “how significant”, not words such as “what” or “how”.
5. The Topic Should Be Disciplinary and Academic
Hinge the topic on one of the academic disciplines and treat it academically.
For example, if you choose to write about the Great Depression in the United States of America, you can approach it from an economic perspective.
If you write about the launch of steam technology and its impact on population growth, you may approach the topic from a sociological perspective.
To be clear, academic treatment means the topic allows you to explore primary and secondary sources in your research work, with the main focus being on primary sources because they add more credibility.
You cannot choose Sports or Music topics in this subject except in the case where you can approach them from a historical perspective. When in doubt, consult with your supervisor.
How to Choose a Good History IB Extended Essay
With the guidelines set out, it becomes easier to go through the process of selecting suitable topics.
1. Brainstorming
With such a wide range of possible topic ideas, you shouldn't have trouble with this part. You can literally choose any idea and give it a historical twist.
For example, if you are a techno buff, how about the influence of the steam engine in industry in Europe? If you love archaeology, there is no shortage of historical subjects.
All you have to do at this stage is to write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how unlikely it seems. You can get inspiration from your coursework, friends, popular media, or books you have read from the library.
We recommend that you think about topics you are thoroughly interested in - these will give you the motivation to push through the whole assignment.
2. Narrowing Down
Narrow down the preliminary list by first eliminating any unsuitable topics.
This includes any that are too complex, non-academic (fictional works, for example), and those that don’t seem particularly appealing to you.
You can also weed out any that are not ‘worthy of study.’ Basically, any that don't meet the guidelines above should be removed at this point.
3. Selection
Now with a list of 3-5 remaining possibilities, you can afford to give each some serious thought. Ask your librarian about the wealth of literature available for each of the possible topics.
Gauge how common they are from the response. Ideally, you want to approach old topics with fresh ideas, or else choose completely new ones so that your essay will be unique and intriguing.
Remember that you can always have a plan B just in case things don’t work out with the first one.
4. Research
Conduct general research into your chosen topic. Online and library sources are the first stop for research.
The idea here is to know what you are dealing with, formulate your approach, understand the concepts, and perhaps identify any gaps. This stage will allow you to get to the most important one of all.
5. Formulate the Research Question
Formulating your research question is the ultimate in extended essay preparation.
This is what will guide your research, align your thoughts, and drive your inspiration.
Most IB scholars say that a good research question is 25% of the work, and we agree.
Sample History Extended Essay Topics
As promised, here is a list of topic ideas for the IB extended essay in history.
These are meant to be just ideas, a sort of springing board from which you can launch your own investigations into a topic that interests you.
You will also have to formulate your research questions depending on your individual approach.
- The Rwandan genocide.
- The cold war.
- Salem witch trials.
- Pearl Harbour and its significance.
- Explore the first/second Sino-Japanese wars.
- The impact of dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- Conflict Diamonds – you can explore their economic, ethnic, sociological, or even environmental impact.
- The Rosetta stone and its historical impact.
- The invasion of Nazi by Germany and the USSR, 1939.
- The Crusades and their religious significance/political significance in Europe.
- The rule of Mao in China.
- The Six-Day-War of 1967, and why Israel won. (You can also explore its impact.
- The role of women in the 1st/2nd World War.
- The place of women in the Victorian era.
- The slave trade and its economic importance in the USA/Europe.
- The fall of the USSR.
- The Cuban missile crisis.
- In light of the Coronavirus, explore the various epidemics in history.
- The development of medicine in history.
- The role of medicine in history.
- The development of military technology during the American Civil War.
- The development of military technology during the World Wars/Sino-Japanese Wars. For instance, explore the use of human torpedoes.
- Land tenure in (some part of) Europe in (some era.) For example, explore the peasant and their land rights.
- The efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa.
- The Ottoman Empire, it’s rise and fall, economic impact, etc.
To be clear, these topics are mainly ideas meant to inspire. You can easily focus them and craft a good research question for your purposes. Here is an example to show you how.