IB Extended Essay Source Checker

Extended Essay source suitability depends on the subject. In every subject, sources should be traceable, relevant to the research question, cited accurately, and strong enough to support independent analysis.

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Extended Essay research sources source check

Marksy reads the links or notes you give it, applies the rules for your IB assignment, and only stops to ask you something when the answer would change the verdict.

  1. Assignment
  2. 2Sources
  3. 3Clarify
  4. 4Verdict

Checking against

Extended Essay research sources

What usually works for Extended Essay research sources

Usually strong

  • Subject-appropriate primary texts/data, academic books, journal articles, official data, experiments, interviews, and archival sources.
  • Context sources when clearly secondary to analysis.
  • AI tools only when acknowledged and verified through real sources.

Example

A focused mix of primary evidence and specialist secondary scholarship aligned to the EE subject.

Needs a second look

  • Too many general websites.
  • Sources that are credible generally but weak for the chosen subject.
  • A bibliography padded with sources that do not answer the research question.

Example

A news article useful for context but not enough as core evidence.

Avoid or replace

  • Wikipedia/encyclopedia as core evidence.
  • Uncited AI output.
  • Sources the student cannot evaluate or connect to the research question.

Example

A general overview page used as the main source.

Where to find better Extended Essay research sources sources

If a source gets a warning, don't just add more websites. Search for sources that match the assessment rule and can carry real analysis.

Searches to try

If a source is weak

  • Replace wikipedia/encyclopedia as core evidence. with subject-appropriate primary texts/data, academic books, journal articles, official data, experiments, interviews, and archival sources..
  • Use too many general websites. only as context unless your teacher confirms they can carry evidence.
  • Add one source that gives direct evidence for the research sources, not just general background.

Good places to look

  • Subject-appropriate primary texts/data, academic books, journal articles, official data, experiments, interviews, and archival sources
  • Context sources when clearly secondary to analysis
  • AI tools only when acknowledged and verified through real sources

Questions people ask