Extended Essay Topics: 110 Ideas Organized by IB Subject

How to Pick a Topic That Works

Before you scan the lists, run any candidate topic through these four questions. A topic that fails any one of them will cause problems later, so it is worth checking before you commit.

1. Do you already know something about this area? The extended essay rewards depth, not breadth. A topic adjacent to your class content is easier to research than something completely new. You are not starting from zero if you choose something you have already studied.
2. Are there enough credible sources to build a bibliography? Test this before you commit. Run a search in Google Scholar or your school library database. If you find fewer than ten peer-reviewed sources in the first five minutes, the topic may be too narrow or too recent to research properly.
3. Can you frame it as a genuine question with a defensible answer? "The history of X" is not a research question. "To what extent did X influence Y in the period Z?" is. Your topic needs to allow for argument, not just description.
4. Can you complete it in the time you have? An extended essay is 4,000 words of original research. A topic that requires lab access you do not have, primary source interviews, or data that does not yet exist will stall before you start.

IB Extended Essay Topics by Subject

Biology Extended Essay Topics

1. Investigating the effectiveness of different natural insecticides on pest control in agricultural settings
2. Analyzing the effect of a high-fiber diet on gut microbiome composition in adolescents
3. Examining the role of gut microbiota in the onset of type 2 diabetes
4. Studying the genetic basis of nicotine addiction and its implications for cessation treatment
5. Exploring the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in preventing hereditary conditions
6. Analyzing the physiological effects of chronic psychological stress on the immune system
7. Investigating the impact of antibiotic use on the development of resistant bacterial strains
8. Examining the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells in treating degenerative conditions
9. The effect of microplastic exposure on the reproductive behavior of freshwater fish
10. Analyzing the ecological impact of an introduced invasive species on a native plant community

English Extended Essay Topics

1. Analyzing the use of color symbolism in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby as a critique of the American Dream
2. Investigating the construction of female agency in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion
3. How does Shakespeare use dramatic irony to undermine the authority of fate in Macbeth?
4. Examining the representation of colonial violence in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
5. How does Orwell's use of animal allegory in Animal Farm function differently for readers with and without knowledge of Soviet history?
6. Investigating the narrative unreliability in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day
7. Analyzing the treatment of memory and trauma in Toni Morrison's Beloved
8. How does García Márquez use magical realism to comment on political power in One Hundred Years of Solitude?
9. Examining the role of silence and omission in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms
10. Investigating the use of dialect as an identity marker in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Psychology Extended Essay Topics

1. Investigating the long-term psychological impact of childhood emotional neglect on adult attachment styles
2. Analyzing the relationship between perfectionism as a personality trait and burnout in competitive students
3. Investigating the effects of passive social media consumption on body image in teenage girls
4. Analyzing the neurochemical effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on adolescent brain development
5. Evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy versus mindfulness-based therapy in treating generalized anxiety disorder
6. Investigating the relationship between authoritarian parenting styles and adolescent risk-taking behavior
7. Examining the role of stereotype threat in the academic performance of minority students
8. Investigating the psychological effects of solitary confinement on inmates' sense of identity
9. The effect of chronic sleep deprivation on executive function and working memory in teenagers
10. Examining the relationship between childhood adversity scores and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in adults

Economics Extended Essay Topics

1. Evaluating the effect of minimum wage increases on youth unemployment rates in a specific country
2. Investigating the relationship between income inequality and social mobility across OECD nations
3. Assessing the impact of import tariffs on domestic manufacturing output and consumer prices
4. Analyzing the effect of automation on employment levels in a specific industry or region
5. Investigating the relationship between corporate tax rates and reported CSR investment
6. Examining the role of microfinance institutions in reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa
7. Evaluating the effectiveness of carbon taxes versus cap-and-trade systems in reducing industrial emissions
8. Exploring the role of foreign direct investment in the economic development of a specific emerging economy
9. Investigating the relationship between central bank independence and inflation control
10. Assessing the economic impact of tourism dependence on small island developing states

Chemistry Extended Essay Topics

1. Investigating the UV protection efficacy of mineral versus chemical sunscreen formulations
2. Analyzing the efficiency of activated carbon versus reverse osmosis filtration in removing heavy metals from water
3. Exploring the chemistry of the Maillard reaction and its role in flavor development during cooking
4. What chemical reactions are responsible for the preservation of food through fermentation?
5. Assessing the effect of soil pH on the bioavailability of phosphorus to plants
6. Examining the role of yeast strain variation in the alcohol and ester content of fermented beverages
7. Investigating the photochemical reactions that contribute to tropospheric ozone formation in urban areas
8. Analyzing the chemical degradation pathways of common biodegradable plastics under different environmental conditions
9. Investigating the synthesis and superconducting properties of yttrium barium copper oxide at low temperatures
10. Studying the electrochemical principles governing lithium-ion battery charge and discharge cycles

Physics Extended Essay Topics

1. Investigating the effect of Reynolds number on laminar-to-turbulent flow transition in pipe systems
2. Exploring the relationship between critical temperature and material composition in type-I superconductors
3. The effect of medium density on the speed of sound across different fluid concentrations
4. Investigating the magnetic levitation stability of a diamagnetic material above a permanent magnet array
5. Analyzing the relationship between pendulum amplitude and the breakdown of the small-angle approximation
6. Exploring the coherence length and divergence characteristics of different classes of laser diodes
7. Investigating the neutron moderation requirements for achieving sustained nuclear fusion in tokamak reactors
8. The relationship between spring constant variation and period of oscillation in coupled mass-spring systems
9. Exploring the decoherence problem as a limiting factor in current superconducting qubit architectures
10. Analyzing the Carnot efficiency limits of thermoelectric generators in low-grade heat recovery applications

Business Management Extended Essay Topics

1. Examining the relationship between flat organizational structure and employee innovation output in technology firms
2. Assessing the effect of influencer marketing on brand perception among Generation Z consumers
3. Investigating the cultural and operational factors that determine the success of international joint ventures
4. Evaluating the effectiveness of structured mentorship programs in reducing graduate employee turnover
5. Analyzing the displacement of traditional retail by direct-to-consumer e-commerce in a specific product category
6. Studying the relationship between emotional intelligence in leadership and team performance outcomes
7. Exploring strategies for managing neurodiversity inclusion in professional workplace settings
8. Investigating the effect of algorithmic management tools on worker autonomy and job satisfaction in gig economy platforms
9. Exploring the role of strategic alliances in market entry for small and medium enterprises
10. Analyzing the effect of environmental regulation stringency on innovation investment in the energy sector

History Extended Essay Topics

1. Analyzing the long-term diplomatic consequences of the Opium Wars on Sino-British relations
2. Evaluating the relative weight of military, economic, and political factors in the fall of the Western Roman Empire
3. Examining the influence of the Haitian Revolution on subsequent independence movements in Latin America
4. Evaluating the role of Black women organizers in the tactical development of the US Civil Rights Movement
5. What were the primary causes of the Spanish Civil War, and how did foreign intervention shape its outcome?
6. Investigating the economic and social preconditions that enabled the rise of fascism in interwar Italy
7. Analyzing the impact of the American Indian Movement on federal Indigenous rights legislation between 1968 and 1980
8. Evaluating the effectiveness of UN Security Council intervention in preventing ethnic conflict in the post-Cold War period
9. What were the political and demographic consequences of the Partition of India, and how were they managed in the decade following 1947?
10. Investigating the use of wartime propaganda in shaping civilian attitudes toward the enemy in World War II Britain

Computer Science Extended Essay Topics

1. Evaluating the effectiveness of machine learning intrusion detection systems versus rule-based systems in identifying network threats
2. Analyzing the role of recommendation algorithm design in driving political polarisation on social media platforms
3. Examining the accuracy and racial bias of commercial facial recognition systems across demographic groups
4. Evaluating the performance of supervised learning algorithms in detecting fraudulent financial transactions
5. Investigating the application of blockchain consensus mechanisms to supply chain provenance verification
6. Exploring the implications of Shor's algorithm for the long-term security of RSA encryption
7. Assessing the energy efficiency trade-offs of neural network model compression techniques
8. Comparing the predictive accuracy of decision trees versus deep learning models in clinical diagnosis datasets
9. Examining the ethical frameworks proposed for governing autonomous vehicle decision-making in unavoidable collision scenarios
10. Evaluating the accessibility gap between current assistive screen reader technology and modern web application design patterns

Global Politics Extended Essay Topics

1. Assessing the conditions under which UN peacekeeping missions successfully reduce civilian casualties
2. Analyzing the relationship between social media platform design and the mobilization of protest movements
3. Evaluating the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court in prosecuting heads of state
4. Investigating the impact of structural adjustment programs on democratic institutions in sub-Saharan Africa
5. Examining the root causes of lone-wolf radicalization and the limits of counter-terrorism policy in addressing them
6. Analyzing the gap between nationally determined contributions and actual emissions reductions under the Paris Agreement
7. Evaluating the geopolitical implications of China's Belt and Road Initiative for recipient nations in Southeast Asia
8. Investigating the role of cultural diplomacy in shaping bilateral relations between historically adversarial states
9. Analyzing the legal and ethical status of drone strikes under international humanitarian law
10. Examining the policy trade-offs between national security and humanitarian obligation in European refugee resettlement

Geography Extended Essay Topics

1. Investigating the relationship between ecotourism certification and measurable conservation outcomes in a specific national park
2. Evaluating the effectiveness of extended producer responsibility schemes in reducing coastal plastic accumulation
3. Analyzing the vulnerability of a specific low-lying coastal city to sea-level rise projections under two IPCC scenarios
4. Comparing the net lifecycle carbon cost of offshore wind versus utility-scale solar in a specific climate region
5. Assessing the downstream hydrological effects of deforestation in the upper catchment of a specific river system
6. Examining the urban heat island effect in a specific city and the mitigating role of green infrastructure
7. Studying the projected displacement and adaptation requirements for a community in a high seismic-risk zone
8. Evaluating the effectiveness of drought-resistant crop variety programs in maintaining food security in the Sahel
9. Investigating the correlation between particulate matter concentration and hospitalization rates in a specific urban area
10. Assessing the social and environmental impact of artisanal gold mining on a specific river community
    
    

Still scanning the lists, and nothing is clicking? Tell us your IB subject, your rough area of interest within it, and any constraints your supervisor has flagged, and get your extended essay written from a topic that is genuinely researchable and defensible to your examiner.

Research Questions: A Quick Note

Your topic is the subject area. Your research question is what you actually argue. A well-formed research question has a scope qualifier ("to what extent," "under what conditions," "how effectively"), a specific subject, and a defined time period or geographic boundary where relevant.

Five examples of topic-to-question conversion:

• Topic: Gut microbiome and health: "To what extent does a high-fiber diet alter the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in adolescents over a twelve-week period?"
• Topic: The Great Gatsby and the American Dream: "How does Fitzgerald use the symbolism of the green light to critique the moral corruption of the American Dream?"
• Topic: Minimum wage and youth unemployment: "To what extent did the 2016 UK National Living Wage increase affect youth unemployment rates in the retail sector between 2016 and 2019?"
• Topic: Facial recognition bias: "How do error rates in commercial facial recognition systems vary across gender and racial demographic groups, and what are the implications for law enforcement use?"
• Topic: Belt and Road Initiative: "To what extent has Chinese infrastructure investment through the Belt and Road Initiative increased political alignment with Beijing among recipient nations in Southeast Asia?"

If you want to see how a strong research question holds up across a full 4,000-word argument, the extended essay examples page has annotated samples showing exactly how the question shapes the structure of a finished essay.

You have your topic. The harder part is what comes next: building a research question that holds up under assessment, locating and integrating primary and secondary sources, and producing 4,000 words of original argument by your supervisor's deadline. If that is the part you would rather hand off, our extended essay writing service takes the topic you have chosen and delivers a complete, structured draft with time to review before submission.

You came here with a subject and a blank page. You are leaving with a shortlist. What comes next is the writing: 4,000 words structured to IB criteria, argued with credible sources, and submitted before your deadline. If you want that part done, share your topic and timeline with CollegeEssay.org's extended essay service, and we will deliver a complete, examiner-ready draft. Most students receive theirs within 48 hours.