30 Unique IB Extended Essay Ideas (2027): How To Pick A Topic You Actually Like
Anthony D
IB Extended Essay Specialist & Coordinator
March 15, 2025
Choosing an Extended Essay topic is the first step toward a successful IB Diploma journey.
Choosing your IB Extended Essay topic can feel huge. It is the first big decision in a long project and it sets the tone for everything that follows. The good news: If you start from your genuine interests and follow the new 2027 framework properly, you can turn the EE into something you are proud of rather than something you just survive.
This guide walks you through 30 authentic EE ideas that align with the new 2027 Extended Essay framework. They are adapted from real school EE guides, IB-aligned resources, and example research questions that follow the Subject-Focused and Interdisciplinary pathways. For comprehensive guidance on the framework itself, see our detailed Extended Essay 2027 strategies guide.
You will see:
- What changed for the Extended Essay in 2027
- How the Interdisciplinary Pathway works
- How the Subject-Focused Pathway works
- 30 concrete example ideas you can adapt
- Clear reminders about academic integrity and AI
- How Bespoke Learning can support you at each step
Quick overview: What changed for the EE in 2027?
From the May 2027 session, the IB Extended Essay keeps the 4,000-word limit but adds a clearer structure and two official research pathways.
Key points:
- You choose one pathway:
- Subject-Focused Pathway: Deep dive into one DP subject
- Interdisciplinary Pathway: Combine two DP subjects using a shared framework
- The EE is assessed on 30 marks across criteria that reward your framework, knowledge, analysis, discussion, and reflection.
- For the Interdisciplinary Pathway, your topic must connect clearly to one of five interdisciplinary frameworks.
Those five frameworks are:
- Power, equality, justice
- Culture, identity, expression
- Movement, time, space
- Evidence, measurement, innovation
- Sustainability, development, change
All the ideas below sit within these structures so you stay aligned with the official guidance.
If you want a deeper breakdown of the 2027 framework itself, Bespoke Learning already has a full Extended Essay 2027 Guide and a free EE Starter Kit with planning templates and topic examples. You can also access the official IB Extended Essay Guide for the complete framework documentation.
Free Extended Essay Resources
Get started with our free Extended Essay Starter Kit, which includes planning templates, topic examples, and a step-by-step guide aligned with the 2027 framework.
How to use this list
Before you start scrolling and picking the “coolest” idea, pause and do this:
- Circle the subjects you actually enjoy
- Think about what data, texts, or sources you can realistically access
- Ask yourself: “Can I imagine still caring about this topic in twelve months?”
The questions below are starting points. You must adapt any idea to your own context, interests, and available resources. You also need to check the Subject-Specific Guidance for your subject group, because the IB now gives detailed examples and expectations there.
Bespoke Learning Extended Essay tutors work with students to turn vague interests like "climate change" or "rap music" into sharp, focused research questions that actually fit the rubric and the new criteria. Our TOK and Extended Essay support includes specialized guidance for both pathways.
Part 1: Interdisciplinary Pathway ideas (1–20)
In the Interdisciplinary Pathway, you combine concepts, theories or methods from two DP subjects and connect them through one of the five frameworks. You do not need a perfect 50–50 split between the subjects, but the integration must be meaningful and clearly visible in your argument.
Below are 20 ideas grouped by framework. Many are adapted from IB-aligned school guides such as ISB, WAB, and other EE support sites.
Framework: Power, equality, justice
1. Economic power and regional balance
Subjects: Economics + Global Politics
Sample research question: How has the rise of India as an economic power affected the balance of forces in the region with reference to China and the USA?
What you would do:
- Use trade data, FDI flows, and policy documents to analyse how India’s growth shifts regional power.
- Link economic indicators to political influence and strategic alliances.
2. Representation of Indigenous peoples on screen
Subjects: Film + Social and Cultural Anthropology
Sample research focus: How does Warwick Thornton’s film Samson and Delilah provoke questions about the Aboriginal voice in Australia?
What you would do:
- Study cinematic techniques and narrative choices.
- Connect them to anthropological discussions of voice, agency, and colonial history.
3. Land disputes and conflict in East Jerusalem
Subjects: History + Global Politics
Sample research focus: How do disputes over property and land in the area of Sheikh Jarrah reflect the broader conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians?
What you would do:
- Examine legal documents, news archives, and historical records.
- Analyse how a specific neighbourhood case reflects larger questions of sovereignty, displacement, and international law.
4. Political rap and contemporary racism
Subjects: Language B + History
Sample research focus: To what extent can the song “I’m Not Racist” by Joyner Lucas tell us about currently experienced racism in the USA?
What you would do:
- Analyse lyrics as a primary text in the target language.
- Situate the song in the historical and social context of race relations, protests, and online discourse.
5. Gender, fairness, and elite sport
Subjects: Biology + Social and Cultural Anthropology
Sample research focus: To what extent is it fair that athletes may have to prove their gender or reduce hormone levels to compete?
What you would do:
- Explore the biology of sex characteristics and hormones.
- Combine this with anthropological views on gender norms, fairness, and human rights in sports governance.
Framework: Culture, identity, expression
6. Abstract art and the mind of the artist
Subjects: Visual Arts + Psychology
Sample research focus: How do cognitive processes work as artists create abstract art, with reference to works by Wassily Kandinsky?
What you would do:
- Study Kandinsky’s paintings and writings.
- Connect them to psychological theories about perception, creativity, and synaesthesia.
7. Literature and political movements in Ireland
Subjects: History + Language A
Sample research focus: How might the poetry of Bobby Sands influence or reflect political movements in Ireland?
What you would do:
- Close read selected poems.
- Place them in the historical context of the Troubles, protest, and political identity.
8. The car as a cultural symbol in 20th century fiction
Subjects: Design Technology + Language and Literature
Sample research focus: How is the automobile used as a symbol and motif in selected 20th century novels?
What you would do:
- Analyse how cars represent freedom, class, or gender.
- Connect this to technological change and design culture.
9. Psycholinguistics and multilingual identity
Subjects: Language Acquisition + Psychology
Sample research focus: What psycholinguistic and cultural processes are involved when learners acquire and use multiple languages?
What you would do:
- Review research on code switching, language transfer, and identity.
- Possibly include a small survey or interview study of multilingual peers.
10. Clothing design in graphic novels
Subjects: Design Technology + Language and Literature
Sample research focus: What purposes do specific costume designs serve in a selected graphic novel series?
What you would do:
- Analyse visual design choices for characters.
- Connect them to themes, power dynamics, and reader expectations.
Framework: Evidence, measurement, innovation
11. Machine learning vs KNN in cancer classification
Subjects: Computer Science + Mathematics
Sample research question: To what extent is a feed-forward neural network more accurate in classifying malignant cancer than a k-nearest neighbour model?
What you would do:
- Work with an existing, ethically sourced dataset.
- Build and compare two models, then evaluate accuracy and limitations.
12. Enzyme activity and protein structure
Subjects: Biology + Chemistry
Sample research focus: How do protein structure and reaction conditions affect enzyme activity in a chosen biochemical reaction?
What you would do:
- Design a lab investigation on enzyme kinetics.
- Connect experimental results to molecular structure and reaction mechanism.
13. Social influencers and service marketing
Subjects: Digital Society + Business Management
Sample research focus: How has the rise of influencers on Instagram changed how service industries market their products?
What you would do:
- Analyse campaigns for a specific sector such as tourism or food delivery.
- Combine digital engagement metrics with business concepts like brand positioning and ROI.
14. Chaos theory and crisis decision-making
Subjects: Physics + History
Sample research focus: How can principles of chaos theory help explain decision-making during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
What you would do:
- Study non-linear dynamics and sensitivity to initial conditions.
- Map these ideas to the sequence of political decisions in the crisis.
15. Dance movement therapy and dementia
Subjects: Dance + Psychology
Sample research focus: How can dance movement therapy alleviate symptoms of dementia and improve cognitive function in patients?
What you would do:
- Review clinical and psychological studies.
- Possibly observe or interview practitioners if your school context allows.
Framework: Sustainability, development, change
16. Food security and policy in Singapore
Subjects: Geography + Economics
Sample research question: How effective are the measures Singapore has taken since 2018 to ensure food security and sustainability for its people?
What you would do:
- Evaluate specific policies, such as urban farming or import diversification.
- Compare goals, data, and actual outcomes.
17. Green energy and development in Southern Africa
Subjects: Economics + Global Politics
Sample research focus: To what extent can a shift to renewable energy in selected Southern African development projects support sustainable development?
What you would do:
- Examine case studies that involve solar, wind, or hydro projects.
- Connect them to development indicators and political constraints.
18. Circular economy in fast fashion
Subjects: Design Technology + Economics
Sample research focus: What improvements can large fast fashion retailers make to minimise waste, maximise resource efficiency, and promote sustainability within a circular economy model?
What you would do:
- Analyse current practices in design, materials, and logistics.
- Propose realistic, evidence-based improvements.
19. Bt crops and environmental impact
Subjects: Biology + Geography or Biology + Economics
Sample research focus: What are the negative environmental impacts of Bt crops in developing countries compared with their positive effects?
What you would do:
- Review studies on pest resistance, biodiversity, and yield.
- Weigh ecological concerns against economic benefits for farmers.
20. Mathematical modelling and social housing
Subjects: Mathematics + Geography
Sample research focus: How can mathematical modelling help identify solutions for social housing in a specific densely populated urban centre?
What you would do:
- Build a simple model using constraints such as land use, cost, and population growth.
- Test different scenarios and discuss policy implications.
Part 2: Subject-Focused Pathway ideas (21–30)
In the Subject-Focused Pathway, you work within one DP subject and follow that subject group’s guidance closely. The aim is deep, disciplined thinking within a clear academic tradition.
The ideas below show how precise a good research question needs to be.
Group 1 and Group 6: Language A and the Arts
21. Social expectations in Wilde’s comedy
Subject: Language A: Literature
Sample research question: How effectively does Oscar Wilde both present and critique social expectations in The Importance of Being Earnest?
What you would do:
- Analyse character interactions, irony, and plot structure.
- Link these to Victorian class, gender, and morality.
22. Beauty and the Beast and gender roles in film
Subject: Film
Sample research question: How do different film versions of Beauty and the Beast reveal changing attitudes to male and female characters in light of gender film theory?
What you would do:
- Compare at least two adaptations from different periods.
- Apply relevant gender and film theory to specific scenes.
23. Japanese prints and impressionist painting
Subject: Visual Arts
Sample research question: To what extent did aesthetic principles of Edo-period Japanese prints influence Claude Monet’s material and conceptual artistic practice?
What you would do:
- Compare composition, colour, and perspective in selected works.
- Use art historical sources on Japonisme and impressionism.
24. Physical theatre and social discrimination
Subject: Theatre
Sample research question: To what extent can social discrimination be explored through the body in physical theatre: An analysis of DV8’s The Cost of Living?
What you would do:
- Examine staging, choreography, and audience response.
- Connect form and content to themes of exclusion and power.
25. Baroque concertos and national style
Subject: Music
Sample research question: To what extent do structural differences justify the classification of a Vivaldi Baroque era concerto as “Italian School” and a Bach Baroque era concerto as “German School”?
What you would do:
- Analyse movement structure, harmony, and instrumentation.
- Relate findings to broader ideas of national style.
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
26. Causes of the collapse of the Soviet Union
Subject: History
Sample research question: To what extent was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 caused by the political reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev?
What you would do:
- Weigh Gorbachev’s reforms against economic, social, and external pressures.
- Use a range of primary and secondary sources.
27. McDonald’s Hamburger University as management training
Subject: Business Management
Sample research question: To what extent is McDonald’s Hamburger University an optimal form of management training?
What you would do:
- Evaluate training content, outcomes, and scalability.
- Compare with theories of corporate training and leadership.
28. Witchcraft beliefs and women’s lives in the Bhil tribe
Subject: Social and Cultural Anthropology
Sample research question: To what extent do witchcraft beliefs influence the women of the Bhil tribe in India?
What you would do:
- Draw on ethnographic studies.
- Analyse how belief systems affect status, risk, and daily life.
Group 4 and 5: Sciences and Mathematics
29. Fluid dynamics and water flow
Subject: Physics
Sample research question: Neglecting friction, how does the exit velocity V relate to the speed of the top surface of the water v at a height h above the opening?
What you would do:
- Derive equations using energy or Bernoulli principles.
- Test predictions with a controlled experiment if possible.
30. How many infinities are there?
Subject: Mathematics
Sample research focus: How many infinities are there: An exploration of countably infinite sets, uncountable sets, and different sizes of infinity.
What you would do:
- Explain countable and uncountable sets with clear proofs.
- Present and discuss Cantor’s diagonal argument and its implications.
Academic integrity and AI: What you must know
The IB is very clear: Your Extended Essay must represent your own thinking. The IB has updated its Academic Integrity policy and added a full appendix on AI tools.
Key points adapted from official IB statements and school policies:
- The IB does not ban AI tools such as ChatGPT.
- Any AI-generated text, image, graph, or data that you include must be clearly acknowledged and referenced.
- You must not present AI-generated arguments, structure, or conclusions as your own.
- Teachers and supervisors must be convinced that you can explain your work and that it matches your usual level.
For the EE specifically, that means:
- You can use AI in limited ways such as brainstorming, clarifying definitions, or organising notes.
- You must still read the real sources, take your own notes, and write your own argument.
- If you copy any AI output into your EE, you must treat it as you would any other source and cite it properly.
If you are working with Bespoke Learning Extended Essay tutors, they will remind you of these rules and help you use AI in ways that support real learning rather than replacing it. For more on ethical AI use in IB assessments, see our guide on harnessing AI feedback in the IB classroom.
How Bespoke Learning can help with your EE
Bespoke Learning specialises in IB Extended Essay support across subjects and the new 2027 framework.
Support typically includes:
- •Topic discovery sessions: Matching your interests to the right pathway, subject, and framework.
- •Research question clinics: Turning big themes like “climate justice” or “infinity in maths” into precise, assessable questions.
- •Planning and structure help: Building a clear outline aligned with the 30-mark criteria and your subject group guidance.
- •Feedback on drafts: Focused comments on argument, analysis, and use of evidence.
- •Ethical AI coaching: Showing you how to use AI tools as study aids while staying within IB academic integrity rules.
- •Support for all subjects: Access specialist tutors in every EE subject group.
Specialized Extended Essay support: TOK and Extended Essay coaching | Comprehensive IB support | University application guidance
You can also access Bespoke's free EE Starter Kit with ready-to-use planning templates and curated example topics that follow the 2027 framework. For students needing additional support, our comprehensive IB tutoring programs include Extended Essay guidance as part of the full Diploma Programme support.
Related Resources
Extended Essay guides: New IBDP Extended Essay Changes 2027 | 7 Proven Strategies to Score an A in Extended Essay 2027
IB preparation resources: How to Score a 7 in IB French B | Complete Guide to IB French B Internal Assessments
IB Core support: Theory of Knowledge tutoring | Internal Assessment support | Full IB Diploma Programme support
Final tip: Start from curiosity, then sharpen with evidence
If you remember only three things from this guide, make them these:
- Start from a topic you genuinely care about and can live with for a year.
- Check that your idea fits the pathway, subject guidance, and framework.
- Build your EE around clear evidence, real sources, and your own reasoning.
Use the ideas above as jumping-off points, not as a script. With a thoughtful topic, a focused research question, and the right support, your Extended Essay can become one of the most satisfying projects in your IB journey.
References
International Baccalaureate Organization. (2025). Extended Essay Guide: First Assessment 2027. https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/extended-essay/
International Baccalaureate Organization. (2024). Research and Academic Honesty in the Extended Essay. https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/extended-essay/academic-honesty/
Bespoke Learning. (2025). IB Extended Essay Starter Kit. https://www.bespokelearning.io/learning/ee-guide
Bespoke Learning. (2025). 7 Proven Strategies to Score an A in the New Extended Essay 2027. https://www.bespokelearning.io/blog/extended-essay-2027-strategies-score-a