LibGuides: Extended Essay: Interdisciplinary: Environmental Systems and Societies

Choosing a Topic

Choosing a Topic in Environmental Systems and Societies

Environmental systems and societies focuses upon the interaction and integration of “natural” environmental systems and human societies. An EE in this subject should give significant (though not necessarily equal) weight to both these dimensions.

The topic should allow the student to demonstrate some grasp of how environmental systems and societies function together. For example:

studying pure ecological principles within the context of human interaction with the environmental system
addressing philosophical approaches to the environment in relation to specific natural systems.
Students must ensure that their topic would not be better submitted under one of the specialized subject areas of the experimental or the human sciences. For example, topics focusing exclusively on human health, disease or politics are usually more appropriate to a single-discipline essay.

The topic must be open to analytical argument. If it lends itself only to a descriptive or narrative treatment, the student will be unable to achieve marks for critical thinking in the assessment criteria.

For example, it would be of minimal value simply to describe a given nature reserve. Instead, the topic should involve an evaluation of the reserve’s relationship with a local community, or a comparison of its achievement with its original objectives or with those of another conservation initiative.

The topic must enable students to construct and support an argument from their own analysis of the information, rather than simply reporting others’ analysed data.

Examples of topics

These examples are just for guidance. Students must ensure their choice of topic is focused (left-hand column) rather than broad (right-hand column).

Broad topics	Focused topics
Environmental effects of mining	The ecological recovery of worked-out bauxite quarries in Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Efficiency of world food production	A comparison of the energy efficiency of grain production in the Netherlands and Swaziland
Impacts of global warming	The comparative significance of different sources of carbon dioxide pollution in Nairobi and Mombasa
Paper recycling	Managing the environmental impact of paper use at a school in Quito (Ecuador)

Approaches to Research

Approaches to Research

Because Environmental Systems and Societies essays are interdisciplinary in nature, students will most likely draw on methods from the different subject areas they are using. Depending on the topic and the location of the focus, students may need to look for primary data in secondary sources. Like in other subjects, this is acceptable as long as students apply the data in an original way.

Students can refer to the research and source guidance in other subjects that may be helpful in their process.

Dance	Theatre	Visual Arts	Business Management
History	Psychology	Language Acquisition	Language and Literature
Mathematics	Biology	Chemistry	Sport, Health, and Exercise Science

Examples

Topic	The ecological footprint of the school cafeteria
Research question	What overall estimate of the environmental impact of the school cafeteria can be made in terms of an ecological footprint?
Approach	An analysis of records and practical measurements assessing the inputs and outputs of the cafeteria, and a synthesis of data into a holistic model indicating the environmental impact.

Topic	Architectural sustainability and the future of Vancouver Island
Research question	What forms of sustainable construction may be utilized in the future on Vancouver Island (Canada)?
Approach	An analysis of current sustainable building techniques and comparison of the environmental impacts of two options of sustainable housing.

Topic	Revival of the gray wolf in the National Forest of Colorado
Research question	Is the reintroduction of Canus lupus in the Pike and Isabel National Forests of Colorado (USA) possible, even with a significant cattle presence?
Approach	Presenting a potential reintroduction area and analysing, using secondary data, the viability of wolf introduction within the proposed area.

Topic	Comparing air pollution levels between a rural and an urban area in the UK
Research question	Is there a significant difference in air quality between central Cambridge and Sawston (UK)?
Approach	A fieldwork investigation using data loggers and probes to collect data. Comparison of the results with secondary data from different regions.

Writing the Essay

Using the systems approach

The systems approach is a central theme in the environmental systems and societies syllabus and this should be reflected to some degree in the EE. The essay should include an attempt to model, at least partially, the system or systems in question.

The term “model” in this context includes, for example:

mathematical formulas
maps
graphical representations
flow diagrams.

Students can investigate their question by:

primary data collection, eg from fieldwork, laboratory experimentation, surveys or interviews
secondary data collection, eg from literature or other media
a combination of primary and secondary data collection.

If collecting primary data, the student needs to select appropriate methods to do this and carry them out effectively.

Literature review

All students must demonstrate that they have engaged in background reading on their topic, regardless of their method of research.

Primary data

Before beginning the investigation, students should read about the different methods of collecting data and any pertinent research that may give them guidelines and useful points of theoretical comparison.

Students’ reading should be evident both in their essay and its bibliography. They can refer to what they have read to support their choice of methods or provide an academic context for their conclusions.

Secondary data

If the essay is focused on secondary data, students need to ensure their sources are:

of a sufficient quantity and range
all reliable.

Students should use only those sources that have academic credibility, whether in print or online. Their bibliography should be substantial, not limited to just a few sources.

Analysis

Whatever their sources of data, students must produce their own analysis and argue their own conclusions.

For some students this will happen more naturally if the essay is based on primary data.

If students are using secondary data, they must disregard any earlier analysis and conclusions. It is essential that students manipulate the data in their own way, or possibly synthesize it with other sources, in order to support their own research question.

Extended Essay: Interdisciplinary: Environmental Systems and Societies

Extended Essays in Environmental Systems and Societies