The EE Topic Selection Guide — How to Choose a Topic You Won't Regret

🎯 1. Choose Interest Over Impressiveness

A "smart-sounding" topic is useless if you hate the subject.

Good signs you've chosen well:

• You want to know the answer
• You can imagine writing 10–12 pages
• You already have questions in your mind

Bad signs:

• You picked it to impress a teacher
• You picked what "scored well" for someone else
• You feel nothing toward the topic

Enthusiasm leads to better writing AND easier research.

🧩 2. Narrow It Down Until It Hurts

Most EE topics fail because they are way too broad.

Examples of weak → strong topics:

❌ "Climate change and agriculture"

✔️ "To what extent did rising temperatures affect wheat yield in Victoria between 2000–2020?"

❌ "Psychology of motivation"

✔️ "How does intrinsic motivation differ between male and female student athletes in school sports?"

Your topic should fit on one line — clearly and specifically.

🔍 3. Check If the Data Exists

Before committing, test:

• Can you find enough academic papers?
• Are data, texts, or experiments accessible to you?
• Can you collect your own data if needed?

If research sources look weak, change early.

🧠 4. Measure It Against the IB Criteria

You should be able to answer:

• Is it analytical?
• Is it focused?
• Is it research-based?
• Is it connected clearly to my IB subject?

Publishers, interviews, news articles, and journals should fit the subject's expectations.

📲 Use StudyIB for EE planning templates & evaluation tools

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