Extended Essay Topic Ideas by Subject: A 2026 Inspiration Guide
The Extended Essay is a 4,000-word independent research paper, and the single biggest predictor of how much you'll enjoy it — and how well it scores — is the topic you choose. A good topic is narrow enough to explore in depth, supported by accessible sources, and genuinely interesting to you. A weak topic leaves you padding word count and fighting boredom for six months.
Treat each idea below as a seed: your job is to narrow it into a sharp, arguable research question. We finish with a simple method for doing exactly that.
What Makes a Good EE Topic
- Focused: "Renewable energy" is a library; "the efficiency of a homemade Savonius wind turbine at different blade counts" is an essay.
- Analytical: the best topics invite "how" and "to what extent" questions, not "what" or "describe".
- Resourced: confirm you can actually access the data, texts or equipment before committing.
- Personal: a connection to your own interests, community or local context (including Luxembourg) often produces the most original essays.
Mathematics
- The mathematics behind error-correcting codes used in QR codes or data transmission.
- Modelling the spread of a disease using differential equations (the SIR model) and testing it against real data.
- Optimising packing efficiency: how mathematicians approach fitting shapes into a fixed space.
- Fairness in voting systems: a comparison of electoral methods using Arrow's theorem.
Physics
- How does string tension affect the harmonic frequencies of a guitar string?
- Investigating the drag coefficient of different projectile shapes.
- The efficiency of a Peltier device as a small-scale thermoelectric generator.
- Modelling the trajectory of a basketball free throw and the optimal release angle.
Chemistry
- How does temperature affect the vitamin C content of locally sold orange juice (titration analysis)?
- Comparing the effectiveness of natural versus commercial antioxidants in slowing oxidation.
- The effect of different catalysts on the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition.
- Investigating the caffeine content of different teas through extraction and analysis.
Economics
- To what extent does a local minimum wage change affect employment in a specific sector?
- The price elasticity of demand for public transport in a chosen city.
- How effective was a specific government subsidy in changing consumer behaviour?
- The impact of cross-border shopping on retail pricing in a border region such as Luxembourg.
English & Literature
- How does an author use an unreliable narrator to shape the reader's moral judgement in a chosen novel?
- The presentation of memory and trauma across two works by the same author.
- How does dystopian fiction use setting to critique contemporary society?
- The role of silence and what is left unsaid in a chosen play.
History
- To what extent was a specific local industry the main driver of a town's growth in a given decade?
- How did propaganda posters shape public opinion during a chosen conflict?
- Evaluating the causes of a specific policy decision using contrasting historians' interpretations.
- The role of a single influential figure in a regional political movement.
From Topic to Research Question
Once a topic excites you, narrow it into a research question using three quick filters:
- 1. Add a variable. Turn "wind turbines" into "how does blade count affect power output of a Savonius turbine?" A measurable relationship gives you something to argue.
- 2. Set boundaries. Limit by time, place, text or sample so the scope fits 4,000 words. "In Luxembourg, between 2015 and 2025" is far more workable than "globally".
- 3. Stress-test the sources. Spend an afternoon checking that the data or texts you need actually exist and are accessible before you commit.
Topic: caffeine in tea
Research question: "How does steeping time affect the caffeine concentration extracted from black tea, measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy?"
Next Steps
Shortlist two or three ideas, sketch a possible research question for each, and discuss them with your EE supervisor before locking one in. The right question is one you can investigate rigorously, support with real evidence, and still find interesting on a wet afternoon in month five.
If you'd like a second pair of eyes, our tutors regularly help students refine a vague idea into a focused, high-scoring research question — and then plan the research that follows.