IB Extended Essay Preparation Series :Academic Integrity & Citations

No Prep Plans: Extended Essay Preparation Series — Academic Integrity, Citations & Using AI Responsibly — Ethical Research & Citation Check

Help students develop the habits necessary to conduct ethical, responsible, and academically honest research throughout the Extended Essay process. This No Prep Plans: Extended Essay Preparation Series lesson focuses on Academic Integrity, Citations & Using AI Responsibly through an Ethical Research & Citation Check that asks students to examine their own research practices, source use, citation habits, and use of AI tools.

Rather than treating academic integrity as a list of rules students simply read, this lesson asks them to apply those expectations directly to their own work. Students investigate the difference between their own thinking and information drawn from sources, examine quotation and paraphrase balance, check citations, consider potential collusion concerns, document any AI assistance, independently validate AI-assisted information, and develop specific revisions that strengthen the authenticity of their Extended Essay.

What’s Included
- Teacher Directions
- Lesson Overview
- Mini Research Questions
- 5-Step Group Activity: Ethical Research & Citation Check
- Online Resources
- My Research & Source Use Audit
- Ethical Research & Citation Deep Check
- AI Use & Academic Integrity Plan
- Color student pages
- Black-and-white student pages

Students Will
- Examine how sources are being used within their own Extended Essay
- Distinguish their original thinking from ideas and information drawn from outside sources
- Trace information back to its original source
- Check whether source material has been properly credited
- Evaluate the balance between direct quotations and paraphrased information
- Consider whether quotations are supporting rather than dominating their own writing
- Examine paraphrases for both accuracy and appropriate attribution
- Identify possible citation problems that still need correction
- Consider how collaboration or outside assistance could create concerns about collusion or authorship
- Document how AI tools may have been used during the research process
- Independently validate information obtained with AI assistance
- Evaluate whether their final writing and argument remain authentically their own
- Identify questions that should be discussed with their supervisor
- Create a specific ethical research and citation revision plan

Why Teachers Love This
- Turns academic integrity from an abstract policy into a practical examination of students' own work
- Helps students understand that citation is about more than simply adding a bibliography
- Reinforces the importance of making students' own knowledge, understanding, and thinking visible
- Gives students a structured way to examine quotation versus paraphrase balance
- Addresses citation accuracy, authentic authorship, collusion, and responsible AI use in one lesson
- Approaches AI use realistically by focusing on transparency, validation, authorship, and responsible research practices
- Encourages students to independently verify information rather than simply accepting AI-generated information
- Provides students with concrete areas to discuss with their Extended Essay supervisor
- Moves students from identifying potential problems to creating an actionable revision plan
- Works well during the research and drafting process before academic-integrity problems become difficult to correct

Perfect For
- IB Diploma Programme students
- Extended Essay preparation
- Grades 11–12
- Academic integrity instruction
- Citation and source-use review
- Research skills instruction
- Quotation and paraphrasing practice
- Responsible AI-use instruction
- Draft revision
- Research-process checkpoints
- Extended Essay workshops
- Supervisor meeting preparation
- Independent student work
- Small-group instruction
- Whole-class Extended Essay support

Students finish the lesson with a clearer understanding of how academic integrity applies to their actual Extended Essay research and writing, not simply to a set of rules they must remember. They leave with identified citation and source-use concerns, a record of any AI-assisted research and how it was validated, questions requiring supervisor clarification, and specific next steps for strengthening the integrity and authenticity of their work.

Important Note
This resource is designed to support classroom instruction and student preparation for the Extended Essay. Teachers should always use the current Extended Essay guidance, their school's academic honesty policy, and current school/IB guidance regarding artificial intelligence when working with students.
Disclaimer
This resource is an independently created educational product and is not an official International Baccalaureate (IB) product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially connected to the International Baccalaureate Organization.