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EPQs: writing up your dissertation

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an opportunity for you to work independently on a topic that really interests you or that you think is important. It is equivalent to an A-level qualification. These articles are designed to help you if you are enrolled on an EPQ.

See previous article in series: Finding and using evidence

Writing up your dissertation.

Being able to communicate well is an essential skill for both university and working life. One of the aims of the EPQ is to help you develop your skills in using different communication tools, so you can communicate what you have found clearly and appropriately for different audiences.

Communication is also a vital part of the research cycle. The progress of research thrives on the exchange, review and discussion of ideas. Writing is one of the ways in which we communicate what we have found out and share it with others. 

Sharing the results of your research by writing well and effectively gives your readers the opportunity to learn from the work you have done.

This article offers suggestions and support for developing your skills in writing in the academic style that is needed for your EPQ dissertation.

Getting organised .

It’s worth considering a few practical points first. The start of writing is a good time to gather your material together and get yourself organised. 

• Don’t lose your work
• Timings & deadlines
• Organise your records
• Laying out the document
• Tables, graphs and charts

You don’t want to find yourself a few days – or hours – from the submission deadline when a computer breakdown or accident means you lose everything you’ve done.

It has happened before, and you don’t want it to happen to you!

Build a routine for backups into your work pattern. For example, when you sit down to write, save a copy (named, for example, Version 1, Version 2 ... Version 25 ...) of the existing document before you make any changes.

And back up your backup. Once a week, make a backup copy of your files (your dissertation, your notes and the resources you have collected) to an external hard drive, memory stick or cloud storage.

Work out how much time you have to write your dissertation, and how much time you want to allocate to each section. (There’ll be more on this shortly under ‘Structuring the dissertation – Start with the structure’.)

Make sure you know – and have written down! – the deadlines for submitting your dissertation, including deadlines for any draft versions your teacher might want to see. Use these to help plan your writing time.

There are many tools to choose from to keep yourself on track.  For example, you could create a table with a list of tasks.

Or you could make a simple Gantt chart, using a spreadsheet. If you use Microsoft Excel, it has some Gantt chart templates. The advantage of a Gantt chart is that it makes it easier to see how you can overlap some tasks, and you can mark important milestones such as submission deadlines .

As you have gone through the process of collecting and analysing the evidence you need to answer your research question, you will have gathered records of:

• what you looked for (the search terms you used in your searches)
• where you looked (search engines, websites, etc.)
• what you read / watched / listened to (academic papers, articles, videos, podcasts, etc.)
• the notes you made on your reading, listening and watching
• the data you have gathered.

All these sources contribute to the content of your written dissertation. Hopefully you have good records, but if you got a bit behind, now is the time to sort them out and remind yourself what you did and what you found out.

If you need a reminder of what information you need to keep, look back at  Article 2 – Finding and using evidence .

Organising your records and keeping a note of the sources you mention in the text as you write helps you build a comprehensive reference list.

There is more information on how to set out your reference list later in this article (see ‘Structuring the dissertation – Referencing styles’ ).

Laying out your document in a clear and neat style helps make your readers’ life easier.

For the  text , use a classic font such as Arial, Helvetica or Times New Roman. It’s best to avoid quirky fonts such as Comic Sans, or difficult to read fonts such as Lucida handwriting.

For easy reading, the  font  shouldn’t be too small. 11 or 12 point is a popular choice for the main (or body) text, which is usually black in colour. You can use larger fonts for headings and sub-headings, and perhaps make them bold or a different colour.

Generous margins also make the document easier to read. As a guide, around half the area of the page should be white space; on an A4 page, that means margins of about 2cm all round.

Use the paragraph styling tool . It’s well worth investing some time learning to use paragraph styling in  Microsoft Word  and  Mac Pages ; it can really speed up the creation of long documents and help you produce good-looking work.

This tool gives you control over the appearance of the text in your document. For example, you can use it to include automatic numbering for your headings ( Word  or  Pages ). This means you don’t have to manually change all the numbering if you insert a new heading or delete one that is no longer useful. You can also use automatic numbering for figure and table captions. Or, if you decide you don’t like the font you have used, you can change it in the paragraph style and it will be changed throughout the document.

Some kinds of evidence – such as numeric data – work well when displayed as graphs, charts and tables.

Readers should be able to make sense of the graph, chart or table without explanation.

Look at Table 2. Is it clear what information the creator wanted to share?

A better example can be seen below in Table 3:

Graphs and charts need titles too. They should also have axis titles (naming what is plotted on each axis, with the relevant units) and axis labels (the values plotted).

When it comes to plotting graphs, using different shapes or line styles can help readers distinguish different data points or collections of data on a single graph. You can use contrasting colours, but keep in mind that too many colours can be distracting for the reader. And some readers – for example, people who are colour-blind or have vision problems – might not be able to distinguish between certain colours, so choose carefully.

Look at Figure 3. Does it have all the elements of a good graph? Could anything be improved?

This has many of the requirements of a good graph. The title explains what the graph is about, the axes are labelled and the four search terms are each given their own colour, with a key to show which is which.

It could be made better by:

• making the graph larger, so that the four lines are more separate
• choosing different colours – the orange for ‘Perseverance’ and the yellow for ‘astrobiology’ are difficult to distinguish from each other.

Evidently, something interesting must have happened in mid-February to cause this spike in searches – you might remember that on 18 February 2021, the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover mission landed on Mars!

Structuring the dissertation .

Facing a blank page and the prospect of writing 5000 or so words can feel daunting. But you can structure the way you write to help make the task easier.

• Start with the structure
• Facing the blank page
• The narrative arc
• Finishing things off
• Referencing styles

Starting with the structure will help you consider how you want the dissertation to flow, and how to allocate your time and effort.

This example, taken from the Edexcel documentation, gives a suggested word count for the different sections of a ‘research review’ dissertation. All the exam boards publish their requirements, so you should  check the requirements for your board and the type of EPQ you are doing .

A ‘research review’ dissertation would probably follow something like the structure above. For other kinds of project, check with your teacher or look at the exam board’s requirements.  Knowing what structure the exam board is expecting helps you to know where to focus your effort.

In Table 4, you can see that the biggest section of the dissertation is the discussion/development/analysis of the argument, so it would make sense to spend the largest part of your writing time on this section. Look back at the Gantt chart under ‘Getting organised – Tables, graphs and charts’ for an example of time allocated in this way.

You’ve opened a new document.  You know the sections you need to include.

How do you get started on the sentences that will fill the gaps in between?  Two researchers offered suggestions from their experience.

Robert, a space scientist, says he usually works out the first paragraph in his head before sitting down to write.

• Ann’s summary

This is how Charlotte described her approach. First step, open a Word document!

Second step, write titles and sub-headings on the page. These can be working titles that you can come back to and polish once you have developed the document. But getting that structure down on the page is a key step for Charlotte in building the document and working out how the manuscript is going to flow. Once she’s broken the document up into sections, it feels much less daunting for her. Instead of starting at word one of six thousand, she’s working on smaller, more manageable chunks – word one of a hundred, or two hundred.

Step three is to write down the aims, objectives and scope of the document. And then she goes on to write the conclusions. And she says yes, that’s not a typo – if you’ve done a good job of researching the topic, developing the aims and objectives and making your notes, then writing the conclusion first should be relatively easy. The benefit of writing the end of your manuscript before the beginning is that you’re less likely to go off on tangents when you’re writing the rest of the manuscript, because you know where you’re heading.

If you feel you’ve thoroughly researched your topic and you’re still finding it hard to work out what your conclusions are, then it may be a good idea to turn your research notes into a presentation, during which you can ask yourself ‘what key message do I want the audience to walk away with?’, and that will be your conclusion.

Step five: write the remaining sections of the dissertation, justifying and building your arguments for each conclusion.

Charlotte’s main points

Charlotte’s steps are:

• Open a Word document!
• Write titles and sub-headings on the page.
• Write down the aims, objectives and scope of the document.
• Write the conclusion – ask yourself ‘what key message do I want the audience to walk away with?’
• Write the remaining sections, justifying and building your arguments for each conclusion.

Headings and sub-headings

Charlotte described how she likes to set up the headings and sub-headings that structure her writing, even though she knows they might change as the document develops.

Using descriptive headings, such as ‘The history of ...’ tells the reader what to expect in that section or chapter. This is sometimes called ‘signposting’, because the headings and sub-headings guide the reader around your work. 

As well as descriptive headings, you can number your headings and sub-headings: 

• Section 1: An introduction to… 
• Section 1.1 : The history of ... 

This means you can refer the reader back and forth (e.g. ‘see Section 1.2’), which cuts down repetition and wasted words.

Both approaches have the merit of getting something on to the blank page, which makes it look much less scary.

Whether you start with an opening paragraph, a set of headings, or another method that works for you, getting those first few words on the page is one of the biggest hurdles to clear.

Narrative – the story thread that runs through any piece of work we create – is important in any piece of writing.  Stories keep people’s attention, as storytellers have known for hundreds of years. Writers, broadcasters and podcasters continue to make use of this fact today.

One way to think about how you shape your story is to consider its narrative arc. Yes, even the most ‘science-y’ of dissertations has a story.

Click on the crosses on Figure 6 to find out more about the components of the narrative arc.

Figure 6   The narrative arc

Points on the narrative arc

Description : A parabolic curve representing the narrative arc of a story. The first half of the curve rises to a peak, showing the points that   build interest  in the story. The second half falls back to the baseline, showing how we  reflect   on the details of the story and bring it to a close.

– In the Introduction , attract the reader’s attention at the start, perhaps by telling them what got you interested in the question; a personal interest, an ambition or a desire to know more about a topic.

– In the Introduction , describe the journey to your research question. Make sure you do actually tell your reader what your question is (you’d be surprised how often people forget that!)

Information

– In the Research Review section, you show the reader how you found your evidence; tell them about the keywords you used, the mindmaps, flowcharts, tables you made; what information was important and what was not; what stayed in and what didn’t.

– This is your analysis of the material you found, showing how you pulled together the information you uncovered in your review and what it meant for your question. However, this isn’t an absolute rule; where you put the analysis depends on the kind of dissertation you are writing.

– Tell the reader what you found out and how it relates to what is already known.

– Use the Conclusion to round off your story. What’s the answer to your research question? What did you discover? What’s still not known?

There are a couple of sections of the dissertation that are best dealt with towards the end of the writing process: abstract and bibliography.

The abstract

At the beginning of the dissertation, you should provide a short summary or abstract.

An abstract is like a trailer for a film or television programme. It gives the reader a sense of what’s in the dissertation. However, unlike a trailer, it’s OK to give away the ending! Someone who only reads the abstract, and never looks at the dissertation, should still understand the scope of your work.

For this reason, it’s easier to write the abstract towards the end of your writing time, when you have a complete picture of your work in your mind.

The abstract is usually quite short (perhaps only 200 words) and is written in one paragraph. That’s not much space, so what should you include?

A typical abstract would tell the reader:

• why  you did this research –  the question you set out to answer
• how  you did the research –  the methods you used to collect the data and where you looked for it
• what  you found out –  a summary of your main findings
• the  key message  –  the answer to your question; if your readers could remember just one thing from your dissertation, this would be it.

One way to approach writing the abstract is to read through your dissertation section by section. For each section, write one or two sentences that summarise the main point. Click on ‘example’ to see what we mean.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing rapidly among young people, but the usefulness and safety of some therapies is controversial. Therefore, I investigated the question: what are the best places to reach young people with information about CAM?

Using Google Scholar, I searched for articles using different combinations of these search terms: ‘alternative medicine’, ‘complementary medicine’, understanding, knowledge, motivation, CAM. I filtered the results to keep only articles that related to the use of CAM by young people. I defined ‘young’ as people under the age of 25. I downloaded twenty complete papers, articles and other resources from open access sources and the Open University research repository.

Use of CAM by young people has increased since 2000. Young women use CAM more than young men. The most common sources for getting information about CAM are friends and family and social media.

Key message

The best way to provide information for young people about CAM is through social media.

Take away the headings and polish the sentences and you have an abstract:

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing rapidly among young people, but the usefulness and safety of some therapies is controversial. Therefore, I investigated the question: what are the best places to reach young people with information about CAM? Using Google Scholar, I searched for articles using different combinations of these search terms: ‘alternative medicine’, ‘complementary medicine’, understanding, knowledge, motivation, CAM. I filtered the results to keep only articles that related to the use of CAM by young people. I defined ‘young’ as people under the age of 25. My search found twenty relevant papers, articles and other resources, which I downloaded from open access sources and the Open University research repository. My results show that young people’s most common sources for information about CAM are friends and family and social media. Therefore, I believe that using social media is the best way to provide information about CAM for young people.

The bibliography or reference list

The last thing to include in your dissertation is the bibliography or reference list * .

Your reference list shows the people who read (and mark!) your dissertation how well you have researched your subject and how your arguments are supported by evidence from other people’s research. 

It is also evidence of how you have been open and honest in your work. Readers can use it to find the sources that you used and check that you have read and used them correctly. 

Using your reference list, a reader should be able to find that source for themselves if they want to follow up an idea or check something you have written. Including a reference list helps you avoid plagiarism (passing off someone else’s work as your own), because readers can check the original source if they have any doubts.

If you need a reminder of what information you should keep, look back at  ‘Finding and using evidence – Keeping track’ .

* A reference list is a list of all references to other people’s work that you have mentioned in your dissertation. A bibliography is a list of references, plus the background readings or other material that you have read but not actually mentioned.

The Open University Library Services’  Referencing and plagiarism   page has lots of help and pointers to further information about references and referencing styles.

If you go on to study at university, and have to write essays, assignments and reports, you will be asked to set out – or ‘style’ – reference lists in a specific way. There are many different referencing styles; which one you are asked to use will depend on the subject you are studying and the university’s requirements.

For the EPQ, check the requirements of your exam board or ask your teacher what these are.

Even if you aren’t asked to use a specific style, you should aim to include as much information about the sources as possible. The minimum information would be:

• the authors’ (or creators’) names
• the year the source was published
• the title of the article or book chapter, or the name of the artwork, film or video
• the title of the journal or the book in which the article/chapter appeared
• for books – the name of the publisher
• for online sources – the name of the website and the page on which the article appeared, the URL of the website, and the date on which you read the article*.

*The date you found the article is important for online sources, as websites sometimes disappear or are changed. If the reader can’t find the same article but knows when you found it, that suggests they can trust the source.

These examples are laid out in the Harvard referencing style, which is a style used in many university subjects.

Books and ebooks

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title . Edition if later than first. Place of publication: publisher. Series and volume number if relevant.

Mukherjee, S. (2011)  The Emperor of all Maladies .  London: Fourth Estate.

Article from an academic journal

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal , volume number (issue number), page reference. Doi: doi number if available OR Available at: URL (Accessed date)

Ungar, S. (2008) ‘Global bird flu communication: hot crisis and media reassurance’,  Science Communication ,  29(4), 472-497. DOI: 10.1177/1075547008316219

Article from a newspaper or magazine

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) ‘Title of article’, Title of Newspaper , Day and month, Page reference if available. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Rice-Oxley, M. (2021) ‘Do good things come to those who wait?’,  The Guardian ,  26 February. Available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/26/do-good-things-come-to-those-who-wait (Accessed 26 February 2021).

Organisation (Year that the page was last updated) Title of web page . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

BBC Online (2020) How New Zealand relied on science and empathy . Available at: bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52344299 (Accessed 17 September 2020).

Writing clearly .

Good writing takes time, effort and energy. Being able to produce clear, readable, logical and well-argued pieces of writing is important in both university and in your working life.

• Precise & concise
• Keep it simple
• A word about style
• Quoting others

Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher and writer.  He once wrote:

‘ Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte ’ .

–Blaise Pascal, Provincial Letters, Letter XVI, December 1656.

Translation:  ‘I wrote this very long [letter] because I didn’t have the time to make it shorter’.

What do you think Pascal meant by this?

Claire, whose research looks for evidence of how we might ‘ sniff’ for life , produced a mind map of what she thinks Pascal meant (Figure 9). The audio below describes her process.

Claire’s mind map takes us on quite a journey. Starting from Pascal’s premise that it’s better to write short than long, slower than quicker, makes her think about the need for concision, to look for concise words, words that are specific and measured, not being confusing, the need to choose the right word. Not always easy in English, where one word can have a variety of meanings. 

She suggest perhaps using a thesaurus, but that could lead down the pathway of having too many words to choose from and not being able to decide which one to pick. Thinking about the dissertation, she introduces a word we all dread – waffling! No one wants to be a waffler, and giving too much information might make your readers’ heads explode. 

And yet we must explain our concepts, because we want our writing to be understood by everyone but that means a balance with explaining too much. We need to give enough detail to make our point understood, and scientific, if it’s that kind of research question, without being too complicated. All in all, it comes down to the need to simplify.

More tips from Ann

As Pascal – and Claire – suggest, taking out what isn’t needed is as important as putting in what is.

Writing clearly and to the point takes time, effort and energy. Allow yourself plenty of time to draft, review, get feedback, edit ... draft again, review again, get more feedback, edit again … … check, proof-read, finish.

As we established earlier, your dissertation will have a word allowance. EdExcel, for example, suggests a research review dissertation should be around 6000 words. That sounds like a lot, but then, you’ve done a lot of work that needs to be included.

The exact figure will depend on the exam board’s requirements and the kind of EPQ you have carried out, so check before you start writing, or ask your teacher.

The best writers keep things as simple as possible. It’s a way of being kind to your readers and making the task of reading easier.

However, keeping things simple isn’t simple. As Steve Jobs, the designer and co-founder of Apple said: ‘Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple’. The same applies to writing.

When you’ve done a complex piece of work, it’s tempting to think you can only describe it in complex language. But you should try to avoid the pitfall of using over-complicated language. You don’t want to run the risk of sounding pompous or making your text too difficult to understand.

You’ve almost certainly come across simple questions with unnecessarily complicated answers before. Here’s an example. Which is the best answer to this question?

The Up Goer Five challenge

To practise writing in simple language, you can take the Up Goer Five challenge. This is a project by the artist Randall Monroe, creator of  XKCD . 

The challenge is to explain a  hard idea using only the ‘ten hundred’ most common words  in the English language.  As an example, how might we explain ‘astrobiology’?:

We think about where we might find living things. We take stuff from places – dry places, cold places, hot places – and we put it in stuff that we think has what living things need to grow. We wait, then we use a seeing-small-things tool to look for the living things. At the moment, we look at stuff from here but one day, we want to look at stuff from other stars.

Have a go at using the  Up Goer Five text editor  (which has a  link to the ten hundred most common words ) to explain an idea related to your research topic. If you find it tricky to think of an idea, here are a few to get you started:

• global warming and its consequences
• what causes earthquakes
• the problems caused by the misuse of antibiotics.

You wouldn’t write your dissertation in this style, but experimenting with writing like this helps develop skills in keeping things simple, avoiding jargon and complicated language and writing in short sentences and paragraphs.

We all write in different ways every day, depending on who we’re writing for. The style of a textbook is different from the style of a WhatsApp message; we write an email to a family member in a different style from the way we would write a personal statement for a university application.

When we write anything, we start by thinking about our readers and the kind of writing they are expecting to see.

For the EPQ dissertation, start by checking the requirements of the exam board you are studying with. It is very likely that the exam board will want the dissertation to be written in a formal style; the kind of style you will have seen in the academic articles and books you drew on in your research.

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as your own. It is, essentially, theft of someone else’s work. 

Learning alongside a friend, discussing ideas or sharing your thoughts can be helpful and valuable. We have also encouraged you to take notes on everything that you find. So, it is likely that you have ideas you want to present in your report that are not entirely your own.

Plagiarism can occur in a variety of ways. It can mean copying someone else’s text and passing it off as your own, or copying and pasting text/images from a web page and pretending they are your own work. It can also overlap with what is called ‘collusion’, which means collaborating with someone to share work on a task that you are expected to complete by yourself.

Try this interactive resource from OpenLearn to understand some of the challenges and ways to avoid plagiarism. This is aimed at university students, but it will be relevant for the EPQ.

All my own work

Plagiarism comes in all shapes and forms. Step into the shoes of a university student to learn the challenges and temptations facing her during her assignment, and help make it all her own work.

Level: 1 Introductory

There will be points in your dissertation when you want to present ideas that have come from someone else’s work. How can you do this while avoiding plagiarism?

Identify your sources

If you have used an image, graph or chart created by someone else, identify where the image has come from and who made it.

You might remember this image from  Article 1 , in the section on dealing with feedback.

This image comes from an online picture library, creazilla.com. They have placed it in the ‘public domain’, which means it can be re-used freely. Show this information in the image caption within your work.

If you create a graph, chart or table yourself, identify the source of the data, as you saw earlier in ‘ Getting organised – Tables, graphs and charts ’.

If you find a phrase or a sentence in a source that helpfully illustrates a point you are trying to make, you can quote that in your work. You must quote it exactly as the authors wrote it. After the quote, you give the name of the author, the date of publication and the page where the quote is from. Then give the full reference in your reference list (see ‘ Structuring the dissertation – Referencing styles ’). For example:

This shows that the format of an infographic can influence people’s responses to the evidence. For example, ‘ graphs commonly used to show descriptive statistics, such as line or area graphs, may also appear “scientific” and create a pseudo sense of trustworthiness ’ (Li et al., 2018, p. 4).

The quote marks (‘…’) show which words are the quote.  

We use the Latin phrase ‘et al.’ (meaning ‘and others’) when an article has more than three authors, so that the reader doesn’t have to read through a long list of names. In the reference list, you would see the full list of authors along with the other source details:

Li, N., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D., Wilson, P. and Rose, K. (2018) ‘Communicating data: interactive infographics, scientific data and credibility’,  Journal of Science Communication, 17(2), A06. DOI: 10.22323/2.17020206

When you paraphrase, you express an idea that has come from someone else in your own words. You might do this to re-state the idea in simpler language, or to bring together the ideas of several writers on the same topic. Paraphrasing can also help you show that any new ideas you’ve put together from your research are supported by earlier research.

You should show where the ideas you have paraphrased came from, but because you are not directly quoting, you need only give the authors’ names and the date of publication. For example:

My survey of fifty young people aged 16 to 18 showed that their social media posts were most often connected with current events. This is supported by earlier research, which shows that the most common topics for young people’s posts are current events, health and fitness, and celebrity and entertainment news, closely followed by science and technology (Hargittai, Füchslin & Schäfer, 2018) .

In the reference list, you would see:

Hargittai, E., Füchslin, T. and Schäfer, M. (2018) ‘How do young adults engage with science and research on social media?’,  Social Media + Society, July-September 2018, 1-10, DOI: 10.1177/205630511879772

Although your dissertation must be all your own work, you can ask for help to review what you have written.

How do you ask for help, then, while keeping the dissertation all your own work and avoiding plagiarism?

Reviews – who and when?

Before you ask someone to review your work, you can check some things for yourself. 

Check the  spelling  and  grammar . Microsoft Word has built-in tools, or you can use online ones such as  Grammarly . The more technically correct your writing is, the more your reviewers will be able to focus their energy on the content.

Then  read it all through yourself . Some people like to read through silently, line by line, others prefer to read the text out loud. You can record yourself and listen back later, or use the Read Aloud function in Word, if you’re using that software. This has the advantage of using a different part of your brain – when you listen, you hear mistakes that you just don’t see in writing.

After you have reviewed it yourself, ask others to do the same. Getting someone else’s feedback on your work is immensely valuable. This is where you can collaborate with friends or classmates – if you ask them to review your work, you can offer to review theirs. And families can help too; even if they don’t know anything about your topic, the questions they ask will help you review your work.

• Michael asks for help
• Who could you ask for help?

Listen to the audio in the next tab about how Michael, who is a microbiologist, asks for help. When does he do this, and who does he ask?

Michael turns to his colleagues, his family and his senior colleagues at work. He asks for help at different stages: perhaps when he’s struggling a little, when he’s written the first draft and later on at the final stages, when he’s finished editing.

For Michael, feedback is incredibly important, not only for the actual content of the work, but for assessing how easy it is to understand. And he felt it’s always important to consider reviews of our writing from the viewpoint that the reviewer wants to help us improve our work, not criticise it. In terms of who he asks, first he calls on his peers; when he was at school, friends in his class and year, and now his colleagues, who can comment on the content of the work and how easy it is for them to follow. When he was at school, he also turned to his parents. During high school, his parents helped with input on grammar, spelling and how easy it was to understand. Now, his wife performs that role. As he says, by having someone from outside the field review your work, you can gain valuable insights. He also thinks about his seniors – in his current job, his senior colleagues will read multiple drafts of a manuscript before it’s complete. This is always an advantage – it allows him to get input from someone more experienced and means the work is improved.

In terms of when, he asks for help when he’s struggling, perhaps to find the right direction for a piece of work. Discussing the work with a friend or a teacher can start him developing insights on where it should start. Certainly after completing and spell-checking a first draft, he’ll ask for help.

And of course it’s always important to go back and review after editing, because when you change a piece of work, it’s easy to introduce errors, as well as fix them.

Conclusion.

Other articles in this series...

EPQs: designing your research question

You’ve already decided to do an EPQ, so it might seem a little odd to start this resource by asking you to consider why you want to do a research project. People do an EPQ for all sorts of reasons. Why do you want to do an EPQ?

EPQs: finding and using evidence

Finding the evidence that will help you understand a topic or answer a question is an important stage in the research process. And once you have found it, you will need to examine it closely and carefully, to judge how reliable it is and whether it is useful to help you answer your question.

EPQs: why give a presentation?

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How To Write An EPQ Essay (Step-by-Step Guide)

In A-Level by Think Student Editor March 29, 2019 8 Comments

Whatever the reasons were for you choosing to write an EPQ, the grade you get is most definitely important to you. That is why I have written this (hopefully) detailed guide on how to write an EPQ.

1. Think Of An EPQ Topic That Genuinely Interests You 

It’s important to choose an EPQ you’re interested in, or you may run into some problems . Many students take EPQs each year, and many students fail because they make this mistake.

If you don’t take an EPQ you’re interested in, you’ll have no motivation to work on it . This will be because you start to want to do other things, anything instead of your EPQ.

Think about revision, for example. Is it interesting? Nope. Would you rather be playing videogames, watching Netflix, or literally anything else? Yeah, me too.

If you’re not motivated to write your EPQ essay, then you’ll either not do it or do it badly. If you don’t work hard for it, you won’t get good marks – and therefore there’s less point in even taking it in the first place .

If you find an EPQ topic to write your essay on that genuinely peaks your interest, you’ll find it much easier to get better grades in it.

A more interesting EPQ essay topic will mean that your focus is better . This will result in a better EPQ, meaning more marks when you hand it in.

You’ll also enjoy the EPQ a lot more if you find it interesting . You’ll find the whole experience a lot more fun, and therefore a lot easier too.

To find an EPQ topic that genuinely interests you, you just have to think about what you like. There are lots of different things you can do, but you only get to choose once – so choose carefully.

And if you’re really stuck on ideas, take a look at this list of 600+ EPQ ideas that guarantee an A* . Any of these ideas will be great for your EPQ, so just choose one that interests you and that you’ll actually enjoy.

2. Create A Mind Map Surrounding Your EPQ Topic

A mind map is where you write down everything you know about a topic . In this case, you’d be writing down all the ideas and concepts surrounding your EPQ topic.

That way you can see everything you need to write about in your EPQ essay. You’re essentially making a mood board for whatever EPQ idea you’ve chosen, and it will help you get in the right mindset for the task ahead.

Mind maps are most commonly used to identify gaps in your knowledge . Students tend to use them when revising to work out what they don’t know, whilst also helping them consolidate what they do know.

In terms of your EPQ essay, a mind map will provide a loose structure for you to follow . You’ll come up with lots of different things you can write about, and that will make the essay a lot easier.

In addition to this, whilst creating your mind map you may even decide to change your topic entirely. You might find that the topic you’ve chosen isn’t giving you any idea inspiration, and so you move on to a different topic. 

To make sure you get your mind maps right, you might want to follow this helpful guideline . It’s mainly about studying, but the same things can be said for planning your EPQ essay.

Don’t try rushing in to your EPQ essay without first creating a mind map . Mind maps are more useful than most students think…

Mind maps will help you avoid getting lost in what you’ve written, what you’ve missed, and what you’re planning on doing. You can use your EPQ topic mind maps as a sort of checklist as you write your EPQ essay.

3. Use Your Mind Map To Think Of A Question Related To Your Main EPQ Topic

Many students forget to think about this, but it’s probably the most important part of your EPQ . If you get this bit wrong, you can say goodbye to a good grade in your EPQ.

The question relating to your EPQ topic of choice is what you’ll spend your time working on . The 5000 words you write will be about this question, and so it really needs to be a good one.

If you don’t make it a question that interests you, then you’ll find it harder to write as much about it. Find a question that genuinely peaks your interest (relating to your EPQ of course) and the rest will come naturally.

It’s also important, however, that you choose a question where there’s a lot to write about . If you choose a question with lots to write about, you can use that to your advantage when trying to reach those 5000 words.

However, if you don’t choose a question where there’s a lot to write about, you’ll find that your EPQ is slow and drains you. Not only that, but it’ll probably be worse in terms of grade too.

I’d suggest doing a little background research into your question before you start writing your EPQ essay . Just check that there’s lots to write about and then you can avoid starting something you can’t finish.

As a general rule, you’ll want questions that don’t have definitive answers. If you can find a question that is inconclusive, you’re onto a winner.

If you can’t be bothered to look up EPQ questions, then there’s an alternative . Take a look at this list of 600+ EPQ ideas that guarantee an A* .

4. Write Down Subtitles That Relate To Your Main EPQ Question

Writing down subtitles for your EPQ question means that you’ll have a better idea of what’s actually going into your EPQ essay .

When you create your subtitles for your EPQ essay, you’re essentially writing down all the mini-topics you’ll write about. You split up the massive 5000 word count into smaller, more manageable parts.

I’d suggest making as many subtitles as you can that relate to your main EPQ question. Just go for a massive brainstorm ( potentially using your mind map ) to try and come up with lots of subtitles.

That way you maximize the chances of you making some actually good subtitles. You’ll have lots of options to choose from, and your EPQ will benefit from having such a varied range of points.

You also put yourself in the right mindset for your EPQ essay . You’ll be much more open to different ideas and approaches whilst actually writing the EPQ, and examiners will see this and give you extra credit.

However, you need to make sure that the subtitles you’re writing actually relate to your EPQ question . If they don’t, you could run into some serious problems.

If you choose to work on a subtitle that doesn’t wholly relate to your EPQ question, you risk filling up your word count with irrelevant information. That means less room for the important stuff, and less marks for you.

Make sure you check all your subtitles before you start writing . Work out what the plan is before you start writing, so that you don’t have to rewrite a large portion of your EPQ essay.

So grab a pen and paper, sit down, put on some nice music, and get to writing those subtitles.

5. Triple Check That Every Subtitle Question Actually Relates To The Main EPQ Topic

By this point, you should have around 16 subtitles that you want to include in your EPQ essay . 16 subtitles will give you a nice 300 word per subtitle guide, give or take a few.

Any more subtitles, and you run the risk of overcomplicating your EPQ. Any fewer, and you’ll struggle to reach that gargantuan 5000 word count.

It’s essential that you break down your EPQ essay into smaller modules like this, to make it easier for you in the long term. 16 subtitles will mean the best productivity for you when you actually come to write your EPQ essay .

The next step is to order your subtitles, for easier reading. You’ll want to make the layout of your subtitles as sensible and as easy to follow as possible for your examiner .

If you please your examiner like this, they’ll be more inclined to give you more marks. They mark you on your written communication, and therefore you’ll want to make sure you’re communicating the most effective way.

Try ordering your subtitles by the order of most important to least important . Laying out your subtitles this way will show your examiner that you’ve really thought about your EPQ and understand what they want to see.

Alternatively, you could lay out your subtitles chronologically . What I mean by this is that you start with your question, move onto research, then explanations, and finally a conclusion.

This is probably the best way to lay out your EPQ essay subtitles . It’s the easiest way to follow the process you went through, and examiners like to see EPQ essays that are laid out like this.

It’s how I laid my EPQ essay subtitles out, and I got an A* – so I’d suggest doing the same.

6. Allocate A Word Count To Each Element Of Your EPQ Structure

You’ll want an introductory paragraph to start with, and that should only take about 200-300 words . Don’t go overboard with your introduction, as you should aim to make the bulk of your essay about your EPQ question.

I’ve already mentioned it, but you want to write about 300 words per subtitle . This is the perfect amount of words to write if you want the EPQ essay to go as smoothly as possible.

16 subtitles at 300 words each will put you at just under 5000 words – 4800, to be exact. That will leave you just enough room to add a short introduction too.

You can go for less subtitles, but that means a higher word count for each individual subtitle . If you make your word count per subtitle too high, then you’ll struggle when it comes to actually writing your EPQ essay.

You could also try more subtitles if you want, but that then means you’d write less per subtitle . That means there’s less room for all your explanation, and less marks when you hand it in.

I’d recommend keeping your subtitle count between 14 and 18 . That way you give yourself the best chances of your EPQ being easier to write.

You also make it easier for you to enjoy, too. Making your EPQ essay subtitles this long means you’ll find it easier and less monotonous, and therefore you’ll enjoy it more.

The word count of each element in your EPQ essay has an impact on your productivity and focus, too . Generally, the shorter the piece of writing you have to do, the more productive you’ll be.

Setting yourself short-term goals like this will help you stay focused and make your EPQ that little bit better. It’s worth setting effective word counts for your EPQ essay elements for those extra marks .

7. Research, Research ( And A Little Bit More Research )

Research should make up about 40%-50% of your total EPQ essay . That’s a lot of research, and you can see from this figure that quality research is crucial to your success.

The reason research takes up so much space is because you need to explore all opportunities within your question. Research will help you develop ideas and improve your knowledge of the subject, helping you to better answer your EPQ essay question.

And besides, who doesn’t want help reaching the massive 5000 word count?

There are many ways to research, with the most common being the internet, and books . Both ways of researching are valid and useful, but you still need to be careful.

Especially with the internet, you may come across facts and information that isn’t entirely accurate. This is because anybody can access anything, and usually the information you see online is edited by people who aren’t professionals.

Try to stay away from websites like Wikipedia, where anybody can change the information you see . There are much better alternatives out there, like Google Scholar for example.

Whereas with books, they have to go through a long-winded process to ensure they’re accurate . Books tend to be slightly more reliable than the internet, especially if they have an ‘exam-board approved’ label on them.

I’d also recommend keeping track of all the sources of your information, as you’ll have to write a bibliography at the end of your EPQ .

What that basically means is that you have to reference each individual source of information after you’ve written your EPQ essay. That’s just so examiners can check to see if you’re plagiarising any content, in case you were wondering.

8. Check That Your EPQ Structure Still Makes Sense

You should have around 16 subtitles ready to go, in chronological order or order of importance . I’d suggest chronological order, but that’s up to you.

You should also have space to add an introduction and conclusion paragraphs . They shouldn’t take up too much space, but still leave some room for you to add them in.

You’ll actually want to wait until the end of your EPQ essay to write either of these paragraphs, so it might help to add placeholders until you get to writing them.

Around 7 of your subtitles should be based on research . You’ll want to leave yourself a nice amount of in-depth research, whilst also allowing room for all that explanation.

If you don’t give the right proportions for your research and explanation subtitles, your EPQ can become lopsided. Examiners will easily spot this and take away precious marks.

You’ll want your conclusion to be longer than your introduction, as you’re essentially summing up all that you’ve written . Your conclusion should be about the same size as your subtitles, but maybe just a little bit bigger.

If all else fails, just read through your structure and think about it from an examiners’ point of view. Does it all make sense? Are the subtitles in a sensible order? Have you left space for your introduction and conclusion paragraphs?

If you reckon you’ve got all these elements in the right order and the right sizes, you should be good to go. Just keep a clear focus on your EPQ essay question, and you can’t go wrong.

9 . Write Down The Answers To Each Of Your Subtitles

Start with your subtitles to get the main bulk of your EPQ essay underway . The quicker you get your subtitles done, the sooner you can finish your EPQ.

Starting your subtitles first is a good idea, as they make up most of your EPQ. You’ll want to get them done first, and then you have time after that to work on the finer details.

As I’ve said, your subtitles should be around 300 words long . This will allow you just enough space to answer the subtitle, without repeating yourself or going overboard.

If you go too far over 300 words, you risk either repeating yourself or just extending your points so much that your words become empty. Empty words = no marks, which is what you definitely don’t want.

If you don’t write 300 words, the points you make are likely to be underdeveloped. This means you can’t get into the top band of marks no matter how good what you’re saying is – there’s just simply not enough of it.

Of course, if you think you can express yourself in more or less than 300 words, go for it . Everybody’s different, and some people have better writing skills than others.

The amount of words you write per subtitle can also depend on how many subtitles you have . If you have less subtitles, you write more words per subtitle, and vice versa – simple maths.

Try to explore every possibility within your subtitle. The more routes you go down and the further the detail you go into, the more marks you’ll get from the examiner.

10 . Write The Introduction And Conclusion Paragraphs

Your introduction paragraph needs to be slightly shorter than your average subtitle paragraph . Usually about 200-300 words, the introduction will basically talk about what’s to come in your EPQ essay.

If you make your introduction too long, you waste space that you might need for your research/explanations. You also take up space that could be used for your conclusion, which is very important.

It’s a good idea to write your introduction paragraph after you’ve written all of your subtitles . It may sound odd, but there’s method to the madness.

If you write your introductory paragraph last, it’ll be a lot more accurate than if you’d have done it at the start. You’ll know exactly what’s in your EPQ, and therefore your introduction can accurately ‘introduce’ your essay .

Your conclusion paragraph should be slightly longer than your average subtitle, and definitely longer than your introduction . I’d say about 400 words, your conclusion should sum up everything you’ve talked about in your EPQ essay.

Your conclusion should essentially answer the question you asked at the start of your EPQ essay. You should aim to include everything you talked about in your other subtitles (that’s why it’s a little bit longer).

You’ll obviously want to write your conclusion paragraph after everything else, or you’ll have nothing to conclude. Once you get on to your conclusion, you’re on the home stretch.

11. Get Someone To Proof Read It To Make Sure There Are No Errors

Proof reading your EPQ essay is so, so, SO important to your success . If you don’t proof read your EPQ essay, you may miss some pretty crucial mistakes…

I’m not just talking about the spelling mistakes you may have made (although you might want to fix those too). I mean the mistakes where you contradict yourself, go off topic, or even just get your facts wrong.

I’m sure I don’t need to explain it, but these mistakes will cost you dearly when your EPQ gets examined . Sometimes just a few marks can be the difference between an A and an A*, so you need to maximize your chances of success.

A good way to ensure your EPQ essay is perfect is to get someone else to look through it. Having a second opinion ensures that everything you’ve written is accurate and concise, and it’s better than just checking through it yourself.

If you rely on your own methods of checking through your work, you’re more likely to miss mistakes . Having a fresh perspective on your work broadens the chances of catching every mistake you make.

It doesn’t matter who you get to check your work . You can ask friends, family, or even your teachers/tutor – just get it proof read before you send it off to be marked .

If you need to check through it for spelling mistakes or wording issues, there’s a handy little trick I used for my EPQ essay. Paste your entire essay into google translate, and have it read out to you .

That way you can listen and check for anything that’s not quite right, and sort it out in time for your EPQ essay to be examined.

Thanks so much for the help !

This is so, so helpful, thanks so much!

How many resources should I have for my EPQ?

20-25 should be the right number

Hi, thanks for the cool tips! I will definitely keep it for myself

Hello, thanks for the cool advice, but the most difficult thing for me is 1 point – to think through the topic itself. Therefore, already at the first stage, I give up and turn to the college essay writing service. This service helped me more than once or twice. My friends also use it. Also, it is difficult for me to create a mental map, which is in point 2. Therefore, I would rather spend my writing time on purposes that are useful to me.

This is so useful! I have been working on my EPQ over the past few weeks and have had a few big quandries about how I should go about forming an answer to my question and this has made it much clearer. Thank you!

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• How to Write an EPQ Essay

Writing an EPQ essay can seem like a daunting task, which is why we’ve written this nine-step guide to help make the whole process easier.

In addition to the A-Levels you’re already doing, you can choose to take an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). An EPQ is an independent research project, and it’s extremely beneficial as it counts towards UCAS tariff points.

Consisting of around 5,000 words, an EPQ essay is an in-depth assignment which takes about 120 hours to complete.

That may seem like a lot of extra work to take on alongside your existing studies, however it can be hugely beneficial when applying to get into university.

Choosing to undertake independent research and reading can prove to future educators that you’re willing to take on extra work to really show what you can do academically, as well as demonstrating that you have interests that go beyond the curriculum. An EPQ sits nicely with a summer school course such as a law summer school , business summer school , engineering summer school and medicine summer school . During your course you have the chance to explore and understand your subject further, demonstrating your commitment to your studies, and develop ideas for your EPQ.

How do you write an EPQ essay?

To write an EPQ essay, you need to: come up with a compelling idea that you’re interested in, write down everything you know about the subject to generate further ideas, find the best essay question to use, reference your sources properly, write a sharp introduction and conclusion, get feedback on your essay, and make sure you double-check your work before submitting it.

The key to writing any extended document is planning, which is why we’ve written this nine-step guide to help you write the best EPQ essay.

Read on for our top tips on how to write an extended project essay.

9 steps to write your EPQ essay

1. come up with an idea.

One of the main reasons students fail their EPQ is because they’ve chosen the wrong subject matter. It’s vital that you choose a topic you’re genuinely interested in, otherwise you won’t have any motivation to work on it. Because of the extra workload, many students choose to start their EPQ over the summer holidays, and with all the distractions that summer brings (trips to the beach, sunbathing in the garden or hanging out with friends in the park) there’s even more reason to pick a subject you don’t find boring, or you’ll just look for any excuse to avoid doing it. Before finalising your topic, you might want to discuss your ideas with your supervisor so they can check you’re on the right track.

2. Write down everything you know about the subject.   

Before doing any extra reading, it’s really helpful to write down everything you already know about your chosen subject. This can help to get your thoughts and ideas – which are often jumbled up – out of your head and down onto a piece of paper or computer screen so that you can begin to organise and make sense of them. This is also useful for identifying any gaps in your knowledge. However, if the gaps in your knowledge are vast and your chosen topic isn’t giving you enough inspiration, don’t be afraid to abandon your original idea entirely and come up with something new. It’s better to start again from scratch at this stage, rather than 2,000 words in.

3. Think of a question

Whatever your chosen topic, you’ll need to think of a question to answer. This is an extremely important part of your EPQ and will form the basis of your essay, so it really is worth thinking long and hard about. The way in which you phrase your question or hypothesis will affect the structure and flow of the whole essay. For example, some typical essay question formats include ‘Compare and contrast’, ‘Critically evaluate’ and ‘Analyse and conclude’. The type of question you want to answer will affect whether you need to highlight and critique a number of theories or evaluate how useful a particular concept is. And remember that your extended project essay needs to be approximately 5,000 words long, so you should choose a question that allows for extended research and arguments. It’s also worth bearing in mind that questions without definitive answers are better as there will generally be much more to write about.

4. Research the topic

Next, you should start thinking about the main body of the essay and how you’re going to go about fleshing out your ideas. Ideally, this step should take up half the amount of total time you spend working on your EPQ essay. You should spend a good deal of time reading books, papers and online journals that have been written about your chosen subject. The Internet is an excellent source of information, but anyone can write anything and publish it online, so make sure your sources are credible and recognised by the examining body. Wikipedia, for example, should be avoided as a reliable source of information as anyone can edit the text that’s been written there. While doing your research, you’re going to come across many different opinions and arguments and it’s all going to come from a variety of sources. So now is also a good time to think about how you’re going to organise it all.

5. Remember to reference your sources

As with any piece of academic work, referencing your sources is vital so the examiners can check you’re not plagiarising. It’s also good to demonstrate that your information has come from a range of places so the person marking your essay can see that you’ve researched your topic widely and have considered several different viewpoints. You’ll need to provide a bibliography at the end of your EPQ essay and if you can’t say where your information has come from, you’ll be unable to use it, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit of doing this as you go along. Whether you choose to create a spreadsheet on your computer or annotate photocopies and clippings with a pen, it doesn’t matter how you go about doing this as long as you remember to do it. It’ll make your life so much easier in the long-run!

6. Create subsections

Splitting your essay up into sections can help to make sure you’re writing enough and exploring the topic in as much depth as possible. Keep your word count in mind when dividing up your essay and try to split each section equally. But while mini topics are good for breaking the 5,000 words down into more manageable chunks, you have to make sure each one relates back to your original question, otherwise you could risk wasting some of those words on irrelevant information. Don’t sacrifice the important stuff by shoehorning facts and figures into your chosen subsections. It’s worth thinking about the order of these sections too. It’s usually best to write in a ‘news story’ format, with the most important subtitles at the top and the less relevant stuff filtering down to the bottom, however you could consider working chronologically if that works better for your chosen topic.

7. Write an introduction and a conclusion

As strange as it sounds, it can be helpful to write your introduction and conclusion paragraphs once you’ve completed the main body of the essay. This is because your thoughts on the subject matter are more likely to be more organised, therefore it will be easier to summarise the main points clearly and concisely. Your first paragraph should introduce the subject matter, briefly expanding upon your question and how you’re going to go about answering it, while your conclusion should refer back to the title and answer the question you asked at the beginning of your essay. Ensure that both paragraphs are as direct and succinct as possible, in order to show that you have a clear understanding of your topic.

8. Ask for feedback

Whether it’s a friend, a relative or – even better – your course tutor, it’s a good idea to have your work checked over by someone else. Because you’ve spent hour upon hour absorbed in your subject matter, you can lose sight of certain things, so it makes sense to have your EPQ essay looked at from a different viewpoint. A second opinion can ensure that everything you’ve written is concise and accurate and the person checking your work can give you advice on what to leave out or add in; especially if they already have some knowledge on the subject matter.

9. Double-check everything before submitting your work

It’s a good idea to leave it a day or so before coming back to your essay to proofread it so that you’re viewing it with a fresh pair of eyes. We recommend going over it a couple of times – once to check that you’ve covered everything in terms of the subject matter and another for housekeeping. You want to ensure that you don’t lose any marks for basic things like spelling, punctuation and grammar. You should also take this time to make sure footnotes are accurate, as well as checking over any graphs, charts, diagrams and images.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this step-by-step guide and we’re confident that you now have everything you need to go on to successfully write an EPQ essay. Good luck!

• About Chris Rand

How to get a 100%, A* EPQ mark – some tips

• 20 August 2019 27 June 2024

My son did his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in 2018, at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge, and it was really interesting to watch. For something worth just half an A-level (and in reality when it comes to university applications, worth nothing), it required an astonishing amount of work. For busy sixth-formers to find the time or the motivation requires some dedication. That said, the EPQ is a good introduction to doing a properly planned and structured research project, so I encouraged my son to take the trouble. He did so, and his project was eventually marked 100% (A*) in 2019.

My best advice is to reverse-engineer the whole exercise. Remember, the EPQ is not about your project itself, but about the process of planning and executing it. So get the detailed marking scheme from the exam board’s website, and painstakingly go through every single item, noting what needs to be done to get full marks. Keep this in mind throughout the project.

Show how you’ve developed a range of skills by creating as much supporting material around the project as you can. For example, the core product from my son’s project was always going to be a dissertation. But along the way he also created a blog (to use as the project diary), a video and a podcast. He interviewed real people for comments, created an illustration in Adobe Illustrator and found out how to use Microsoft Excel for a Gantt Chart. All of these gave him new things to learn, and more importantly to write about.

There’s no way around it: if you want to get a really top mark in your EPQ, you’re going to have to devote all the time they suggest, and possibly more. But it can be an interesting experience.

My son’s project was eventually picked up by a campaigning group which I belong to, and published on their website . However, the best place to see the project in full is at the website he created to showcase the work here .

3 thoughts on “How to get a 100%, A* EPQ mark – some tips”

Hi, great tips. I will definitely use these.

I don’t know how I got here, but this was a really interesting read with good insight and advice. Congratulations to your son. My daughter did an EPQ in engineering materials and biomimicry and was very proud of it. Unlike you, I didn’t get to see it! She was a shy worker. So much work and dedication can go into such a project (including travel to attend a conferences, writing to researchers, waiting for replies, etc). She messed up a bit in her A level results, but her EPQ helped get accepted on her course. So in her case it did count. She ended up being a top mark student in her university course.

Really interesting that the EPQ counted for something, Mari. And so pleased your daughter’s hard work paid off!

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• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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McCombes, S. (2023, September 11). How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/

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EPQ Guide: Expressing your ideas

• The Inquiry Process
• Developing a line of inquiry
• Finding and selecting sources
• Working with ideas

Expressing your ideas

This is the stage you have been building towards - writing your report. Although that is largely the focus of this page , it is not all there is to the EPQ.

Your EPQ will be assessed on:

• Your completed Production Log
• if your project is a research based written report of any kind (e.g. a science investigation or an essay) it should be approximately 5,000 words long
• If your project is an artefact, it must be accomapanied by a research based written report of a minimum of 1,000 words. For artefacts, you may include photos showing various stages of the production process as well as the final product. You do not need to submit a large artefact as evidence - photographs or other media are fine.
• If your product was itself a presentation then you still need to produce a presentation about the process of producing it!
• Your presentation must be delivered live to a non-specialist audience and might use flipcharts or posters, presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Prezi or short video clips. The evidence for your presentation will  include a record in your Production Log of questions your supervisor asked and how you responded.

Am I ready?

Am I ready to start writing my essay?

Before you start writing, think:

• Is my investigation largely complete? As you write you may find that you need a few additional resources or information to support your argument, but you should not sta rt to write until you are largely sure where your argument is going.
• Have I filled in a Research Organiser (which you will find on the Working with Ideas tab)? This will help you to organise your thoughts and make sure you understand the argument you intend to make and have the evidence to support it. While not compulsory, it makes writing your final essay significantly easier.
• Do I understand how to write in an appropriate academic style? Guidance is given in the Academic Writing box below.
• Do I know how to import my sources from my Investigative Journal? Don't waste time putting all your citation data in again! Import all your sources as you set up your document. There are helpsheets in the Resources for PC / Mac users boxes to the right.

You should use the Oakham APAv3 Academic Writing Template (below) rather than a generic Word template to set up your essay.

(The image below is taken from the EE LibGuide, but the template is just as useful for EPQs)

Citing and referencing

There are many different ways to acknowledge the sources you use. These are called referencing styles . You are free to use any recognised referencing style you wish for your EPQ, but Oakham's 'house style' is APA. We suggest you use this because we already have a lot of support in place for it. APA is an 'Author-date' system, meaning that you show which source you have used by putting the author and date in brackets after it in your text, and then put the full reference in an alphabetical list at the end of the essay. The Library does not support 'footnote referencing', where you put all the information in a footnote at the bottom of the page. If you want help with this then please talk to the member of staff who suggested that you use it.

For detailed information and guidance on how to use sources in your writing and how to cite and reference them accurately using the tools in Microsoft Word, consult the Citing and Referencing LibGuide . This site includes information about how to reference all sorts of different kinds of sources, including videos and works of art, and what to do if you are using a source written in a language that is not the language of your essay. It also gives some examples of how to use in-text citations , whether quoting, paraphrasing or just referring to a source more generally, and how to use the automatic citing and referencing tools in Word .

Academic writing

Stages in an academic essay

Your thesis is the point you want to make. It emerges from your research and your task is to use the evidence you have found to establish it as the most reasonable response to that research.

In both approaches, you must state the research question in your introduction, and make sure you return to it in your conclusion .

Sections required in your essay

Have a look at the Formal Presentation guide in the sidebar for a guide to laying out your essay.

Paragraph Structure

Paragraphs themselves have a structure - the most common you will have come across is likely to be PEEL. The letters often stand for slightly different things in different subjects, but the idea is largely the same - introduce your main idea for the paragraph ( Point ), justify it with Evidence and/or Examples , and Evaluate this evidence. Finally, Link back to the Research Question and/or Link forward to the next paragraph.

This is not the only way to write a paragraph and, with experience, you will soon find that your argument develops a flow of its own that does not require a formula - indeed, your essay would be very dull if every paragraph followed exactly the same structure. However, this structure can be a useful scaffold to get you started and make sure you don't miss anything important.

The structure of academic writing

Note that the following graphic was originally produced for the IB Extended Essay, but is equally applicable to the EPQ.

Planning your essay

It is vital to plan your essay before you start writing. An essay plan provides an outline of your argument and how it develops.

What sections and subsections do you need?

Although this might change as you write your essay, you should not start writing until you have your overall structure. Then think about roughly how you are going to divide your 5000 words between the different sections. 5000 words seems like a lot before you start writing, but it is much easier to write to the limit, section by section, than to try to cut your essay down once it is written.

What will the reader will expect to see and where?

Look back at your checklist and think about where in your essay you are planning to include the required information. Make sure the flow of your essay makes sense to a reader who may be a subject expert but knows little about your topic. Have you included background information? Details of experimental methods? Arguments and counter arguments?

Now get writing!

You've read all the guidance. You've made your plan. Now you have a blank screen in front of you and you just need to get started! Start with the section you think you will find easiest to write and work outwards from there, or follow the steps below to get started. Don't forget to write with the word limit in mind though.

What if you are writing lots of paragraphs but your essay just doesn't seem to be coming together?

1. Condense each paragraph into a short statement or bullet point. This is the skeleton structure of your essay.

2. Look at the order of the statements.

• Is the order logical?
• Does each point follow another in a sensible order?
• Do you need to change the order?
• Do you need to add paragraphs?
• Do you need to remove paragraphs?

3. Add, subtract and rearrange the paragraphs until your structure makes sense.

4. Redraft using your new paragraph order.  

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Willard, D. (2003) My journey to and b eyond tenure in a secular university . Retrieved from: www.dwillard.org/articles/individual/my-journey-to-and-beyond-tenure-in-a-secular-university . Accessed: 9th May 2020

Oh no! It's too long!!

If you haven't managed to write to the word limit and are suddenly faced with cutting down an essay that is over the word limit, try these tips on concise writing from Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Use the menu on the left of this page from Purdue OWL to browse the four very practical pages on writing concisely and one on the Paramedic Method for reducing your word count.

AQA Guide to completing the Production Log: Expressing your ideas

AQA copyright notice

The presentation above contains slides from the AQA presentation  Teaching slides: how to complete the production log  (available from the AQA EPQ Teaching and Learning Resources website ).  These slides are Copyright © 2020 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A downloadable copy of the Production Log can be found here , on the Home tab of this guide.

Submission checklists

• First Draft Checklist A guide to make sure you stay on track and complete everything required for your first draft.
• Final Draft Checklist A guide detailing everything that needs to be completed before submitting your EPQ.

Guides for PC users

• Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Windows
• Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Windows
• Creating a Table of Contents in Word 2016 for Windows

Guides for Mac users

• Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Mac
• Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Mac
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• Knowledge Base
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• What is a Literature Review? | Guide, Template, & Examples

What is a Literature Review? | Guide, Template, & Examples

Published on 22 February 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 7 June 2022.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research.

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarise sources – it analyses, synthesises, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

Why write a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1: search for relevant literature, step 2: evaluate and select sources, step 3: identify themes, debates and gaps, step 4: outline your literature review’s structure, step 5: write your literature review, frequently asked questions about literature reviews, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a dissertation or thesis, you will have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position yourself in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your dissertation addresses a gap or contributes to a debate

You might also have to write a literature review as a stand-alone assignment. In this case, the purpose is to evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of scholarly debates around a topic.

The content will look slightly different in each case, but the process of conducting a literature review follows the same steps. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research objectives and questions .

If you are writing a literature review as a stand-alone assignment, you will have to choose a focus and develop a central question to direct your search. Unlike a dissertation research question, this question has to be answerable without collecting original data. You should be able to answer it based only on a review of existing publications.

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research topic. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list if you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can use boolean operators to help narrow down your search:

Read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

To identify the most important publications on your topic, take note of recurring citations. If the same authors, books or articles keep appearing in your reading, make sure to seek them out.

You probably won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on the topic – you’ll have to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your questions.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models and methods? Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• How does the publication contribute to your understanding of the topic? What are its key insights and arguments?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible, and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can find out how many times an article has been cited on Google Scholar – a high citation count means the article has been influential in the field, and should certainly be included in your literature review.

The scope of your review will depend on your topic and discipline: in the sciences you usually only review recent literature, but in the humanities you might take a long historical perspective (for example, to trace how a concept has changed in meaning over time).

Remember that you can use our template to summarise and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using!

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It’s important to keep track of your sources with references to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography, where you compile full reference information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

You can use our free APA Reference Generator for quick, correct, consistent citations.

To begin organising your literature review’s argument and structure, you need to understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly-visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat – this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organising the body of a literature review. You should have a rough idea of your strategy before you start writing.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarising sources in order.

Try to analyse patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organise your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text, your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

If you are writing the literature review as part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate your central problem or research question and give a brief summary of the scholarly context. You can emphasise the timeliness of the topic (“many recent studies have focused on the problem of x”) or highlight a gap in the literature (“while there has been much research on x, few researchers have taken y into consideration”).

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, make sure to follow these tips:

• Summarise and synthesise: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole.
• Analyse and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole.
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources.
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transitions and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts.

In the conclusion, you should summarise the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasise their significance.

If the literature review is part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate how your research addresses gaps and contributes new knowledge, or discuss how you have drawn on existing theories and methods to build a framework for your research. This can lead directly into your methodology section.

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a dissertation , thesis, research paper , or proposal .

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarise yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your  dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, June 07). What is a Literature Review? | Guide, Template, & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 26 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/literature-review/

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450 EPQ Ideas and Everything You Need to Know

• The EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) is a great way to earn extra UCAS points
• It can be an essay, or it can be an entirely different project
• It has many benefits, especially for students looking at top universities
• You can choose from an endless selection of EPQ topic ideas and EPQ examples with little restrictions

What Could Your EPQ Be?

An EPQ, or Extended Project Qualification, is a project that can be taken on by A-level students, and it’s worth 50% of an A-level.

Your EPQ could be a:

• Dissertation of around 5,000 words
• Project , report or artefact backed up by paper work.

There are little restrictions on what topics could be chosen for your EPQ, as long as it’s approved by your institution. You could target a topic you’re studying, or a topic not taught in an A-level course to demonstrate your interest and intellectual versatility.

Benefits of an EPQ

Some of the best teachers in the world tutor at Crimson! Our expert teachers identified 5 huge benefits that you get out of doing an EPQ:

1. Showcasing Super-Curricular Excellence

Top UK universities look for students who go above and beyond the standard curriculum.

The EPQ allows you to showcase your super-curricular engagement with a favorite academic subject, demonstrating not just knowledge but a genuine passion for learning.

2. Exploring New Subjects

The EPQ gives you an opportunity to study subjects that are not taught at A-level. It gives you a chance to showcase your intellectual versatility, something that top universities love to see .

By exploring a subject not offered at A Level, you exhibit a broad academic curiosity and a hunger for knowledge.

3. Mastering Skills for Academic Success

The EPQ is a golden opportunity to develop independent research, critical thinking, and project management skills – all crucial for thriving in higher education.

When working on your EPQ, you’ll confidently navigate complex research, make informed decisions, and manage a project from inception to completion – skills that set you apart in the competitive admissions landscape.

4. Gaining Additional UCAS Points

In the fierce competition for university spots, every point counts. Completing an EPQ not only enriches your academic profile but also adds those coveted extra UCAS points .

The EPQ could grant you up to an extra 28 UCAS points!

5. Equipping Yourself with Invaluable Transferable Skills

The EPQ is a gateway to acquiring invaluable transferable skills – from effective presentation to confident decision-making.

These skills transcend the classroom, positioning you as a well-rounded candidate prepared to excel both in university and future professional endeavors.

EPQ Examples

As mentioned above, a dissertation or essay is only one way to approach your EPQ. The EPQ opens doors to so many project possibilities, allowing you to explore your interests and showcase your skills in various creative ways.

20 EPQ Examples:

• Documentary Film: Create a visually engaging documentary exploring a historical event, social issue, or scientific phenomenon.
• Podcast Series: Dive into podcasting by producing a series that delves into topics such as literature, culture, or current affairs.
• Art Exhibition: Showcase your artistic talents by curating an exhibition that explores a theme or conveys a message.
• Scientific Experiment: Conduct an in-depth scientific experiment and present your findings, methodology, and conclusions.
• Business Plan: Develop a comprehensive business plan for a startup, considering market analysis, financial projections, and marketing strategies.
• Creative Writing Portfolio: Craft a collection of short stories, poems, or a novel, displaying your creative writing prowess.
• Historical Reenactment: Bring history to life by organizing and participating in a historical reenactment event.
• Mathematical Model: Create a complex mathematical model to solve a real-world problem, demonstrating the practical applications of mathematics.
• Computer Program or App: Develop a functional computer program or mobile app that addresses a specific need or problem.
• Educational Board Game: Design and produce an educational board game aimed at teaching a particular subject or skill.
• Campaign and Advocacy Project: Take on a social or environmental cause, developing and implementing a campaign to raise awareness and provoke change.
• Musical Composition: Compose an original piece of music or a full musical score for a play, film, or even a video game.
• Fashion Collection: Design and create a fashion collection, exploring themes such as sustainability or cultural influences.
• Psychological Experiment: Devise and conduct a psychological experiment, analyzing human behavior or cognitive processes.
• Architectural Model: Create a detailed architectural model for a theoretical building or urban planning project.
• Language Learning App: Develop an app focused on language learning, incorporating innovative features to enhance the learning experience.
• Robotics Project: Build a functional robot, detailing the design process, programming, and potential applications.
• Photography Exhibition: Showcase your photography skills by curating an exhibition with a theme or message.
• Health and Fitness Program: Design a personalized health and fitness program, incorporating nutritional plans and exercise routines.
• Political Analysis Report: Conduct an in-depth analysis of a political issue, policy, or historical event, presenting your findings in a detailed report.

EPQ Ideas  

Epq ideas for biology.

• The Impact of Genetic Engineering on Agriculture: A Critical Analysis
• Exploring CRISPR-Cas9 Technology: Revolutionizing Genetic Editing
• The Role of Microbiome in Human Health and Disease
• Comparative Analysis of Plant Adaptations in Different Biomes
• Investigating the Relationship Between Diet and Gut Microbiota
• The Ethics of Cloning: Examining the Bioethical Implications
• The Evolutionary Significance of Biodiversity in Rainforests
• Stem Cell Research: A Breakthrough in Regenerative Medicine
• The Interplay Between Genetics and Environmental Factors in Disease Susceptibility
• Climate Change's Impact on Marine Ecosystems: A Case Study
• The Use of CRISPR in Treating Genetic Disorders
• Understanding the Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
• The Role of Epigenetics in Inheritance and Gene Expression
• Analyzing the Impact of Pesticides on Bee Populations
• The Biochemical Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Human Evolution: A Comparative Study of Hominid Species
• The CRISPR Revolution: Opportunities and Ethical Dilemmas
• The Application of Synthetic Biology in Medicine
• The Role of Genetics in Cancer: Identifying Biomarkers for Early Detection
• Exploring the Potential of Gene Therapy in Treating Genetic Disorders
• The Impact of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs
• Biological Control of Invasive Species: Balancing Ecosystems
• The Connection Between Sleep Patterns and Biological Rhythms
• The Role of Hormones in Human Behavior and Mental Health
• Analyzing the Genetics of Rare Diseases: Implications for Treatment
• Evolutionary Ecology of Predator-Prey Relationships
• The Use of Biotechnology in Crop Improvement and Food Security
• Investigating the Impact of Endocrine Disruptors on Wildlife
• The Microbiome and Immune System: Partners in Health
• Neurobiology of Addiction: Understanding the Biological Basis

EPQ Ideas For Chemistry

• Green Chemistry: Strategies for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Practices
• Nanotechnology in Medicine: Advancements and Potential Applications
• Analyzing the Chemistry of Taste: Molecular Basis of Flavor Perception
• The Role of Catalysts in Chemical Reactions: A Comprehensive Study
• Synthetic Polymers vs. Biodegradable Polymers: Environmental Impacts
• Investigating the Chemistry of Superfoods and Their Health Benefits
• Applications of Electrochemistry in Energy Storage Devices
• Quantum Dots: Nanoscale Wonders in Electronic and Photonic Devices
• The Chemistry Behind Drug Design and Development
• Chemical Analysis of Air Pollutants: Sources and Solutions
• The Chemistry of Photosynthesis: Unlocking Nature's Energy Secrets
• Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Applications in Gas Storage and Separation
• Exploring the Chemistry of Perfumes: Molecular Components and Fragrance Design
• The Impact of pH on Enzyme Activity: Understanding Biological Catalysis
• Chemical Kinetics: Investigating Reaction Rates and Mechanisms
• The Chemistry of Art Conservation: Preserving Cultural Heritage
• Catalytic Converters: Mitigating Environmental Impact in Automobiles
• Analytical Chemistry Techniques in Forensic Science: Solving Crimes
• The Chemistry of Food Preservation: From Canning to Refrigeration
• Understanding the Chemistry of Water Treatment Processes
• Molecular Gastronomy: The Science Behind Culinary Innovations
• Supramolecular Chemistry: Designing Complex Molecular Structures
• The Chemistry of Battery Technologies: Advancements and Challenges
• Chemical Warfare Agents: A Historical and Contemporary Perspective
• Exploring the Chemistry of Antioxidants in Health and Wellness
• The Role of Transition Metals in Biological Systems: Bioinorganic Chemistry
• Environmental Impact of Pharmaceuticals: Analyzing Residue in Water Systems
• The Chemistry of Bioluminescence: Illuminating the Natural World
• Chirality in Drug Development: Importance and Challenges
• Chemical Aspects of Brewing: From Hops to Fermentation Processes

EPQ Ideas For Physics

• Quantum Computing: The Future of Information Processing
• Astrophysics and Dark Matter: Unraveling the Cosmic Mystery
• The Physics of Renewable Energy: Exploring Sustainable Power Sources
• String Theory: Investigating the Fundamental Building Blocks of the Universe
• Applications of Quantum Mechanics in Modern Technology
• The Physics of Time Travel: Theoretical Possibilities and Paradoxes
• Nuclear Fusion: Harnessing the Power of the Sun on Earth
• The Role of Physics in Medical Imaging Technologies
• The Physics of Music: Acoustics and Instrument Design
• Quantum Entanglement: Spooky Action at a Distance
• The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Astrophysical Approaches
• Superconductivity: Applications and Challenges in Technology
• The Physics of Sports: Analyzing the Mechanics Behind Athletic Performance
• Gravitational Waves: Detecting Ripples in Spacetime
• The Physics of Climate Change: Understanding the Science Behind Global Warming
• Particle Physics: Exploring Subatomic Particles and Their Interactions
• The Physics of Fluid Dynamics: Applications in Engineering and Nature
• Theoretical Physics and the Nature of Reality: Einstein's Legacy
• Quantum Teleportation: The Possibilities and Limitations
• The Physics of Traffic Flow: Modeling and Optimization
• Black Holes: Nature's Most Mysterious Cosmic Phenomena
• The Physics of Quantum Computing: Challenges and Breakthroughs
• The Physics of Roller Coasters: Designing Thrilling Rides
• The Role of Physics in Medical Diagnostics: Imaging Techniques
• The Physics of Materials: Properties and Applications
• Chaos Theory: Understanding Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
• The Physics of Nuclear Weapons: Science and Global Security
• The Higgs Boson: Unraveling the Mysteries of Particle Mass
• The Physics of Artificial Intelligence: Quantum Computing Perspectives
• Optical Illusions: Exploring the Physics Behind Visual Deceptions

EPQ Ideas for Computer Science

• Quantum Computing: Promises, Challenges, and Potential Applications
• Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence: Bias, Accountability, and Transparency
• Blockchain Technology: Beyond Cryptocurrencies
• Cybersecurity Threats and Countermeasures in the Digital Age
• The Impact of Machine Learning on Healthcare: Diagnostics and Treatment
• Human-Computer Interaction: Designing User-Friendly Interfaces
• The Evolution of Programming Languages: From Assembly to High-Level Languages
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): Applications and Future Trends
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Autonomous Vehicles
• Natural Language Processing: Challenges and Advances in Language Understanding
• Quantum Cryptography: Securing Communication with Quantum Mechanics
• The Ethics of Data Collection and Privacy in the Internet Age
• The Rise of Edge Computing: Redefining Cloud Computing Architectures
• Algorithmic Trading: The Impact of Automated Systems on Financial Markets
• Computer Vision: Applications in Image Recognition and Analysis
• The Intersection of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence: Creating Intelligent Machines
• Big Data Analytics in Business: Extracting Insights from Large Datasets
• The Role of Machine Learning in Predictive Policing: Benefits and Concerns
• The Future of Quantum Internet: Secure Communication with Quantum Entanglement
• Deep Learning: Neural Networks and Their Applications
• The Dark Web: Unveiling the Hidden Layers of the Internet
• The Impact of 5G Technology on Communication and Connectivity
• Programming Quantum Computers: Challenges and Opportunities
• The Role of Computer Science in Climate Modeling and Environmental Studies
• Voice Recognition Technology: Advancements and Challenges
• E-Learning Platforms: The Integration of Technology in Education
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery and Development
• Digital Forensics: Investigating Cyber Crimes and Security Breaches
• Internet of Things (IoT): Connecting Devices for a Smart Future
• Computer-Aided Design (CAD): Revolutionizing Engineering and Architecture

EPQ Ideas For Law

• The Impact of Cybercrime Laws on Digital Privacy
• Analyzing the Efficacy of International Human Rights Treaties
• The Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
• The Role of Constitutional Law in Shaping National Policies
• The Evolution of Criminal Law: From Traditional to Cyber Crimes
• Exploring the Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Euthanasia
• The Intersection of Law and Medicine: Medical Malpractice Cases
• Copyright Law in the Digital Age: Challenges and Solutions
• The Legal Status of Environmental Rights and Responsibilities
• Comparative Analysis of Legal Systems: Civil Law vs. Common Law
• The Impact of Social Media on Defamation Laws
• Legal Issues Surrounding Genetic Engineering and Human Cloning
• The Role of International Law in Addressing Climate Change
• The Legal Implications of Biometric Data Collection and Use
• Examining the Role of Legal Precedent in Judicial Decision-Making
• The Legalization of Marijuana: Impacts on Society and Legislation
• The Relationship Between Law and Economics: A Critical Analysis
• The Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Legal Protections and Challenges
• The Legal Dimensions of Cybersecurity: Policies and Practices
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Intellectual Property Law
• The Legal Implications of Mass Surveillance Programs
• The Role of International Criminal Law in Addressing War Crimes
• Laws Governing Digital Currency and Cryptocurrencies
• The Legal and Ethical Issues of DNA Profiling in Criminal Investigations
• The Legal Status of Privacy in the Workplace
• The Intersection of Law and Technology: Challenges in the Digital Age
• LGBTQ+ Rights: Legal Progress and Ongoing Challenges
• The Legal Implications of Autonomous Vehicles on Traffic Laws
• Legal Issues Surrounding Data Privacy and Social Media Platforms
• The Role of Legal Ethics in the Practice of Law

EPQ Ideas for Psychology

• The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health: A Psychological Perspective
• Exploring the Relationship Between Sleep Patterns and Cognitive Functioning
• The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
• The Psychology of Addiction: Understanding Behavioral and Substance Dependencies
• The Role of Positive Psychology in Promoting Well-being and Happiness
• Analyzing the Effects of Video Games on Aggression and Behavior
• The Psychological Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness
• The Intersection of Psychology and Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Considerations
• The Psychology of Decision-Making: Factors Influencing Choices
• Understanding the Psychological Impact of Chronic Illness on Patients
• The Relationship Between Personality and Career Choice: A Longitudinal Study
• The Influence of Parenting Styles on Child Development
• The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination: Exploring Implicit Bias
• The Effects of Mindfulness and Meditation on Mental Health
• The Psychology of Procrastination: Causes and Interventions
• Exploring the Connection Between Music and Mood: The Emotional Power of Music
• The Impact of Technology on Cognitive Development in Children
• The Psychology of Body Image: Media Influence and Societal Standards
• The Role of Attachment Theory in Understanding Interpersonal Relationships
• The Psychology of Leadership: Traits and Behaviors of Effective Leaders
• Analyzing the Psychological Factors Contributing to Eating Disorders
• The Influence of Gender Stereotypes on Career Choices: A Psychological Perspective
• The Psychology of Resilience: Coping Mechanisms in the Face of Adversity
• The Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Anxiety and Depression
• The Psychological Impact of Environmental Factors on Human Behavior
• The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Academic Achievement
• The Role of Psychology in Criminal Profiling and Investigative Techniques
• The Psychological Effects of Virtual Reality: Immersion and Presence
• Understanding the Psychology of Humor: The Cognitive and Emotional Aspects
• The Impact of Social Support on Mental Health Outcomes: A Comprehensive Study

EPQ Ideas for History

• The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society and Economy
• The Role of Women in Ancient Civilizations: A Comparative Study
• The Causes and Consequences of World War I: A Comprehensive Analysis
• The Significance of the Renaissance in European Cultural and Intellectual History
• The Legacy of Colonialism in Modern Africa: Social and Economic Impacts
• The Cultural and Political Effects of the Black Death in Medieval Europe
• The Rise and Fall of Ancient Empires: A Comparative Study of Rome and Persia
• The Harlem Renaissance: Cultural Flourishing in 1920s America
• The Impact of the Silk Road on Global Trade and Cultural Exchange
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: Cold War Tensions and Nuclear Diplomacy
• The Enlightenment and Its Influence on Modern Political Thought
• The Reconstruction Era in the United States: Successes, Failures, and Legacies
• The Role of Propaganda in Shaping Public Opinion During World War II
• The Cultural Revolution in China: Socio-Political Changes and Consequences
• The Mayan Civilization: Achievements, Decline, and Cultural Legacy
• The Causes and Effects of the French Revolution: A Historical Analysis
• The Role of Religion in Shaping Medieval European Society
• The Vietnam War: Causes, Course, and Legacy
• The Impact of the Bubonic Plague on Medieval European Society
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Historical Roots and Lasting Effects
• The Suffragette Movement: Women's Struggle for Voting Rights
• The Partition of India: Historical Roots and Socio-Political Consequences
• The Cold War Space Race: Scientific Achievements and Political Rivalry
• The Cultural Exchange Along the Silk Road: Art, Religion, and Ideas
• The Opium Wars in China: Imperialism and Its Consequences
• The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization: Contributions to Science, Art, and Philosophy
• The Crusades: Causes, Course, and Long-Term Effects
• The Impact of the Great Depression on Global Economies
• The Roman Empire and Its Legacy: Contributions to Law, Engineering, and Governance
• The Zulu Kingdom: Rise, Expansion, and Resistance to Colonial Rule

EPQ Ideas for Mathematics

• The P versus NP Problem: Unraveling the Complexity of Algorithms
• Fermat's Last Theorem: From Conjecture to Proof
• Fractals in Nature and Art: Exploring Mathematical Patterns
• Game Theory and Its Applications in Economics and Decision-Making
• The Riemann Hypothesis: A Deep Dive into Number Theory
• Graph Theory: Applications in Network Analysis and Optimization
• The Beauty of Mathematical Symmetry: Aesthetic and Structural Significance
• The Four Color Theorem: Coloring Maps with the Fewest Colors
• The Mathematics of Cryptography: Ensuring Information Security
• Knot Theory: Unraveling the Mathematics of Tangles and Knots
• The History and Impact of Calculus on Science and Engineering
• Prime Numbers and Cryptography: The RSA Algorithm
• The Applications of Probability Theory in Real-world Scenarios
• The Mathematics of Music: Harmonic Analysis and Composition
• Coding Theory: Error Detection and Correction in Data Transmission
• The Golden Ratio: Its Presence in Art, Architecture, and Nature
• The Traveling Salesman Problem: Optimization in Route Planning
• Hyperbolic Geometry: A Non-Euclidean Approach to Geometry
• The Application of Fourier Analysis in Signal Processing
• The Navier-Stokes Equations: Challenges in Fluid Dynamics
• The Mathematics of Climate Modeling: Understanding Global Patterns
• Zero Knowledge Proofs: Enhancing Security in Cryptography
• Combinatorial Game Theory: Strategies and Winning Strategies
• The Application of Fibonacci Numbers in Nature and Mathematics
• The Mathematics of Artificial Intelligence: Algorithms and Learning Models
• The Collatz Conjecture: An Unresolved Problem in Number Theory
• Mathematics in Ancient Civilizations: Contributions and Discoveries
• The Role of Topology in Understanding Shapes and Spaces
• The Mathematics of Quantum Mechanics: Probability and Wave Functions

EPQ Ideas for Film Studies

• The Evolution of Film Genres: A Comparative Analysis of Classic and Contemporary Approaches
• The Impact of Streaming Services on the Film Industry: Challenges and Opportunities
• The Representation of Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Cinema
• Cinematic Adaptations of Literature: Analyzing the Translation from Page to Screen
• The Influence of Film Scores on Audience Perception and Emotional Engagement
• The Role of Film Festivals in Shaping Global Cinema and Cultural Exchange
• The Art of Cinematography: Exploring the Work of Influential Cinematographers
• The Rise of Independent Cinema: A Critical Examination of Indie Filmmaking
• The Use of Color in Film: Symbolism and Visual Storytelling
• The Impact of Digital Technology on Film Production and Special Effects
• The Representation of Mental Health Issues in Cinema: A Critical Analysis
• Film Censorship: Examining the Ethics and Implications of Content Regulation
• The Auteur Theory: Analyzing the Creative Vision of Film Directors
• The Portrayal of Historical Events in Film: Accuracy and Interpretation
• The Influence of Cultural Diversity on Film Narratives and Storytelling
• The Golden Age of Hollywood: Examining the Studio System and its Legacy
• The Impact of Social Media on Film Promotion and Audience Reception
• The Role of Sound Design in Film: Enhancing Narrative and Atmosphere
• Cinematic Representations of Identity: Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality
• The Use of Symbolism in Surrealist Cinema: A Study of Visual Metaphors
• The Influence of French New Wave Cinema on Filmmaking Techniques
• The Role of Costume Design in Period Films: Creating Authenticity
• Cinematic Depictions of War: Propaganda, Realism, and Anti-War Messages
• The Impact of Film on Cultural Memory: Examining Cinematic Histories
• The Intersection of Animation and Technology: Innovations and Trends
• The Representation of LGBTQ+ Characters in Mainstream Cinema
• The Legacy of Silent Cinema: Influence on Contemporary Filmmaking
• Cinematic Depictions of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: Ethical Considerations
• The Use of Film as a Form of Political Activism: Case Studies and Analysis
• The Influence of Film Noir on Modern Crime and Mystery Genres

EPQ Ideas for Business

• The Impact of E-commerce on Traditional Retail: A Comparative Analysis
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Assessing its Role in Business Ethics
• The Rise of Gig Economy: Implications for Workers and Businesses
• Digital Marketing Strategies: A Comparative Study of Successful Campaigns
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Business Decision-Making
• The Influence of Globalization on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
• The Future of Work: Examining Trends in Remote Work and Flexibility
• Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Business Models and Economic Resilience
• Strategic Management: Analyzing the Approaches of Successful Companies
• The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizational Success
• Supply Chain Resilience: Lessons Learned from Global Disruptions
• Corporate Governance: Evaluating the Relationship Between Boards and Performance
• The Role of Innovation in Sustainable Business Practices
• The Effects of Consumer Behavior on Marketing Strategies and Branding
• Business Analytics: Leveraging Data for Informed Decision-Making
• The Impact of Diversity and Inclusion on Organizational Performance
• The Circular Economy: Shifting Towards Sustainable Business Practices
• Financial Technology (Fintech): Revolutionizing the Banking and Finance Industry
• Strategies for Managing Organizational Change: Case Studies and Best Practices
• The Role of Leadership Styles in Organizational Culture and Productivity
• The Influence of Corporate Culture on Employee Engagement and Performance
• Economic Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions: A Comparative Analysis
• The Role of Branding in Consumer Loyalty and Market Positioning
• The Integration of Blockchain Technology in Business Operations
• Corporate Innovation: Strategies for Fostering Creativity and Adaptability
• The Impact of Trade Policies on Global Business Operations
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Employee Training and Development Programs
• Business Resilience in Times of Crisis: Strategies for Sustainability
• The Role of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems in Enhancing Business Success

EPQ Ideas for Medicine

• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Diagnosing Medical Conditions
• The Impact of Telemedicine on Healthcare Accessibility
• Precision Medicine: Tailoring Treatments Based on Genetic Factors
• Exploring the Ethics of Human Gene Editing in Medicine
• The Relationship Between Gut Microbiota and Mental Health
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Vaccination Programs in Preventing Diseases
• The Role of Stem Cell Therapy in Regenerative Medicine
• The Implications of CRISPR Technology in Genetic Medicine
• The Use of Nanomedicine in Cancer Treatment
• The Psychological Impact of Chronic Illness on Patients
• Global Health Disparities: Challenges and Solutions
• The Role of Artificial Organs in Transplantation Medicine
• The Intersection of Medicine and Artificial Intelligence in Imaging Diagnosis
• The Impact of Lifestyle Factors on Cardiovascular Health
• The Rise of Antibiotic Resistance: Causes and Strategies for Mitigation
• The Role of Epigenetics in Disease Development and Prevention
• The Ethics of Organ Transplantation: Allocation and Donor Criteria
• The Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Healthcare Disparities
• The Use of Virtual Reality in Medical Training and Patient Care
• The Relationship Between Mental Health and Inflammatory Disorders
• Exploring the Potential of CRISPR in Treating Genetic Disorders
• The Impact of Climate Change on the Spread of Infectious Diseases
• The Application of 3D Printing in Medicine: Customized Implants and Prosthetics
• The Role of Medical Imaging in Early Disease Detection
• The Ethical Considerations of Human Cloning in Medicine
• The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Function and Mental Health
• The Use of Robotics in Surgery: Advancements and Challenges
• The Psychological Factors in Patient Adherence to Treatment Plans
• The Impact of Social Determinants on Maternal and Child Health

EPQ Ideas for Engineering

• The Future of Sustainable Transportation: Electric Vehicles and Beyond
• Smart Cities: Integrating Technology for Urban Development
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Design and Automation
• Renewable Energy Integration into the Power Grid: Challenges and Solutions
• Biomimicry in Engineering: Learning from Nature for Innovative Design
• 3D Printing in Aerospace: Advancements and Applications
• The Impact of Internet of Things (IoT) on Industrial Automation
• The Use of Drones in Civil Engineering: Monitoring and Surveying
• Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking): Engineering Challenges and Environmental Impacts
• The Advancements in Materials Science for Aerospace Applications
• Designing Resilient Infrastructure: Strategies for Mitigating Natural Disasters
• The Role of Engineers in Space Exploration: Challenges and Contributions
• The Integration of Blockchain Technology in Engineering Systems
• The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Autonomous Vehicles
• The Future of High-Speed Rail: Technological Developments and Challenges
• Biomedical Engineering: Innovations in Medical Devices and Prosthetics
• The Use of Virtual Reality in Engineering Design and Simulation
• The Impact of Climate Change on Civil Engineering Infrastructure
• The Potential of Quantum Computing in Solving Complex Engineering Problems
• Carbon Capture and Storage: Engineering Solutions for Climate Change
• The Application of Machine Learning in Structural Health Monitoring
• The Role of Engineers in Disaster Response and Emergency Management
• Human-Centric Design in Robotics: Enhancing Human-Machine Interaction
• The Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Smart Grids
• The Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Engineering
• The Impact of 5G Technology on Communication Networks and Infrastructure
• The Engineering Behind Sustainable Architecture and Building Design
• The Future of Transportation: Hyperloop Technology and Maglev Trains
• The Role of Engineering in Water Treatment and Environmental Conservation
• The Challenges of Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure Systems

EPQ Ideas for Teaching

• The Impact of Technology on Classroom Learning: Opportunities and Challenges
• Inclusive Education: Strategies for Catering to Diverse Learning Needs
• The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Effective Teaching Practices
• Examining the Efficacy of Flipped Classroom Models in Education
• The Influence of Teacher Expectations on Student Performance
• Integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into the Curriculum
• The Use of Gamification in Education: Engaging Students through Games
• Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Remote Teaching and Learning
• Culturally Responsive Teaching: Creating Inclusive and Equitable Classrooms
• The Impact of Early Childhood Education on Cognitive Development
• Teacher Burnout: Causes, Prevention, and Strategies for Well-being
• Assessment Methods in Education: A Comparative Analysis
• The Role of Mindfulness in Teacher Professional Development
• Parental Involvement in Education: Its Influence on Student Success
• The Integration of Project-Based Learning in the Classroom
• The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Strategies in Primary Education
• Teacher-Student Relationships: Their Impact on Academic Achievement
• The Influence of Educational Leadership on School Culture
• The Impact of Standardized Testing on Curriculum and Instruction
• The Role of Educational Technology in Special Education
• The Importance of Teacher Training in Addressing Learning Disabilities
• The Psychology of Motivation in Education: Strategies for Student Engagement
• Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom: Strategies and Approaches
• Teacher Professional Development: Models for Continuous Learning
• The Benefits of Outdoor Education: Enhancing Learning through Nature
• The Role of Educational Psychology in Teaching and Learning
• Innovative Teaching Methods: Exploring Unconventional Approaches
• The Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Educational Attainment
• The Influence of Teacher Feedback on Student Performance
• Educational Policies: Examining Their Effects on Classroom Practices

EPQ Ideas for Art

• The Evolution of Street Art: From Vandalism to Recognized Art Form
• Art and Activism: The Role of Visual Arts in Social Change
• Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Contemporary Art Practices
• The Influence of Cultural Diversity on Artistic Expression
• The Relationship Between Art and Mental Health: Exploring Therapeutic Benefits
• Art Conservation and Restoration: Balancing Preservation and Intervention
• The Intersection of Art and Artificial Intelligence: Creative Collaborations
• Feminist Art Movements: Examining Gender Representation in Art
• Surrealism in Contemporary Art: Resurgence and Modern Interpretations
• The Influence of Japanese Woodblock Prints on Western Art
• The Role of Public Art Installations in Urban Spaces
• The Representation of Identity in Contemporary Portraiture
• Exploring the Aesthetics of Environmental Art: Eco-conscious Creations
• The Impact of Photography on Traditional Painting: A Comparative Study
• Digital Art: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Technology
• The Psychological Impact of Color in Visual Arts: A Cross-Cultural Analysis
• Street Photography: Documenting Urban Life Through the Lens
• The Legacy of Abstract Expressionism: Influences on Contemporary Art
• The Role of Art in Holocaust Memorials and Commemoration
• Art as a Form of Protest: Examining Political Artistic Movements
• Cubism and Beyond: The Influence of Geometric Abstraction in Art
• The Impact of Social Media on Contemporary Art Practices
• The Intersection of Art and Science: Bioart and Technological Innovations
• Artistic Responses to Global Crises: War, Pandemics, and Climate Change
• The Representation of Women in Renaissance Art: Challenging Stereotypes
• Graffiti as an Artistic Expression: Breaking Down Stereotypes
• The Art Market: Commercialization and its Effects on Artistic Integrity
• The Influence of Indigenous Art on Modern and Contemporary Art Movements
• The Role of Museums in Shaping Artistic Discourse and Public Perception
• Art and Philosophy: Exploring the Relationship Between Visual and Conceptual Expression

EPQ Ideas for Politics

• The Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns and Public Opinion
• Globalization and Its Effects on National Sovereignty
• The Rise of Populism: Causes, Consequences, and Challenges
• The Role of Women in Politics: Breaking Barriers and Redefining Leadership
• Climate Change Policy: Assessing International Cooperation and Challenges
• The Impact of Political Polarization on Democracy
• The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in International Relations
• Examining the Effectiveness of Electoral Systems: Proportional Representation vs. First-Past-The-Post
• The Ethics of Political Lobbying: Balancing Influence and Transparency
• The Relationship Between Economic Inequality and Political Instability
• Human Rights in the Digital Age: Challenges and Protections
• The Impact of Political Advertising on Voter Behavior
• The Influence of Political Cartoons on Public Perception
• Nationalism vs. Globalism: Debates and Implications in Contemporary Politics
• The Role of Political Satire in Shaping Public Discourse
• The Evolution of International Institutions: United Nations and Beyond
• The Impact of Cyber Warfare on International Relations
• The Rise of Authoritarianism: Global Trends and Regional Variances
• The Relationship Between Religion and Politics: Secularism vs. Theocracy
• Political Corruption: Causes, Consequences, and Strategies for Prevention
• The Politics of Immigration: National Security, Humanitarian Concerns, and Economic Impact
• The Impact of Disinformation on Elections and Democratic Processes
• The Role of Supranational Organizations in Shaping Global Governance
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The question you’ll need to ask yourself is can you comfortably dedicate the time needed for it? Are the extra UCAS points needed for your dream university?

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EPQ Literature Review: Key Elements and Structure for Success

• backlinkworks
• Writing Articles & Reviews
• December 29, 2023

When conducting an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) as a part of your studies, one of the key components is the literature review. A well-written literature review is essential for the success of your EPQ, as IT demonstrates your understanding of the existing research in your chosen topic and provides a strong foundation for your own investigation.

Key Elements of a Literature Review

A literature review is not simply a summary of existing research. IT should critically analyze and synthesize the relevant literature to identify gaps, contradictions, and areas for further research. The key elements of a literature review include:

• Introduction: Provide an overview of your topic and the purpose of the literature review.
• Inclusion Criteria: Define the criteria for selecting the sources to be included in the review, such as publication date, relevance, and quality.
• Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature, identifying key themes, trends, and debates.
• Synthesis: Organize the literature into a coherent and logical structure, highlighting connections between different sources and presenting a unified perspective.
• Conclusion: Summarize the key findings of the literature review and identify areas for further research.

Structure for Success

To ensure the success of your literature review, IT is important to follow a clear and logical structure. The following structure is commonly used for EPQ literature reviews:

1. Introduction

Begin with an introductory paragraph that outlines the background of your topic and the purpose of the literature review. Clearly state the research question or objective of your EPQ.

The body of the literature review should be organized thematically or chronologically, depending on the nature of your topic. Discuss the key themes and debates in the literature, critically analyzing and synthesizing the sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research.

3. Conclusion

In the conclusion, summarize the key findings of the literature review and their implications for your own EPQ. Identify any gaps or contradictions in the literature and suggest areas for further research.

A well-written literature review is a critical component of a successful EPQ. By critically analyzing and synthesizing the existing research, you can demonstrate your understanding of the topic and provide a strong foundation for your own investigation. By following a clear and logical structure, you can effectively present your findings and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your chosen field.

1. What is the purpose of a literature review in an EPQ?

The purpose of a literature review in an EPQ is to demonstrate your understanding of the existing research in your chosen topic and provide a strong foundation for your own investigation. IT also helps to identify gaps, contradictions, and areas for further research.

2. How should I structure my literature review for an EPQ?

For an EPQ literature review, IT is important to follow a clear and logical structure. Begin with an introduction, followed by a body that discusses the key themes and debates in the literature, and conclude with a summary of the key findings and areas for further research.

3. How can I ensure the success of my literature review?

To ensure the success of your literature review, IT is important to critically analyze and synthesize the existing research, and to follow a clear and logical structure. By identifying key themes, trends, and debates, and presenting a unified perspective, you can effectively present your findings and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your chosen field.

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Sustainable Last Mile Delivery: A Literature Review and Future Directions

• Conference paper
• First Online: 28 August 2024
• Cite this conference paper

• Mohamed Rhouzali 14 ,
• Hicham Fouraiji 14 ,
• Wafaa Dachry 14 , 15 &
• Najat Messaoudi 14  

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 1104))

Included in the following conference series:

• INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LOGISTICS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

E-commerce sites are under increasing pressure to give perks like free shipping, fast turnaround times, individualized orders, and eco-friendly procedures. The last step of this procedure, known as “the last mile,” is crucial and expensive. Last-mile delivery is a key component of sustainable urban logistics that may significantly impact traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents a literature analysis covering the years 2004 through 2023, shedding light of the concepts of last-mile delivery and its potentials. The findings provide a descriptive synthesis of research in sustainable last-mile, identify current solutions and present future directions for researchers.

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Laboratory of Electrical and Industrial Engineering, Information Processing, Computing and Logistics, Hassan 2 University, Casablanca, Morocco

Mohamed Rhouzali, Hicham Fouraiji, Wafaa Dachry & Najat Messaoudi

Laboratory of Engineering, Industrial Management and Innovation, FST, Hassan 1 University, Settat, Morocco

Wafaa Dachry

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Correspondence to Mohamed Rhouzali .

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National School of Computer Science, Rabat, Morocco

Youssef Benadada

ENSIAS, Rabat, Morocco

Fatima-Zahra Mhada

Le Havre University, Le Havre, France

Jaouad Boukachour

Fatima Ouzayd

EUROMED, Fes, Morocco

Ahmed El Hilali Alaoui

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Rhouzali, M., Fouraiji, H., Dachry, W., Messaoudi, N. (2024). Sustainable Last Mile Delivery: A Literature Review and Future Directions. In: Benadada, Y., Mhada, FZ., Boukachour, J., Ouzayd, F., El Hilali Alaoui, A. (eds) Proceeding of the 7th International Conference on Logistics Operations Management, GOL'24. GOL 2024. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 1104. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-68628-3_33

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Published : 28 August 2024

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