Reflection: The RPF

What Reflection Must Show

Examiners are looking for three things:

1. How your thinking developed

• What changed in your understanding as you researched and wrote?

• How did you move from your early ideas to a more sophisticated approach?

2. How you made decisions

• Which choices shaped your investigation, methods, structure or argument?

• What influenced those choices?

3. What you learned as a researcher

• Skills, insights, judgement, strategies, blind spots, strengths.

• What do you take forward into future academic work?

These three areas are the heart of Criterion E.

What Counts as High-Quality Reflection?

Strong reflections in the new EE:

• show clear shifts in thinking

• explain turning points rather than describing timelines

• analyse challenges and responses

• evaluate decisions, not just recount them

• connect learning to future contexts

• show awareness of method, evidence and uncertainty

• avoid emotional clichés and vague statements

Weak reflections:

• re-summarise the essay

• explain content instead of thinking

• list tasks (“I read… I wrote… I drafted…”)

• focus on enjoyment, stress, or gratitude

• describe feelings without analysing them

• restate the research question

• talk about “improving time management” with no evidence

High-Impact Prompts for Criterion E

Use prompts that lead to analysis and evaluation, not narration.

Analytical Prompts

• What assumption did I change, and why?

• Which moment clarified what I was actually investigating?

• Which source, dataset, or text shifted my line of argument?

• How did my understanding of evidence or method evolve?

• When did I realise my initial plan was not workable?

• What made my research question become clearer or more focused?

Evaluative Prompts 

• Which of my decisions had the biggest impact on the outcome, and would I repeat it?

• If I redesigned my method, what would I prioritise differently and why?

• Which strategy genuinely improved the clarity or depth of my analysis?

• What new questions emerged, and how would they shape a future investigation?

• Where was my judgement strongest, and where did I misjudge something?

These are: evaluative, growth-focused, and research-centred.

Sentence Structures That Work

These help push into analysis:

• “I originally expected…, but once I examined…, I realised…”

• “A turning point in my thinking occurred when…”

• “I changed my approach because…”

• “The limitation that shaped my work most significantly was…”

• “My understanding deepened when I compared…”

• “This process taught me that effective research requires…”

• “If I repeated this investigation, I would adjust… because…”

• “This experience has changed the way I will approach future academic work by…”

Strong Sample Reflective Statement

Completing my Extended Essay changed the way I understand independent research. At the start, I assumed my question was straightforward, but early reading revealed conflicting interpretations that forced me to reconsider my focus. Narrowing the question was the first point where my thinking shifted. It made me aware of how easily an investigation can become unmanageable without clear parameters.

The most significant development in my approach came when I realised that two of my key sources used different definitions for the same concept. This challenged my assumptions and made me re-examine how I was selecting and evaluating evidence. Adjusting for this inconsistency made my argument more precise and helped me understand the importance of conceptual clarity.

A major obstacle was recognising that part of my planned method was not producing meaningful data. After analysing the limitations, I changed direction and relied more on secondary sources. Although this felt like a setback, it taught me to prioritise feasibility over attachment to an idea. This decision improved the quality of my final analysis.

Looking back, I would begin with a more critical review of my initial assumptions and compare a wider range of interpretations earlier. The process has strengthened my confidence in evaluating sources, adapting my approach and working with uncertainty. I will apply these skills in future research, especially the importance of revising my thinking when evidence challenges my expectations.

Final Advice

• Focus on thinking, not tasks

• Choose moments that genuinely mattered

• Evaluate your decisions

• Show intellectual movement

• Avoid retelling the essay

• Do not try to impress, just be clear and specific

Your reflection should read like someone who genuinely understands their own learning process.