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TOK Essay Outline

Organizing Your TOK Essay

Although there is no one specific method for organizing a TOK essay, consider these things:
 Brainstorm to generate ideas and then look for patterns or categories.
 You should address the title in a focused manner.
 You should explain key terms you identified from unpacking the title without just giving
a list or providing dictionary definitions.
 The essay should be very clear for the reader to follow.
 You must check the accuracy of any facts used and reference them properly.

OUTLINING YOUR ESSAY

Once you have figured out an organizational structure for your essay, you should put it into
outline form. Some of your outline will be in full sentences, and some will be in bullet points.
Make sure that you provide headings for each section of your outline.

I: The Introduction
Your title (the IB prompt) must be written at the top of the paper exactly as it appears;
therefore, DO NOT repeat it in the introduction. DO NOT begin with a dictionary definition.
And if your title is a quote, DO NOT worry about who said it or why. Now that you know what
NOT to do, try DOING this:
□ Explain the plan for your essay – what AOKs & perspectives will your essay address?
□ Lay the foundation – clarify any concepts, account for any assumptions.
□ Introduce your thesis or claim – this is what you aim to prove through your TOK essay.

II: The Body

You will need to incorporate claims, counterclaims, perspectives and knowledge questions.
Below are some possible organizational structures for your essay:
□ Claim / Counterclaim – Each paragraph (or set of paragraphs) focuses on a claim
followed by a corresponding counterclaim. For each major claim, you should have a
specific RLS to illustrate. You may also choose to illustrate your counterclaim with a
specific RLS.
□ Perspectives – Each paragraph (or set of paragraphs) focuses on a different
perspective. Keep in mind that perspective should be those of real-life, specific
individuals or groups.
□ Knowledge Questions* – Each paragraph (or set of paragraphs) focuses on a different
KQ relevant to the title.

III: The Conclusion

□ Return to the title. Make sure it has been addressed fully and satisfactorily.
□ Make sure your analysis is consistent with the thesis. Account for any other matters
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that need to be accounted for.

□ Bring closure to the essay – leave with a strong final thought or impression!

*A note on Knowledge Questions:

At this stage, you should state some KQs explicitly in your outline. These can be KQs from the
knowledge frameworks, or that you have come up with as sub-KQs in response to the title
prompts.

Your final essay draft may not state the KQs explicitly, but it is useful to state the explicitly as
questions in the outlining stage.

*A note on implications:

‘Implication’ basically means “what does this information mean for ABC?”or “How does this
information affect XYZ”.

When you’re asked about the ‘implication’ of something in TOK, you basically need to know
how the knowledge issue (claim, counterclaim or argument) relates to a greater knowledge
community: society/culture/political systems/theeconomy/something similar.

For example, if I ask:

“What are the implications of the following question: To what extent are the natural sciences
more important than thearts?”

² A claim ‘implication’ of that question could be that art subjects at school are seen as inferior
to subjects such as Math(s), Physics or Chemistry and therefore attract fewer students in
DPPrograms.

1. A connected supporting claim ‘implication’ of this question might be that the natural
sciences have helped humanity progress. For example, it is the natural sciences that
most likely put Elon Musk’s personal Tesla Roadster on a rocket flying into outer space.
2. A counterclaim ‘implication’ to the above points might be that we as humans need the
arts to express our complex emotions through music, art, and writing because there is
no place for that in the naturalsciences.
3. A synthesis ‘implication’ would be that many people realize the benefits of being
trained in both the natural sciences and the arts and lead enriched lives keeping a
foothold in both worlds. For example, the comedian and movie star Ken Jeong is also a
licensed physician. These cases are perhaps rarer incurrent society than they need to be.

This kind of synthesis ‘implication’ is also appropriate for the strong final thoughts finish to an
effective essayconclusion.

STEP 3: ADDING SIGNPOSTS TO YOUR ESSAY

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Below is “A short guide to signposting in essays” from the University of Birmingham:

(https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/asc/resources/a-short-guide-to-
signposting-in-essays.aspx)

What is signposting and why is it important?

Your essay is a journey through your argument or discussion. Your paragraphs are stepping
stones in that journey. Signposts help to guide the reader through. They indicate what will
happen, remind them of where they are at key points along the way, and indicate the direction
your essay is going to head in next.

Signposting should happen in your introduction and throughout your whole essay. There should
be some element of signposting in each paragraph. Signposting can be useful for linking your
paragraphs together. It also makes the reader feel as if you are in control of the structure.

Example of signposting phrase. “In order to understand the causes of the London Riots, it
would be useful to apply sociological theories...”

 How it aids the reader: The reader realises in advance that the writer is going to be
using some theories to explore the causes of the London Riots.

Example of signposting phrase: “Another aspects of Hardy's portrayal of Tess is...”

 How it aids the reader: This reminds the reader that at least one aspect has already
been discussed, and another is about to be revealed.

Signposting in an introduction

The signposts in your introduction should indicate:

 What is the overall aim of your essay ('This essay intends to...')

 What ideas or factors will be discussed and in what order ('Firstly... secondly...finally...').

You may also wish to:

 Quantify your aims or the content of your essay ('This essay will discuss three
approaches to the issue of...')

Signposting throughout an essay

Throughout an essay you will use two types of signposting: small and large scale.

1. Large Scale signposting tells the reader specifics about what is to come or what has gone
before, for example:

'Having discussed the arguments in favour of the Third Way, it is also necessary to
consider its limitations'.
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2. Small scale signposts are individual words or short phrases which help to signal direction,
such as:
 Consequently
 As a result
 Alternatively
 However
 Additionally

Retrospective signposts at the end of paragraphs:

You can also signpost things you have already covered, as a reminder and summary to the
reader. This should happen at the end of paragraphs, to highlight the point that you have made
and its relevance to your essay question. You will also use retrospective signposting in your
conclusion.

Verbs can be signposts, too

When introducing quotes or referring to other people's work, think about the verbs you can
use. These can act as signposts to the reader in terms of how you feel about the theories or
ideas you are discussing.

For example:
 Shoolbred (2013) demonstrates...
 Cooper (2014) claims...

Verbs like 'shows' or 'demonstrates' give the impression that you are endorsing a scholar's
viewpoint, whereas verbs like 'asserts' or 'claims' indicate that you might be about to challenge
their perspective. Again, it is important to be precise. Never use a verb like 'proves' if that
person did not actually prove something.

Some useful tips for signposting in conclusions

Look at the verbs you have used in your introduction (eg, suggest, discuss, argue). In your
introduction, these will probably have been used in the future tense eg, 'This essay will
discuss...' In your conclusion, you could use the same verbs but in the past tense eg, 'This essay
has discussed...'

Your conclusion should remind the reader of the line of reasoning you have guided them
through, and how your essay has answered the original question.

CAUTION: Use signposts precisely!!

It can make your work seem sloppy if you use words like 'however' or 'conversely' in the wrong
contexts. Avoid the temptation to dot signposting words throughout your text at random. Think
carefully about the link between two paragraphs, and choose a word that effectively conveys
that link. 'However' should indicate that you are adding something to the previous point.
Consider the specific meaning of a signposting like 'consequently'- do not use it if the idea that
follows is not truly a consequence of the previous one.