How many sources for EPQ?

My teacher has told me I will get an A/A* in my EPQ and I used around 45 sources in total.
Whilst you are researching make sure to record the information of every source you use whilst you're on the website, rather than just collecting links and having to go back when you are completing your bibliography.

Hello.

I am wondering approximately how many sources I should have for my EPQ. What I mean by this is how many sources should I have for the reference section (so the sources I actually used and cited) and how many should I have in the bibliography (the sources I cited and didn't cite)?

I just want an approx number for each to recieve a high mark!

For my EPQ I only used 31 sources. So these sources I had evaluated, analysed, cited and put into my bibliography, but I have evaluated and analysed a total of 37 sources (the 6 extra sources I didn't directly use, but they were sources I had come across and so we were told to evaluate and analyse these too as it is likely they would have had some influence on our research). I was also told that the 30 sources I initially had may limit my grade

I would advise to have approximately 50 sources in the essay itself and then about 10-20 extra sources which you may not have directly referenced/used/cited. In plain terms 50-70 source sounds more than reasonable.

Hope that helps

Hi!, Thanks for the answer. It did help a lot.

Except I am confused about 1 thing. You wrote that the 30 sources you initially had limited you grade. You mean it limited the grade because you had too little? or because the sources weren't good?

Also, when I finish my research, I think I will have about 25 journal/scholarly articles (average 20 pages each), 20 news articles, 2 documentaries, 5 statistical sources (from banks and government). Do you think this is a good composition and amount? Also, do statistical sources count in the 50-70 sources you recommended?

Hi,

I'm not sure if the number of sources I had limited my grade, but I was told by my supervisor that there is a possibility it may if for example, the examiner didn't think it was sufficient for me to have so little sources and also give me a high grade. The examiner may be less inclined to give me a high grade, so to ensure that all the boxes are ticked as much as possible then having many sources would help ensure that. I didn't, as far as I'm aware, have any issues with the quality of my sources.

I think the composition and number of sources you have is great as I was also advised to have more bibliographic sources than webographic (so more sources from books/journals/articles than from websites). As far as I'm aware anything you read and is relevant to your title/project practically becomes a source as they may have some unconscious influence to your research/work and so I'd say statistical sources would most definitely count.

Hope that helped,

Oh also related to evaluating and analyzing sources. I did make a document with all the sources I read and I evaluated the credibility one by one and also summarized the context. In the bibliography, am I just suppose to put the name, year, title, publisher etc... as a reference or am I also supposed to put my source analysis in the bibliography of the essay? I am aware that it is possible to submit extra documents so should I just submit my source analysis document seperately and just do the normal referencing in the bibliography?

This is the best reply I got ever. Thank you so much it does help a lot.

One last question. It doesn't relate to my thread title but about the sources, are we supposed to evaluate our sources only on the literature review section of our essay? or are we supposed to evaluate within our main body as well? Evaluate as in assessing the credibility of the source.

Oh also related to evaluating and analyzing sources. I did make a document with all the sources I read and I evaluated the credibility one by one and also summarized the context. In the bibliography, am I just suppose to put the name, year, title, publisher etc... as a reference or am I also supposed to put my source analysis in the bibliography of the essay? I am aware that it is possible to submit extra documents so should I just submit my source analysis document seperately and just do the normal referencing in the bibliography?

Yeah, you can implement critical analysis in the main body of your essay but use it sparingly. You must remember that the main body *isn’t* your literature review. Your bibliography isn’t either. Also bear in mind that literature review is optional but seeing as you’re aiming for top grades that shouldn’t be an issue.

In relation to the sources - remember quality > quantity. For instance, having loads of flimsy unreliable sources isn’t really that helpful in helping you get a high grade, as opposed to high quality sources with which you can thoroughly critically analyse —> higher grade. And on top of it all, just make sure your log pages are detailed and thorough. You should be certi tho if you’re log pages are good

Source: finished EPQ this year

Yeah, you can implement critical analysis in the main body of your essay but use it sparingly. You must remember that the main body *isn’t* your literature review. Your bibliography isn’t either. Also bear in mind that literature review is optional but seeing as you’re aiming for top grades that shouldn’t be an issue.

In relation to the sources - remember quality > quantity. For instance, having loads of flimsy unreliable sources isn’t really that helpful in helping you get a high grade, as opposed to high quality sources with which you can thoroughly critically analyse —> higher grade. And on top of it all, just make sure your log pages are detailed and thorough. You should be certi tho if you’re log pages are good

Source: finished EPQ this year

Yes, do exactly that. My advice is not to put the evaluating and analysing in the bibliography itself, but keep it separate and do the normal referencing (name, year, publisher etc) in the bibliography.

so you suggest that I keep my source analysis/evaluation document seperstely to send off as additional material when I send off my work for marking and keep the bibliography simple? Am I instead supposed to add details about my source analysis and evaluations on my literature review part?

you actually can combine them and place it in the appendix, which is what I did

what did you combine exactly? The litersture review and bibliography and the source analysis document?

If I understood it right, when you say critical analysis, you mean assessing the credibility and reliability of the source (like the author,time when it was written, bias... etc)?

And if thats the case, you also mean that the critical analysis should only happen in the literature review? It should only be included in the main body only rarely if very necessary and suitable in the context? also, the biblography should be only be the referencing of all sources I read WITHOUT analysis.

did I understand correctly?

This and what you said before are 100% correct. Don’t worry yourself. Make sure your log pages are excellent and detailed and you’ll get a high grade.

Edit: I just finished an economics essay and used only a tiny tiny bit of analysis in the main body. Eg. The school of thought of Keynesian economics May contrast with the monetarist view, however this paper does not reflect this discrepancy. You’ll find that you’ll analyse without even knowing you’ve done so because the style of your EPQ may mean that you balance sides, and thus have to critically assess each side anyway.

Critical analysis (with respect to an EPQ) - assessing the credibility and reliability of the source etc., which is to be done on the literature review, a separate, optional body of the EPQ.