EPQ What should I include/how should I organise it?

Hi, I'm a bit unsure of the best ways to present my EPQ and what exactly I need to include, are there any specific points or things I need to include and is there any sort of outline I can follow? I know I need to include a 5000 word essay, but is it helpful to include things such as a gantt chat or a spider diagram of ideas, will this get me any marks?
I'm sort of looking for a checklist sort of thing to use as a guide so I know I've covered everything as I'm a little unsure of what the examiners are looking for to give marks.
I'm sorry if this is a bit of a mess of a post, I'm struggling to write down exactly what I'm thinking!

Hi AnnaBobins,

I'm not sure which exam board you're with, but I did my EPQ with AQA, and this was the broad structure that I used:

The essay

1. Introduction (bear in mind that the introduction is often easier to write at the end of the project)

Start by introducing your question, then explain the aim of your project, i.e. what you plan to find out. Also mention what sources of information you will use, and how your essay is going to be structured.

2. Main essay

Here you should discuss all of the main points and arguments which will help to answer your question. This should be the bulk of your essay; remember to use paragraphs and reference any quotes you use so that the examiner can refer to them in the bibliography.

3. Conclusion

In the conclusion you should briefly discuss the most significant points/arguments again and come to a conclusion which answers your original title question.

4. Bibliography

The bibliography should include references for all images and quotes you use in your essay. Keep a note of the date when you found each source as well and add them in square brackets after each reference. You need at least three different types of sources of information, for example a book, a website and a TV programme – if I remember correctly, you get marks specifically for doing this!

The presentation

When you have completed your essay, you’ll need to give a short 10-15 minute presentation on your EPQ topic. The presentation should have slides dedicated to the following: why you chose to do an EPQ, why you chose your specific title, sources of information you used, what you found out, your conclusion, any problems you encountered during the project, benefits of doing an EPQ, what you would do differently if you did the project again, and whether you would recommend doing an EPQ to others. There must also be opportunity for the audience to ask questions, either during the presentation or at the end.

The Log Book

As well as the essay, you’ll also need to complete a Log Book (I think it’s also sometimes called a Production Log) - remember to fill it in thoroughly because this is the part which gets you most of the marks. You fill in the Log Book at various stages during your EPQ, at the start, middle and end of the project. Inside the Log Book there is guidance on what to include, but I found it very vague, so basically at each stage you’ll write about 1) what has gone well and what has gone badly, 2) any changes you have made to the project e.g. the title, structure etc, 3) what you plan to do next, and 4) any recommendations from your EPQ mentor/supervisor. You also need to write about your presentation, but again, the Log Book will have instructions on what you need to include.

Additionally, the mark scheme for AQA extended projects can be found here. Also remember that you can ask your mentor/supervisor for guidance if you're unsure about anything

I hope this gives you a better idea of what to do; if you have any more questions feel free to message me (I got an A in my EPQ)

This is great thank you! I was finding the log books explanations to be a bit too vague too but know I get the point of it, thank you so much I might actually have a clue whats going on now!!!