Extended Essay in History

[madik]

Hello, fellow IBers!

I'm writing my extended essay in the subject area of history, and my RQ is "To what extent did Operation Paperclip by the United States and Operation Osoaviakhim by the Soviet Union influence the work of the Space Race?".  I'm supposed to start drafting my argument (the body of the essay), but I don't know where to begin... any tips or suggestions?

[Nomenclature]

Before you do anything... research is key. Different people work in different ways, but I find that is easy to start with secondary sources and then move to primary sources. There are two advantages: Secondary sources generally give you a broad overview conducive to understanding the topic holistically, and you can generally find references to or even citations of primary sources that will be helpful to your investigation.

I'd recommend starting with maybe two books as secondary sources, you'll want to choose ones that cover the topic (bonus points for it they have opposing viewpoints, controversial interpretations, etc... these are things that could make writing the paper easier; but don't worry too much because the most important thing is that you just start reading). Also, you can generally read reviews on a site that's name is that of a famous rainforest in Brasil that will give you a sense of the work (just as a side note, buying the digital book can save much needed time rather than waiting for it to be shipped or available at the library). From there, expand your sources looking at newspapers, memorandums, letters, etc.; all good primary sources.

Try not to be too discouraged if things are difficult; starting is one of the hardest parts. Remember, the bibliography of the books you read are your friend. Good luck and godspeed. If you have any more questions don;t hesitate to ask.