What is Rachel’s extended essay about?

Dr Jones: Come in. Ah, good morning, Rachel. Have you come to talk about your extended essay?
Rachel: That’s right, Dr Jones. Have I come at a bad time?
Dr Jones: No, not at all. This is a good time in fact.
Rachel: Good, because I wanted to ask what you think about the decision I have come to regarding the subject of my essay.
Dr Jones: Yes, you initially wanted to write about working conditions in 19th century factories but later you were contemplating looking at the conditions inside hospitals in 19th century northern towns.
Rachel: That’s right. I thought about it for a long time and weighed up the pros and cons. It took me ages to decide.
Dr Jones: Well, I think you were right to stick with your first idea. There are so many better sources available on the subject. There are plenty of articles in magazines and the odd TV and radio programmes on the other subject but everything is rather superficial: there’s no real academic knowledge to draw on.
Rachel: Yes, I found that out. I found lots of books but nothing was really helpful, even on the Internet. In the end, when I decided on the first topic I found lots of really good stuff in magazines, books and on the Internet. I have used one particular book as the major reference, and you’ll see quoted all over the place.
Dr Jones: Well, I’m glad you came to that decision . Let’s have a look at the essay now.
Rachel: What did you think? I’ve spent ages on it but I’m only about 80 percent happy with it.
Dr Jones: Well, I wouldn’t be too down about it. I think most of it is pretty good. I like the introduction which really sets out your ideas clearly. The middle needs some attention, but the end is really first rate.
Rachel: What are the areas that need more work then?
Dr Jones: The main problem lies with your analysis of the statistics. You quote all the right numbers and you’ve got lots of good tables and everything but you need to look more closely at what the numbers mean and what their implications are. Look at them again and try and explain the important parts more clearly. After that you need to have a look at your bibliography which is a bit shoddy.
Rachel: Yes, I was afraid of that. I always think that once I’ve finished the essay then I’m done and so I don’t put enough care into things like the bibliography. Still I’ve plenty of time to get that and the other stuff sorted out.
Dr Jones: You’ve plenty of time but don’t leave it until the last minute because you’ll need to check it all again carefully when you’re finished, and it would be a good idea if I looked over it again before the final submission.
Rachel: The deadline is the 28th April, so shall I get it to you on the 24th? Will that be OK?
Dr Jones: Well, that won’t leave you much time to change anything if I find anything else that needs it. How about a few days earlier than that, say April 21? I’ll be able to get it back to you the day after that.
Rachel: That sounds great. Thank you.