The I-Search paper is designed to teach the writer and the reader something valuable about a chosen topic and the nature of research and discovery. As opposed to the standard research paper in which the writer usually assumes a detached and objective stance, the I-Search paper allows the writer to take an active role in the search, to hunt for facts and truths first hand, and to provide a step - by - step record of the discovery process.
Section One AKA What I Know, Assume, or
Imagine:
Before conducting any formal research, write a section in which you
explain to the reader what you think you know, what you assume, or what
you imagine about your topic. You have just completted the "zero draft"
for this section when you completed the timed-writing.
The article you chose for the myth timed essay is the beginning of the
research process. Full development of each question raised in the timed
writing prompt should lead to a clear proposal for the research itself.
When you are all done with the full process, you may have to go back and
revise your original proposal a bit, for clarification. However, section
one is completed before you begin the next section.
Section Two: The Search
Test your knowledge, assumptions, or conjectures by researching your topic
thoroughly. For a traditional I-Search paper, you would be asked to
consult books, articles magazines, newspapers, films, tapes, and other
sources of information...and when possible, interview people familiar with
your topic. However, for this paper assignment, we will focus only on
internet sources.
The Annotated Bibliography:
Once you have a working research question,
the next step is to research
the internet and complete an annotated bibliography (five sources).
As you uncover new information, take note of your
experience. Be sure to apply what you have discovered to
the question itself, adjusting as necessary. You must be willing to
readjust your question and be open to changing your mind.
The annotated bibliography should be completed before you move to the next part of the paper: the report of findings.
Section Two : Findings
After completing the annotated bibliography, report your findings in this
middle section.
Using at least three, but no more than five sources, your report
should include an exploration of your topic using a specific research
question as a framework. This section should help a
reader more clearly understand not just the material you discovered, but
your process of discovery as well. You will need to process the
information you have on your annotated bibliography in order to know how
to report the information in this part of your paper.
Cite outside sources carefully in the body of your paper using clear signal phrases and any necessary background information and / or context for each source.
Section Three: Discussion of Findings AKA What I
Discovered
Compare what you thought you knew, assumed,
or imagined with what you actually discovered; offer some personal
commentary and draw some conclusions. Question commonly perceived
notions about the myth you have been examining. You may argue a
position,
but this is not an "argument" paper. You may want to propose a
solution if you have been researching a problematic myth. You might be
showing how a myth has changed over time. Your conclusions here should
flow organically from your research.
This section should be a fairly thorough reflection upon your actual learning experience. Therefore, do pay close attention to how your answer to the initial question may or may not have changed. You do not have to overtly couch your discussion as "what I learned" but a reader should be able to see what you learned and how you now put all this information together. Think of this section as a recommendation you could make given your topic. After all, your research should have allowed you to now have an informed opinion based on data or theory.
Works Cited and Bnnotated Bibliography
At the close of this paper, you will provide a Works Cited page,
documenting the sources you used in your paper. Since you have been asked
to compile an annotated bibliography of online resources for your topic,
and we are working online, you will want to use Janice Walker's MLA style
sheet for citing those
online sources. The URLs should be fully functioning links. For this
reason do not use the usual MLA format for webpages.
The Annotated Bibliography is placed last, after the Works Cited. Remember, the A-Bib is a free standing piece of writing as well as the basis for your paper. As such it is worth five points in addition to the final paper grade.