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. For example, you Have written summaries
and responses on the articles the class chose from LIA. The summary is
what you know about the topic from that author; your response draws
from you experience and allows you to more fully understand your basic
assumptions about the topic. What you "imagine" articulates your concerns
or asks questions that still need to be answered.
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.
As you uncover new information, take notes and be sure to write up your experience while it is still fresh. These notes will be vital for writing this section of your paper.
Write this section of your paper in narrative form, recording the steps of the discovery process. Do not feel obligated to tell everything, but highlight the happenings and facts you uncover that were crucial to your hunt and contributed to your understanding of the topic. Document all your sources, using Works Cited format and an annotated bibliography of online resources.
What I Discovered
After conducting your search, compare what you thought you knew, assumed, or imagined with what you actually discovered; offer some personal commentary and draw some conclusions. For instance, your initial understanding of your topic may have been rather hazy when you first chose your topic. Pay careful attention to how your understanding of your topic changes as you go. Keep lists of
points you will want to focus on. Use the articles / texts you have read to focus on an issue of importance to you.
Works Cited
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,
you will want to use Janice Walker's MLA style sheet for citing those
online sources.