I-Search Paper Assignment Sheet

The I-search paper is designed to teach you and your reader something valuable about a chosen topic and about the nature
of searching and discovery. As opposed to the standard research paper in which a writer assumes a detached and objective
view, the I-search paper allows you to take an active role in your search; to hunt for facts and truths firsthand and to
provide a step by step record of the discovery process. This paper is essentially a story of how and what you are finding
out about your topic.
Due Date: 6/2-6/3
Topic: You get to pick the topic. That's right! You pick the topic. I will not tell you (specifically) what to write about.
However, there are 3 basic requirements for your topic:
your topic is school-appropriate
your topic is not too broad (ex: Africa)
your topic is not too narrow (ex: what Mark Twain did for his 3 rd Christmas)
For safe keeping, write your topic here
Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Paper Requirements:
3-4 pages
Typed; Times New Roman in 12 point font
1 inch margins all around
Double spaced
Minimum of 5 sources
MLA format for citations and Works Cited
Paragraphs written in CEA/R format**
What is included in this paper?
The I-search paper is organized into three separate parts, but reads as one flowing narrative:
The story of your search: This section tells readers what you knew about your subject before you began your
research, what you wanted to know, and why you are interested in the topic
What you learned: In this section, you give readers the results of your searchboth the answers you found and
the answers you did not find.
Your reflections on the search: You use this final section to tell readers what the experience has taught you about
conducting and documenting a search.
Paper Checklist
Select a topic/Research Question: (Due 5/5-5/6)
Statement of Purpose: (Due 5/11-5/12)
Sources (in MLA format): (Due 5/ 19-5/20)
Rough Draft Outline: (Due 5/26-5/27)
Final Paper: (Due 6/2-6/3)

Step 1: Selecting a Topic

Though this type of paper is slightly less formal than other research papers, you will still need to create and
answer your own research question. By creating and answering your own question, you will have an easier time
of locating appropriate sources for your topic and prevent your topic from being too broad.
For example:
*A broad research topic: For this paper, I researched asthma.
Asthma is a general topic (similar broad topics would be sports or drugs). Make your topic more
specific by answering the following questions:
What is my topic?
Why am I interested in this topic?
What do I hope to learn from my research?
My research question: ___________
Ex. --What is my topic?
My topic is asthma.
Why am I interested in this topic?
I have asthma, but I want to live an active, full life.
What do I hope to learn from my research?
Basically, I want to learn whether I can keep my asthma from interfering with my life. If I can, I need to
know how.
Research Question: Can I manage my asthma so that I can lead a full, active life?
Your research question will serve as the equivalent of a thesis statement for your paper.
Once you have developed a research question, you should then divide your initial question into several more
detailed questions. After forming your research question and subdividing it, you will have a specific goal for
your research. Focusing the question allows you to gather relevant information and dismiss any information that
has nothing to do with your specific topic. You can use these questions to help form the What you learned
section of your paper.
Ex. What can I do to keep playing sports and doing other physically demanding activities?
Are there certain foods or plants I should avoid?
How do different environmental conditions affect my asthma?
What are the effects of pets on asthma?
What kinds of medications are available for people suffering from asthma?
Statement of Purpose
After you focus your topic, after some overview reading, write a paragraph that says what you want to learn
about. Don't worry if you're not totally sure, your Statement of Purpose may change 3 or 4 times before you're
done. To write the paragraph, first answer these questions for yourself as best as you can:
1. What is my real personal interest in the topic?
(There will always be something that can interest you)
2. What do I specifically want to learn about my topic?
(Don't overwhelm yourself with too many things. Two or three are plenty.)
Start your Statement of Purpose with words like "I want to learn about..."
For example:
One person was very concerned about air pollution and wanted to know if the government is doing anything to
stop it.
Her Statement of Purpose began like this: I want to learn about what is being done by our government to
stop air pollution.
This Statement of Purpose will lead her to eventually write a Thesis Statement in which she will be able to
make an assertion (a statement she can defend) and support it with the evidence she has gathered in her
research.
Her Thesis Statement may sound something like this: "In the United States, government regulation plays an
important role in the fight against air pollution." Or, conversely, "United States government regulation has little

effect in the fight against air pollution."

Whichever the case, she will use the evidence she has gathered in her research to prove her Thesis Statement.
Remember, make sure your topic is specific.
General
Specific
"I want to find out about Porsches and
"I want to compare the performance of a
Trans Ams."
Porsche 911 and a Pontiac Trans Am and
see which I will buy when I have the
money."
"I want to learn about teen pregnancy."

"I want to know how teenage pregnancy

affects young fathers and young mothers
differently."

"I want to find out about the juvenile

criminal justice system."

"I want to know what juveniles

experience when they get put in legal
detention for committing a serious crime."

"I want to learn about the Crusades."

"I want to know why Christians and

Muslims fought so hard with each other
during the middle ages."

MLA Format
Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)
Here are some common features you should try and find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not
every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following
information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:
Author and/or editor names (if available)
Article name in quotation marks (if applicable)
Title of the Website, project, or book in italics. (Remember that some Print publications have Web
publications with slightly different names. They may, for example, include the additional information or
otherwise modified information, like domain names [e.g. .com or .net].)
Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
Take note of any page numbers (if available).
Medium of publication.
Date you accessed the material.
Citing an Entire Web Site
It is necessary to list your date of access because web postings are often updated, and information available on
one date may no longer be available later. If a URL is required or you chose to include one, be sure to include
the complete address for the site. Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no
publishing date is given.
Author (if available). Name of Site. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or
publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.
Example: Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003. Web. 10 May 2006.
A Page on a Web Site
For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by the information covered
above for entire Web sites. Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date
is given.
Example: "Athelete's Foot - Topic Overview." WebMD. WebMD, 25 September 2014. Web. 6 July 2015.
A Tweet Begin with the user's name (Last Name, First Name) followed by his/her Twitter username in parentheses.
Insert a period outside the parentheses. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the
tweet within the quotations.

Brokaw, Tom (tombrokaw). "SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign." 22 Jan.

2012, 3:06 a.m. Tweet.

YouTube Video
Authors Name or Posters Username. Title of Image or Video. Media Type
Text. Name of Website. Name of Websites Publisher, date of posting. Medium. date retrieved.
Shimabukuro, Jake. "Ukulele Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro." Online video clip.
YouTube. YouTube, 22 Apr. 2006. Web. 9 Sept. 2010.
Rough Draft Outline
See the I-Search paper format sheet (next page) for more thorough information about how your paper should be
structured.
I.
Introduction (What you knew about the topic beforehand/ What you wanted to learn about and
why)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________
II.
Thesis Statement (Usually the last sentence(s) in the introduction): (Your research question can be
converted into a thesis statement)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
III.
Body (A paper may have a few or many main points; decide how many your paper will need)
Your body paragraphs should discuss what youve learned about your topic
Main Point: ___________________________________________________________________
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. _____________________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________
Main Point: ___________________________________________________________________
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. ______________________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________
Main Point: ___________________________________________________________________
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. ______________________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________
Main Point: ___________________________________________________________________
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. ______________________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________
IV.

Conclusion: Reflect on your search

I-Search Paper Format

Remember, the I-Search paper needs to address the following 3 points:

The story of your search: This section tells readers what you knew about your subject before you began
your research, what you wanted to know, and why you are interested in the topic

What you learned: In this section, you give readers the results of your searchboth the answers you
found and the answers you did not find.

Your reflections on the search: You use this final section to tell readers what the experience has taught
you about conducting and documenting a search.
Grab Your Readers Attention Begin with an
attention-getting statement about your topic, and
The Search Story
explain why it was important for you to find out
Hook readers immediately.
more about it.
Explain what you already knew
Tell What You Knew Briefly mention the most
about your topic.
important information and ideas you already knew
Tell what you wanted to know
about your topic.
about your topic.
Tell What You Wanted To Learn and Why Let
Include a thesis statement.
readers
know what you wanted to find out about your topic
and the reasons motivating your search.
State Your Thesis Turn your research question into
a statement and add the factors that complete the
statement.
Discuss Your Results and Give Support Devote at
What you learned
least a paragraph to each important research result.
Describe important results of
Support your findings with direct quotations,
paraphrases,
your research.
and summaries of information from your
Support your findings.
sources.
Reflect on Your Search Describe what you learned
Search Reflections
from your research experience. Discuss how your
Describe the significance of
experience and your new knowledge might affect
your
your future. Remind readers of your thesis statement. research experience.
Restate

your thesis.