University:
California State University, Northridge
Course:
ENGL 113A | Approaches to University Writing A
Academic year:

2024
Views:

183

Pages:

2
Author:

Cora Frazier

Description 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. Format • • • What I Know, Assume, or Imagine The Search What I Discovered 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 are in the process of developing this section on what you already know, assume or imagine about your topic. Your in-class timed writing can serve as a beginning of the I-Search process. 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. Be sure to apply what you have discovered to the text itself in your discussion. Discuss your findings in this middle section. Your discussion should include an exploraion of your topic using a specific critical framework. Your class presentation material could be the starting point of your discussion. Your discussion should help a reader more clearly understand the material. 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. 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, if you chose a Formalist approach to Dickinson's poetry, you may have discovered a reason for her use of dashes. What did that lead you to understand about her poems that you didn't see before? This section should be a fairly thorough reflection upon the particular framework you chose, the literary text you analyzed as well as your actual learning experience. Therefore, do pay close attention to how your interpretation of the work may or may not have changed. 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, both for the web and for your papers.