I-Search+Strategy



**Directions:** //As a team, you will be responsible for compiling the information below about your inquiry strategy. Next week, your group will provide a 5-7 minute overview of your strategy for the class.//

** Name and Description of your strategy (mention any variations of your strategy as well): ** The I-Search paper is an interesting variation of a research paper. Instead of creating a rigid research paper, the I-Search allows students to explore a topic that they have significant interest in and ties to, therefore making them more passionate and proud of their work. The goal of the I-Search paper is discovery. The topic of an I-Search paper is something the writer has a personal desire to learn more about. When doing research on this topic, both firsthand (such as interviews) and secondhand (books or newspapers) sources are used. Macrorie gives us an example of a possible paper form in his book.

1. What I knew (and didn’t know about my topic when I started) 2. Why I’m writing this paper 3. The search (story of the hunt) 4. What I learned (or didn’t learn)

One variation of the I-Search paper is exploring a single word rather than a complete topic. In this activity, students select an abstract word (peace, rich, etc.) and perform a search on the word. This is a great way for students to become familiar using the library and all of its resources. This is a great alternative to the traditional research paper, while simultaneously allowing students to have a personal stake and voice in their work.

** Inquiry Process associated with your strategy: **

==== The inquiry process involves using primary and secondary sources. These sources can be from people, things or events you find and interact with on your own making them primary; or they can be books, magazines, films or anything that tells you about something someone else has done, these are secondhand. One of the important steps to the “I-Search” inquiry process is the corroborating of findings. Compare what your experts say to other sources you consulted. Do they match up? Does one emphasize something more than the other? The great thing about an I-Search project is that all this research is not done just so you can summarize and restate what you have found but also you can include the whole experience as a part of the product. The writing of an I-Search is to not only engage the writer on a personal level but also to engage the writer in the researching, to make them “devour” sources of information and get them excited about the hunt for it. ====

** Description of the Product or Products resulting from the inquiry process associated with your strategy: ** The product resulting from I-Search inquiry is essentially the story of someone's research and the resulting information. In the first person, the writer describes the process of becoming interested in a topic, searching for ways to find out more about the topic, the various sources that were consulted, and finally, the conclusions that were drawn from the research.

** Descriptions of Examples and Links to examples when possible (when you include a link to an example, provide a brief annotation / description of the example -- not just a link): **

Didsbury, Andy. "I-Search." 2008. Print.

Herbert, Andrew. "What am I Going to Study in College?." I-Search paper. 1999. Print.

Two examples of I-Search Inquiry discourse are Andrew Herbert's "What am I Going to Study in College?" and Andy Disdsbury's "I-Search." Both of these articles include primary and secondary sources. Herbert studies his particular interest in the field of engineering and uses his sources (seven interviews, the //Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Handbook//, and the //Tulane Undergraduate Catalogue)// to narrow down his interest to mechanical/systems engineering at UVA. Andy Didsbury's "I-Search" is vastly different than Herbert's in both tone and sources. Didsbury uses Glenn Beck's //An Inconvenient Book//, arguements with his parents ("personal interview"), Geico's "Get a Quote," Jobs.net, Craigslist, and brevard.cc.fl.us to explore his interest in ruining his parents post-graduate plans for him and move to florida. Didsbury's study explores how he can survive financially, without his parents' aid.

[|__http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/wahlstrl/I-Search/shawn_public_speaking/MyI.html__]

This is an example of a variation on the I-Search paper. While most papers are one fluid paper, this one divides the i-search process into sections. This version of the paper would be useful for students who struggle with making large amounts of information cohesive. Allowing the paper to be written in sections is a way to scaffold students so they will eventually be able to write the paper without dividing it into sections.

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Kim Groninga's I-Search research, "Beautiful Women" can be found on the link above. This work, concerning women's body images in the media and the general public, uses different sources such as media advertisements and forums.

** Resources consulted related to your strategy (both hard copy and links): **

Anderson, Gayln. ""I-Search a Word": Reclaiming the Librar'ys Reference Section." English Journal. 79.1 (1990): 53-57. Print.

Didsbury, Andy. "I-Search." 2008. Print.

Herbert, Andrew. "What am I Going to Study in College?." I-Search paper. 1999. Print.

Macrorie, Ken. "Chapter 6: The i-search paper." The I-Search Paper: Revised Edition of Searching Writing. . Revised Edition. Portsmith, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1988. 54-65. Print.

** ADDITIONAL KEY I-SEARCH RESOURCES (DR. Y): **

 * ====[|Writing An I-Search Paper]: A Step-by-Step Writing Process Approach and Example====
 * ====[|Five Components of I-Search Paper]: An Annotated Description of Each of the Phases of the I-Search Paper (with student examples at each phase)====

** 1-2 additional inquiry-based learning strategies we like, value, want to try, have experienced in a positive way, etc. (name and describe briefly): ** The Big 6 is an inquiry strategy that we feel would be beneficial when applied to any form of research. The strategy divides inquiry learning into 6 major categories: Task Definition, Information Seeking Strategies, Location and Access, Use of Information, Synthesis, and Evaluation. It then takes the 6 categories and reaks them in to even smaller steps. This would be an excellent strategy to use for introducing students to the process of inquiry and how to do effective research. The concept of research can be very overwhelming to someone who has never done it before, so breaking the process down in to smaller steps will help students view the task as much more manageable.