i search essay

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I-Search Paper Format Guide

202.448-7036

An I-Search paper is a personal research paper about a topic that is important to the writer. An I-Search paper is usually less formal than a traditional research paper; it tells the story of the writer’s personal search for information, as well as what the writer learned about the topic.

Many I-Search papers use the structure illustrated in this framework:

The Search Story

• Hook readers immediately. Your readers are more likely to care about your topic if you begin with an attention-getting opener. Help them understand why it was important for you to find out more about the topic.
• Explain what you already knew about your topic. Briefly describe your prior knowledge about the topic before you started your research.
• Tell what you wanted to learn and why . Explain why the topic is important to you, and let readers know what motivated your search.
• Include a thesis statement. Turn your research question into a statement that is based on your research.
• Retrace your research steps. Tell readers about your sources – how you found them and why you used them.

The Search Results

Describe the significance of your research experience. Restate your thesis.

Discuss your results and give support . Describe the findings of your research. Write at least one paragraph for each major research result. Support your findings with quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of information from sources.

Search Reflections

Describe important results of your research. Support your findings.

Reflect on your search . Describe what you learned and how your research experience might have changed you and your future. Also, remind readers of your thesis.

Source: This Writer’s Model has been formatted according to the standards of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , Fifth Edition | Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. All rights renewed.

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202-448-7036

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Writing Assignment #3 will be a personal research narrative essay, which sometimes is referred to as an “I-Search” paper.  Background to this Essay: In many classes in the past, you might have been instructed never to use the word “I” in your writing. However, throughout this class, in both the response essay and the reflective annotated bibliography, you have been instructed that the use of the word “I” was totally acceptable, even encouraged. In this essay, this use of first-person point of view continues. This essay is a research essay in which you use the word “I.” Ken Macrorie, a professor at Western Michigan University, wrote a textbook in 1980 called The I-Search Paper. In the book, Macrorie criticized traditional research papers that students were often asked to produce in classes. He designed, instead, a type of research paper that asked students to use the first-person point of view (“I”) in their papers, encouraged them to explore topics that were of interest to them, and required that they comment on their research journey in finding sources and information on their topics as much as on any arguments or conclusions they were making on their topics. This writing assignment in WRTG 291 is informed by Macrorie’s approach, although it does not involve all elements of the research process he asked for. In the e-reserves section of our class, you will find a chapter from Linda Bergmann, “Writing a Personal Research Narrative.” Please access that chapter.  In that chapter, please read “The Personal Research (‘I Search’) Paper,” starting on page 160. On page 160, Bergmann (2010) writes: Although an I-Search assignment calls for a personal narrative, like most academic writing it is written to communicate to a particular audience, not for the writer alone. Its purpose is to help you discover and communicate the personal and professional significance of your research to a particular audience. Moreover, pages 161-162 in Bergmann’s chapter list some steps to take in organizing and preparing to write your paper.  Sample Personal Research Narrative Essays: On pages 162-166 of Bergmann's chapter is a sample personal research narrative essay. Another sample I-Search paper can be seen by clicking here, although this example has fewer sources and fewer scholarly sources than this assignment calls for. Moving from the Reflective Annotated Bibliography to the Personal Research Narrative: For writing assignment #2, you wrote a reflective annotated bibliography on a topic related to technology. In that assignment, for each of the articles you found, you wrote not only a précis of the article but also some vocabulary, reflection, and quotes from the article.  Hopefully through that assignment, you developed an interest in a focused aspect of your topic. The following describe some examples of focusing your topic: •You may have conducted research on whether Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are effective classroom environments. For writing assignment #2, you may have found 5-6 articles on MOOCs in general. Perhaps, as a result of your findings, you have now done more research and have focused on MOOCs for a particular field of study (e.g., computer programming or creative writing). You then found more articles related to not only MOOCs but also MOOCs for learning computer programming or MOOCs for learning creative writing. •You may have conducted research on cybersecurity. For writing assignment #2, you may have found 5-6 articles on cybersecurity as a broad topic. Perhaps, as a result of your findings, you have now done more research and have focused on cybersecurity and mobile devices. You then found more articles related to not only cybersecurity as a general topic but specifically on cybersecurity and mobile devices. •You may have conducted research on technology in the health care industry. For writing assignment #2, you may have found 5-6 articles on technology in the health care industry. Perhaps, as a result of your findings, you have now done more research and have focused on the cloud computing in the health care industry. You then found more articles specifically on this topic.  It is this research experience on which you will write the personal research narrative.  Examining the Sample Personal Research Narrative in Bergmann's Chapter: Note how, in the sample student personal research narrative on page 162, the student begins by providing the background that gave him interest in the topic. He then discusses his first steps in researching the topic. As he describes his steps in the research process, he uses expressions like, “I was astounded by…” or “This idea seemed valid to me, but…” or “…let me to wonder…” or “At this point in my exploration I have come up with a slight dilemma.” For your personal research narrative, you want to follow the same pattern. Describe to the reader what you thought when you started researching, what you already knew about the subject, what interested you in the subject, etc. Then describe your various steps, commenting on what surprised you, what ideas did not seem valid to you, what research articles you may have questioned, etc.  You might consider your response essay, which was the first essay you wrote for this class. The personal research narrative is, in some ways, an expanded response essay. In the personal research narrative, you may be responding to several authors while providing a narrative of your thought process and learning process throughout your research journey. Requirements: Your paper should be 1800-2400 words. It should include at least ten sources, six of which should be scholarly. The sources are to be cited and listed in APA format. Additional resources: In our class, in the e-reserves section, we have a chapter from the book by Graff, G. and Birkenstein, C, They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. The chapter mentions various techniques to apply in stating what an author said and your response to the author. As was recommended for the response essay, it is recommended that you read through that chapter so that you might apply these techniques to this essay.

Promoting Student-Directed Inquiry with the I-Search Paper

About this Strategy Guide

The sense of curiosity behind research writing gets lost in some school-based assignments.  This Strategy Guide provides the foundation for cultivating interest and authority through I-Search writing, including publishing online.

Research Basis

Strategy in practice, related resources.

The cognitive demands of research writing are numerous and daunting.  Selecting, reading, and taking notes from sources; organizing and writing up findings; paying attention to citation and formatting rules.  Students can easily lose sight of the purpose of research as it is conducted in “the real world”—finding the answer to an important question.

The I-Search (Macrorie, 1998) empowers students by making their self-selected questions about themselves, their lives, and their world the focus of the research and writing process.  The strong focus on metacognition—paying attention to and writing about the research process methods and extensive reflection on the importance of the topic and findings—makes for meaningful and purposeful writing.

Online publication resources such as blogging software make for easy production of multimodal, digital writing that can be shared with any number of audiences.

Assaf, L., Ash, G., Saunders, J. and Johnson, J.  (2011).  " Renewing Two Seminal Literacy Practices: I-Charts and I-Search Papers ."  English Journal , 18(4), 31-42.

Lyman, H.  (2006).  “ I-Search in the Age of Information .”  English Journal , 95(4), 62-67.

Macrorie, K. (1998).  The I-Search Paper: Revised Edition of Searching Writing .  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann-Boynton/Cook.

• Before introducing the I-Search paper, set clear goals and boundaries for the assignment.  In some contexts, a completely open assignment can be successful.  In others, a more limited focus such as research on potential careers (e.g., Lyman, 2006)  may be appropriate.
• Introduce the concept of the I-Search by sharing with students that they will be learning about something that is personally interesting and significant for them—something they have the desire to understand more about.  Have students generate a list of potential topics.
• Review student topic lists and offer supportive feedback—either through written comments or in individual conferences—on the topics that have the most potential for success given the scope of the assignment and the research resources to which students will have access.
• After offering feedback, have students choose the topic that seems to have the most potential and allow them to brainstorm as many questions as they can think of.  When students have had plenty of time to ponder the topic, ask them to choose a tentative central question—the main focus for their inquiry—and four possible sub-questions—questions that will help them narrow their research in support of their main question.  Use the I-Search Chart to help students begin to see the relationships among their inquiry questions.
• Begin the reflective component of the I-Search right away and use the I-Search Chart to help students  write about why they chose the topic they did, what they already know about the topic, and what they hope to learn from their research.  Students will be please to hear at this point that they have already completed a significant section of their first draft.
• Engage reader’s attention and interest; explain why learning more about this topic was personally important for you.
• Explain what you already knew about the topic before you even started researching.
• Let readers know what you wanted to learn and why.  State your main question and the subquestions that support it.
• Retrace your research steps by describing the search terms and sources you used.  Discuss things that went well and things that were challenging.
• Share with readers the “big picture” of your most significant findings.
• Describe your results and give support.
• Use findings statements to orient the reader and develop your ideas with direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of information from your sources.
• Properly cite all information from sources.
• Discuss what you learned from your research experience.  How might your experience and what you learned affect your choices or opportunities in the future.
• At this point, the research process might be similar to that of a typical research project except students should have time during every class period to write about their process, questions they’re facing, challenges they’ve overcome, and changes they’ve made to their research process.  Students will not necessarily be able to look ahead to the value of these reflections, so take the time early in the process to model what reflection might look like and offer feedback on their early responses.  You may wish to use the I-Search Process Reflection Chart to help students think through their reflections at various stages of the process.
• Support students as they engage in the research and writing process, offering guidance on potential local contacts for interviews and other sources that can heighten their engagement in the authenticity of the research process.
• To encourage effective organization and synthesis of information from multiple sources, you may wish to have students assign a letter to each of their questions (A through E, for example) and a number to each of their sources (1 through 6, for example).  As they find content that relates to one of their questions, they can write the corresponding letter in the margin.  During drafting, students can use the source numbers as basic citation before incorporating more sophisticated, conventional citation.

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