The I-search paper helps you, as a student, to incorporate the story of the search itself into the writing of the paper.  It also permits you to search for the answer to a question which is personally important rather than choosing a topic that may have little bearing on your life and little connection to your personal interests.  To find out more about writing an I-search paper, go to the following links:

 

The Assignment	The Library Search
The Question	The Career Search
The Lead	The Internet Search
The I-search Journal	The Story of the Search
Conducting Personal Interviews	The Conclusion

If you have a problem at any point in composing your I-Search Paper, you can always seek help at Delta's Teachling/Learning Center, in the LLIC.  The web site address is http://www.delta.edu/tlc
Their e-mail address is tlc@alpha.delta.edu
 

The Assignment

An I-search paper calls for you to tell virtually every step of the search which led to the answer of your question, including the dead-ends and failures, which means that you can be drafting your paper as you proceed with your search rather than waiting until you have all the information you need before deciding upon what you will actually write.  It also means that you can tell your  readers of your frustrations as you underwent your search.  Even if you have not found an answer to your question, you can still write your paper, explaining to your readers at the end of your paper that your question remains unanswered and describing what you did learn that was worthwhile or how you would amend your search on a future attempt.

Things to bear in mind when writing an I-search paper:

• the topic is private but the language must be public and appropriately academic
• citation procedures must be followed as though writing a regular research paper
• the paper must be appealing to a general academic audience

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The Question Spend some time deciding upon and formulating your question.  Do some brainstorming to come up with a list of several possible questions, and explain to yourself in writing why some of those questions would lead to an interesting search.  Ask yourself what is at stake in answering some of the questions.  Ideally, if an I-search question can be answered then the searcher should be able to do something which was impossible without the answer to the question.  Here are some sample I-search questions:
 

• What would be the best university for my major?
• What are the implications for me that there is a history of alcoholism in my family?
• Is there a chance to begin a new career for someone who is forty years old?
• Should  I permit my deaf child to learn American Sign Language?
• What is entailed in starting up a small business?

Return to Top The Lead All I-search papers must begin with an interesting lead, something which pulls your readers into your paper.  Most leads take the form of a narrative, a story relating where in your life your question came from.  Here is a sample lead:
 

I found myself in this country two years ago, an immigrant from Cambodia who had grown up learning English but had very little experience actually speaking it every day.  In those two years I lived with generous people who helped me greatly to learn how to speak English and who helped me improve my reading and writing skills.  I have become a citizen of this country, and now I am ready to go to a university and learn how to be a computer programmer.  My life in this country has been full of good fortune and success, thanks mainly to the good people who took me into their home.  One thing I am worried about, though, as I prepare to go to a big university.  I am a very shy person who has lived quietly in a beautiful house.  Before I came to this country, I spent over a year sleeping on the ground, often not sleeping at all, so afraid was I of being captured by the Khmer Rouge.  I saw many people being killed and came across many dead bodies as a fled from the country of my birth.  I am twenty years old and have never known what it is to be like an American teenager.  When I see young people in this country, they look so carefree to me, even though I know there are problems with drugs and alcohol.  I do not want to be made fun of when I go to university.  I do not want to be lonely.  So, my question is how do I fit into the life of American young people in a large university?
 

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The I-search Journal It is almost impossible to undertake an I-search without keeping a journal, however informal.  Carry a notebook with you while working on the I-search and keep note of dates and times of everything you do, along with the following details:
 

• Every visit to the Library, including search method employed, titles of books or articles perused, along with their call numbers, names of helpful library staff, and so on.  Be sure to include details of failed or frustrated searches.
• Appointments made for personal interviews, including the locations.
• Each use of the computer, including URL's of websites and e-mail addresses of people or institutions contacted.
• Descriptions of  places visited for interviews.  (People who are  undertaking job search interviews may find that the physical surroundings in which interviewees work could make a difference as to whether the job appears to be appealing or not.)
• Brief notes of your reactions to events, situations, and information you encounter.  Letting your readers know how you react to what you find is most important.
• Brief notes of interview or library search information.  Of course, you will be keeping more extensive notes elsewhere or as photocopies, print-outs, or audio tapes.

Consider keeping a dual entry log. Simply draw a line down the center of your note paper. On the left side of that line write down quotes from an interview, lines from something you have read, or visual impressions from a site visit you made. On the right side of the line write your reactions to these observations. Later, you can transfer the details and your reactions to your actual paper.

Return to Top Conducting the Personal Interviews The most  important information in an I-search can come from personal interviews.  Very often, those interviews are with busy people who have generously given up time to answer questions.  Students locate such people through their college or university resources, through a library search, by looking in the Yellow Pages, or by personal reference from classmates, relatives, co-workers, or friends.  Sometimes a helpful resource is discovered via an Internet source, in which case the interview might be conducted via e-mail.  Some interviews can also be conducted over the telephone, although it is often preferable to see the interviewee in person because surroundings, body language, and other matters can offer valuable information.

When making the interview appointment, be sure to mention how long you expect the interview to last and the kind of information you will be seeking.  That way, the interviewee can set aside time and, perhaps, retrieve written information to hand to you when you come to the interview.

Dress appropriately for the interview.  Try to ancitipate the kind of appearance which is expected from people in the environment you will be entering and try to blend in as much as your wardrobe and clothing expenses will permit.

At the interview, remember that you must ask permission to use a tape recorder.  That is the law.  If the interviewee refuses permission, you must abide by that refusal.

Have questions prepared that are substantial and really help you answer your I-search question.  Even so, listen carefully to the responses you receive and be prepared to follow up on an interesting line of information.  You are the time keeper.  If time is running short, let your interviewee know and let him or her decide whether or not the interview should be brought to a close or permitted to go on further.  Sometimes a follow-up interview can be arranged if you want more information and have run out of time.

Always be polite, and follow up the interview with a thank-you letter.  Even a card would be adequate.

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The Library Search

Your instructor or handbook can supply you with useful information about undertaking the library search, but valuable information can also be found at the following website:

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The Career Search

Your institution may have a career center that can be of enormous help with your search. Delta College's Career Center includes lists of past students in various lines of work who are willing to be interviewed or even shadowed at their workplace.

Another source of information is the Michigan Occupational Index, which can be accessed by clicking on the following link: MOIS.

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The Internet Search

Bruce Ballenger, author of a wonderful book for research writers entitled The Curious Researcher, reminds us that the Internet can seem to be readily accessible and fast, but the amount of information we often receive during our Internet searches can be overwhelming, and there is always the problem of knowing for certain that the information we receive is valid. Carefully validate all your sources through the following procedure:

• Check the author. If no information on the author can be found, that might indicate a problem. If a web site has no author's name, check the name of the organization sponsoring the information. Look for sound qualifications and for any signs of bias.
• Check the sponsoring organization. Some organizations represent special interest groups, which means that the information they disseminate might be biased in favor of that group's point of view.
• In the case of magazines or newspapers, make sure that they are reputable publications who are accountable for the accuracy and fairness of the information they publish. Professional and scholarly journals only publish articles that have been critiqued by the peers of the authors, which means that information contained in such journals tends to be more reliable than that contained in popular magazines or newspapers.
• In the case of statistics, government documents are the most reliable source.
• Check the publication date of the information. You do not want to be working with information that is out of date.

Organizing the Internet
Searching the Internet
Search Engines and Indexes

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The Story of the Search The story of your search should be both interesting and informative.  It should also be written in formal academic language even though you are essentially writing about something only you may benefit from, although most I-search papers contain information that is helpful to virtually all who read them.  As you write up the story of your search, keep in mind the following pointers:
 

• The paper should begin with an interesting lead.
• The I-search question should be explicitly stated following the lead.
• The information should be selected  for a general audience of academic readers.  Any information which might be too technical should be explained and any lengthy tables or technical lists should be avoided.  They can be moved to an appendix coming after the Works Cited or Reference page if necessary.
• Include actual dialogue or actual words spoken where you feel it would be appropriate.
• Include rich descriptions of the places and people you visit where you feel such description would interest your  readers and contribute to the answer to your question.
• After each piece of information, let your readers know how this information contributes to the answer to your question.
• Follow the citation guidelines stipulated by your instructor, or you may select either MLA or APA citation guidelines to follow.  Follow them exactly as though you were writing a more conventional research paper.

Return to Top The Conclusion The conclusion to your I-search paper can take many forms.  Generally, it contains an explanation of the success you have had in answering your question and what you intend to do now that you have the answer you wanted.  Sometimes, your conclusion might explain to your readers that you failed to answer your question but that you did gather some interesting information and have now changed your question to continue your search.  At other times, a student might express disappointment, or even anger, at how difficult it was to find answers  to a question which he or she feels to be crucial.  That anger may result in a determination to discover why it is that so little information is readily available on an important topic.  All the conclusions must be interesting and leave your readers with something to think about, now that they have experienced your search with you.  Here are sample conclusions:

This conclusion was written for a paper searching the career of radiography:

Now that I have done the research for my question, I finally have come to the conclusion that I do have what it takes to be a good radiographer and succeed in the medical community.  What helped me the most in answering my question was the article from Exploring Health Care Careers and the personal interviews I had with Lois and Janet from the Ambulatory Care Center.  Most importantly, I had to search deep down in my soul and really think if I had it in me to take on such a demanding career, both physically and emotionally.  When I interviewed Janet and Lois, they helped me answer that question because they are the front line each and every day, giving comfort and moral support to the patients.  Through their words and the way they seemed to enjoy their work and show to others around them how they are successful in their career, I learned what it means to be a devoted health care worker.  Before this search, I never was really sure that I could do whatever I set out to do in life.  This paper has been a great self-esteem booster for me because it showed me that I can do anything I plan to do, no matter what it is.  To succeed, people must be aware of their own traits, and we must search our hearts and souls to choose our paths in life.  We can either take the path life has chosen for us or we can choose the path that we want to be happy and successful in life.  The path I have chosen is to become successful in radiography.

Here is a concluding paragraph to a paper searching for information on sexual child abuse:

I started out this I-search with the question, "What makes a child molester do such terrible things to children?"  I have answered that question, but it has not made me feel any better about what happened to me as a child.  Now I realize that I really want to know why he did it to me.  Why did he choose me?  I will never know the answer to that question, especially since I never want to meet or speak to my abuser.  I wanted to lose the anger I have felt all my life, and now I know that I probably never will.  The I-search has failed me because I was asking the wrong question.

These conclusions illustrate searches that were both successful and unsuccessful.  The conclusion to the unsuccessful I-search might well have contained a synopsis of what was learned, but in light of the writer's feelings about the search, a reluctance to review the information gathered might be understandable.  The point is to gain insight and make discoveries, which was what occurred for both the above writers.  I wish every I-searcher success.

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