I search
I-searchWhat I Knew and What I Did Not Know
From this research project I wanted to learn more about the I-Search paper, what resources (if any)
existed on the internet, and what successes or failures teachers encountered when teaching the
I-Search. I had some familiarity with the term "I-Search," but since I do not read professional
journals as much as I should read them I did not know what it was and to what extent teachers were
using this type of writing. I knew I could find some information on the World Wide Web, but my
primarily interest was locating examples of I-Search papers and models for teaching it. I did locate a
site, a type of bulletin board, where teachers posted their comments regarding their experiences.
Unfortunately, I did not record that site's location and I have since been unable to find it again.
I am glad I researched this topic. I have learned much about the benefits of teaching the I-Search.
Also, researching the internet for as much information possible on this topic gave me additional
practice in utilizing the World Wide Web more efficiently. Although I do not believe all teachers will
ever convert exclusively to the I-Search paper, a radical move that would not be educationally
prudent, I am convinced the I-Search is an effective alternative to traditional research papers. In fact
if the instructor chooses it can co-exist in a writing course with traditional, formal papers as an
example of another style of writing. In the following sections I will not attempt to define the I-Search,
but I will discuss some of my impressions and observations. Then I will discuss the research.
What I Learned
A positive ramification many educators noticed when they taught the I-Search is students are truly
interested in their subjects. They enjoy discussing their topic when they can write about it in a less
formal, less threatening voice. This is not to say students do not follow some conventional rules of
standard English. The I-Search allows the rules to become secondary to researching information that
is interesting and exciting to the students. Students want to tell the teacher what they learned. The
differences between the traditional research paper and the I-Search are minimal. The principal
difference is in the structure. Students can personalize their finding by using the pronoun "I." Whether
it is the I-Search paper or a formal paper, students research for information; they continually ask
questions about their topic to uncover more information. Since students take more ownership of their
topic, the I-Search motivates students to research for themselves not to satisfy the requirements of
proving a thesis correct. In other words, students research because they simply want to learn more
about something.
These ideas should not be unique to any teacher who has witnessed students spending hours reading
an automobile, electronic or shoe periodical. In any give situation, students could improvise lengthy,
detailed discussions on a sports or fashion topic because they...
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