Rest of instructions in links
Writing Task:
In his book titled, The I-Search Paper, rhetorician Ken Macrorie, argues that taking a reflective approach on a topic allows a writing student to understand their topic better and think critically about how he or she develops opinions about their topic. The purpose of this assignment is to teach the writer and the reader something valuable about a topic and about the nature of searching and discovery. As opposed to a research report where a writer takes an objective stance and a persuasive essay in which the writer is arguing a particular stance, the I Search paper allows you to relate your experience of researching facts and opinions and to provide a step-by-step record of the search process, similar to the exploratory essay.
How this essay fits into the class/Choosing a topic:
You have already written an exploratory essay in which you were asked to explore your thinking about an issue while reading through sources.
The ISearch provides you the opportunity to do ONE of THREE things (depending on your topic):
1. Take your topic and narrow it a little further to prepare you to argue a feasible point in your proposal. For instance, those who might want to discuss substandard public education might want to narrow the problem down (in their ISearch) by localizing it to make the problem more containable and to be able to provide a viable proposal. The above, hypothetical student might want to discuss the problems (or a problem) specific to Chesapeake schools (a topic more specific and potentially manageable to tackle in the proposal). The student could then propose (in the final essay) how we can handle the problem in the city of Chesapeake to prove to be a model for other schools across the nation.
2. Continue to research different areas of the problem you began researching for your exploratory essay.
3. Pursue a different topic entirely (if you didn’t like where you were going
with your first essay).
To put this assignment (and the Exploratory Essay) in perspective, I want you to treat both of these assignments as records of your thought process as you become well informed of your chosen topic before you enter into the discussion through your proposal (the final essay and culmination of the semester’s work).
In the past, you may have simply chosen a persuasive topic and found a few sources that supported your argument. This is the type of writing we are trying to avoid. This course is designed to teach you how to engage in the ongoing discussion, but before doing so you need to catch yourself up on the existing conversation, both believe and doubt multiple sides of the issue, and eventually propose your solution. At this point, I do not want you to concern yourself with one particular solution. You are simply thinking about what you know about the subject at this point and considering what you still need to know about your subject.
Choose a topic that truly interests you, a problem or concern about which you want to be more informed. Again, you will want to choose a problem about which you can still suspend your judgment. The topic needs to be argumentatively rich, meaning that there have to be many different viewpoints or angles to the issue. Ideally, you will use the same topic you used for your Exploratory Essay, but if you would like to change your topic at this point, that is fine as well.
Step 1: Decide on a topic. Again, you may choose a topic about which you have already written (perhaps you would like to narrow your focus of your Exploratory Essay topic or dig deeper into the problem). If you would like to explore a new problem, you may want to return to Discussion Board II or look through the Opposing Viewpoints database for a problem.
Step 2: Read through the format of the paper. Use one or two prewriting techniques to generate ideas for Part I: What I know, assume, or imagine.
Step 3: Draft your essay, collecting information as you need to. Please follow the format.
Format:
The paper should have four distinct sections: 1)What I Know, Assume, or Imagine; 2) The Search; 3) What I Discovered; 4) Conclusion. The three-part format of this paper should be labeled with the appropriate sections.
Part I: What I Know, Assume, or Imagine
Before you begin the research process, 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, if you decide to investigate teenage pregnancy, you might want to offer some ideas about the causes of teenage pregnancy, provide an estimate of the severity of the problem, and discuss what you think to be the implications of the issue. In other words, how does this problem lead to other issues? You will want to somehow connect your introduction to your Exploratory Essay (assuming you are sticking with the same topic). Be sure to end your introduction with a clear focus question/working thesis statement (with hesitation).
Part II: The Search
Test your knowledge, assumptions or conjectures by researching your topic thoroughly. Consult useful books, magazines, newspapers, films, and library databases for information. When possible, interview people who are authorities or who are familiar with your topic. If you were pursuing a search on teenage alcoholism, you might want to check out a book on the subject, read several pertinent articles in a variety of current magazines, make an appointment to visit an alcohol rehabilitation center, attend a meeting of Alanon or Alcoholics Anonymous, and consult an alcoholism counselor. You might also ask a number of teenagers from different social and/or economic backgrounds what their first exposure to alcohol has been and whether they perceive any alcohol “problem” among their peers.
Write about your search in a narrative form. Do not feel as though you have to offer painstaking details, but do highlight interesting findings and facts you uncovered that contributed to your understanding of the topic. You will need to consult at least three sources (these can include interviews) you have not yet consulted. Document sources of information using MLA citations when appropriate and necessary.
Part III: What I Discovered
In this section, you will step back from your research and compare what you thought you knew, assumed, or imagined with what you actuallydiscovered and and draw some conclusions. You want to maintain your narrative tone here and discuss how your thoughts on your topic have evolved through this research process. For instance, after completing your search on texting while driving, you might learn that the problem is more difficult for police to monitor than you originally thought. You may have assumed that young drivers feel as though they are invincible, but now you have found that electronic addiction is the prime-contributing factor. Consequently, you might want to propose that a technology addiction awareness and prevention program be instituted in the public school system as early as sixth grade. You want to be sure to avoid absolute closure and resolve about your topic, but this is a good opportunity to consider a potential solution.
Part IV: Conclusion: Now what?
How do your findings in this essay fit in your broader discussion of the topic? In this part of the essay, you need to describe all areas of the issue in which you are interested in pursuing possible solutions. In other words, where do you plan to go from here? Use this as a bridge to your proposal.
Works Cited page and In-text Citations:
Your essay should use a minimum of three sources, either by quotation, paraphrase, or display of information documented in MLA style. No long quotations are permitted. The essay also requires a Works Cited page that follows MLA specifications. Your essay should be no less than three pages, not including your Works Cited Page.
Audience:
Address your paper to peer-scholars who might be interested in your subject and could be interested in your analysis and/or findings.
