We do research all the time… We consult reviews and blogs before buying a new computer, ask people about the best places to eat, visit forums, or watch videos for technical help. The purpose of all this research is, simply stated, to find out information.

Academic research has the same purpose as our day-to-day inquiry process: to increase our knowledge of a particular subject.

The main difference between general (day-to-day) and academic research may be the goal. We typically conduct general research for practical purposes. Academic research intends to draw data from sources and add information back into the existing pool of knowledge through our own unique analysis, interpretation, and reflection.

Another difference may be motivation. It’s kind of fun to do general research because the information we’re seeking can be put to use right away. Academic research can also be satisfying but, since it’s a much longer game, motivation can wane. The secret to staying interested during a research project? You need to be involved. If you really want to broaden your understanding of a particular subject, research can be deeply engaging rather than a chore.

In effort to keep this paper personal, we’re proposing a mixed genre “I-Search” project rather than a traditional research paper. Even though an I-Search project is less formal and more personal than a traditional research paper, its purpose is the same – to find out information by conducting research. The difference is that the topic of an I-Search Paper is one the writer has a personal connection with.

Although the purposes of I-Search projects and traditional research papers are aligned, I-Search projects differ from traditional research papers in the methods of topic selection, the research process and, sometimes, the sources used, and the look and feel of the final product. Genres included in this I-Search project are process writing, narrative, traditional academic writing, and reflection.

The subject of your project is your choice. The only condition is that you must be able to relate the topic you choose to the themes we’ve covered in this class.

The I-Search project is comprised of two separate parts: a research journal and a write-up

I-Search journal (comp section)

The I-Search journal is a chronicle of your research process. It should document the process from start to finish. 

The journal should contain:

• All class invention activities – prompted and completed during class periods
• Documentation of your research process (Otter AI et al transcripts accepted for journal)
• Comparative source report (including summary) 
• Three annotated textual sources (can be primary sources)—photos/jpegs ok
• An outline of the research paper

The writeup (topic)

I-Search projects are generally broken into 4 parts:

1. What I know/think/believe/have heard/have been taught about X and what I want to discover about X (250 min/400 max): this section should be narrative and can include anecdotal evidence—first person recommended
2. The Search (documenting the research process) (250 min/500 max): this section can be summarized or edited versions from journal voice to text transcripts or copied directly from the journal if written out.
3. What I learned (1300 min/1600 max): this section is traditional research paper; includes a thesis statement, paraphrase, summary, synthesis, comparison etc.)—traditional academic writing/traditionally formatted (MLA 8 including works cited list).
4. What I think about what I learned (or didn’t learn): (250 min/500 max)—reflection on the research—first person recommended

The paper should be submitted with headings that identify the four sections. Sources can be used/quoted in any section but are only required in section III.

Required Sources (8 total):

• 2 primary (interview, survey, diaries, letters, eyewitness accounts, speeches, datasets)
• 2 academic (from library database/journals)
• 1 text from either class’s reading list
• 3 other (narrative, newspaper articles, videos, screen grabs, Tweets, blog posts, movies, images, songs, poems advertisements, novels, essays, video games, cartoons, whatevs. You may choose another text from either section’s reading list, but 2 is max for class sources).

Assignment Schedule:

Informal Proposal—by Nov 10^th. This is not a formally written document. It can be really loose. I just want to make sure your topic reflects the class content, and to make sure you have a solid starting place for our library visit on Nov 15^th. This library visit will deal more specifically with searching the databases and you should be able to ask more specific questions.

The proposal should briefly explain your interest in the topic. Why are you interested in researching in this area? You could submit part 1 of the writeup as a proposal. This would explain your personal connection to the subject.

Formal First Draft—By Dec 6^th. This first draft will be peer reviewed, and you will have an individual meeting with me about the draft. I-search conferences will last between 20-30 minutes and will take place on Zoom. I’ll release a sign up schedule closer to the date. There will be no class meetings or discussion boards in the topic section during this period. At this point, I want you fully focused on the I-search paper.

Final Draft—December 20th