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I-Search Paper Format Guide
JSAC 1225
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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:
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.
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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