Choosing an I-Search Topic: Guidance & Tips for Successful Research

1. The I-Search What is it and how the heck do I choose a topic to research?

2. K What do you already know or what have you heard about the I-Search paper? W What do you want to know about it? What questions pop into your mind when your teacher says, “We are going to write a research paper”? Make 2 columns on your paper. For each column, you’ll write a bullet-pointed list:

3. Interest Survey This part is to get your brain thinking about what the heck you could write about. As you answer the questions, look for patterns. Ready??

4. What Not to Do…These were chosen because they aren’t really researchable… • Things on Mythbusters • Conspiracy theories, unsolved mysteries, or things that can’t be proved (like Amelia Earhart, the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster, Aliens, Roswell, etc.) • Dreams and the meanings of • Famous Deaths (JFK or Marilyn Monroe) or “Is ___ really dead?” The answer is yes.

5. More things not to do… • Biographies of bands and people. All you have to do is watch old episodes of Behind the Music or read one book, and you’re done • Vampires…just because • Werewolves…same reason • How do I…? (plan a vacation, make a million before I’m 30.) • Darwinism vs. Creationism: which one is right? • Anything else I deem appropriate to add to the list…

6. Final Note on what you can’t do… You have to choose something that can be written about for 6 to 8 pages. You need at least 5 sources; these can’t all be the same kind of source. You will need at least 2 different kinds of resources (more on that later…) Most essays have 5-10 sources by the end. Your research question/topic can have multiple parts and it will ultimately reflect your position on some issue.

7. So what am I actually doing?? • This research paper is in the style of an argumentative essay, which means… • You are going to form an opinion/state your position on a relevant, possibly controversial topic but… • You don’t know what your position about this issue isuntil you have done some research…hence the name research paper 

8. What else do I need to know about choosing what to research? • You should be genuinely interested in this topic; otherwise, your next 10 weeks are going to be painful. • There needs to be more than one side to the issue; it has to be “arguable,” which means there is no simple, easy answer • YOU should have no fixed or really strong opinions about which side you’re on b/c you’ll figure this out as you do your research. So, be open-minded! • Finally, you need to choose something that somehow impacts you and the world we live in today.

9. Homework to be completed by next time! • Pick 3 topics you are interested in researching, and for each topic • Write a question you would like to answer • Write a few sentences about why you’re interested in this topic and • its relevance in your world/the world around us • On the next slides, we will discuss how to write good research questions.

10. The thing about your research question is… • It should not be a yes/no question or a one-word answer (like which country has the largest population…it’s China!) • It should not be something you already know the answer to! • It should be something you are genuinely interested in (remember?) • It should be able to be answered in 6 to 8 pages with at least 5 sources.

11. More about writing successful research questions • It can’t be too broad or too specific This one is a bit too broad: Are Kindles or other e-readers better than real books? That question has potential, but it needs to be narrowed down to specific fields or contexts so you can look at where and the ways in which they’re superior or inferior. So in what environments or contexts is the issue of online books relevant? New and improved: Are digital/online books better for educational environments than actual textbooks?

12. Are the following researchable topics for the argumentative I-Search paper? • When and where did Fencing originate and how did it evolve into the sport I love today? • Do I have what it takes to be a Navy Seal? What does the training consist of and could I make a career out of this? • Is the food/sugar industry responsible for contributing to the obesity epidemic in today’s school-age children and teens? • Does video game violence lead to more aggressive and violent behavior in teens? • Are more stringent gun control laws effective in reducing the number of school shootings?

13. How to form a question on… Gun violence • Where? What are the sides to the issue? What sorts of things can be debated about this issue? • Does legislation on gun control create a safer environment for its citizens? • This works because there are two sides to what “a safer environment” means. You may feel more protected with a gun in your house, but I may feel unsafe coming into your house for fear of an accident. So, what makes people feel safe differs depending on the person and the environment.

14. Sample I-Search Questions That Worked Well • Has social media had more beneficial or detrimental effects on getting jobs in today’s society? Why? • Was Gaius Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great the more effective leader? • Which green energy resources are making the best impact on improving our environment? • Is the portrayal of race receiving a more equitable representation on television and movies these days, and is it having a more positive effect for people of color?

15. Who is the most responsible for the growing obesity epidemic among adolescents, is it schools or the fast food industry? • Should communities adopt the locavore food movement? • Should student athletes be allowed to start a professional sports career before they finish college? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of President Obama’s plan for Increasing Troops in Afghanistan, and how is it affecting the best interests of the United States of America?* *You can’t do this last one. It’s from Joseph Song, who is a senior at Harvard right now. I just wanted to show you a great example for this, the last slide of questions.

16. Homework due next time: (1/19) • Choose 1 of your 3 research topics from last night’s homework and TYPE an proposal ¶, using the MLA format (check fonts/spacing/grammar.) It needs to have • Your question restated in a way that follows the guidelines we talked about today and in these notes. Be sure it’s argumentative. • Why you are interested in this topic and its personal relevance to you; why is this the best topic for you? • Why this information needs to be researched/how it is topical/why it’s important to the world today/how it impacts today’s society • Staple this ¶ to the one I stamped today • You will also need a back-up research question in case, once you start, the question isn’t working out for you. This ¶ is for a grade!