Macrorie, K. (1980). _Searching Writing_. Rochelle Park, NJ: Hayden Book
Company, Inc.
Form
Here are a couple of suggestions for different formats that may be used:
Form 1:
Introduction
In this section you introduce your reader to what is to follow.
Frequently, writers use this section to introduce their "thesis" statement. In
an investigative report like the "I-Search", writers usually present the
purpose of their paper.
Searching
In this section of the paper, the writer describes the searching process.
Where did you look to find information about your topic? Whom did you contact?
Findings
It is in this section that the writer attempts to organize and present all
of the new information they have acquired about their topic.
Conclusion
Finally, in this section of the paper, the writer concludes the report.
There are a variety of ways in which a paper may be concluded (summary,
answering the research question, etc.).
References
Use the APA format.
Form 2:
Introduction
Include information in this section which tells...
What I knew (before beginning your research, write out the information that
you already know and believe about your topic)
What I want to know (writers frequently use a question format to identify
this information...this question is sometimes called your research question)
Main Body of Paper
Include in this section of the paper a description of your search (the
story of the "hunt")
Conclusion
This section then serves to identify and organize the information that you
learned as a result of your hunt.
References
Use APA format.
Process
Choose a topic that you are interested in gaining more information about.
Once you've got a topic, take it to class or the group you're working with,
tell the others how you became interested in it, and ask them if they can help
you-tips, names, addresses, phone numbers of experts, whatever.
Make a list of the questions that you would like to find answers to.
Find experts or authorities. Ask them to refer you to books, magazine,
journals, etc. which might be useful research tools for the subject matter you
are researching. Decide which resources you want to explore first (i.e.,
interview an expert of do literature review first)
Before you interview people who know a lot about your topic, think about
the best way to approach them.
Consult both firsthand sources (people who talk to you about what they're
doing, or objects and events you observe on your own) and secondhand sources
(books, magazines, newspapers, or people who tell you about what others have
done). Remember that experts are persons who know a lot about something. They
need not hold an official position or be a certain age. Your roommate may be
the best authority on skiing in your area.
Guides
Your paper should be typewritten, utilizing APA format.
Your paper should be written in standard written English and error free.
Your paper should be written in clear, concise language.