1. How to Do the Descriptive Outline for the I-Search

2. Review: These are the Sections of the I-Search Search question –the introduction (which you’ve done) Search process –the story of how you found your sources (which you’ve done) What I Learned –the presentation of the research What This Means to Me –how this assignment changed you as a writer/researcher

3. Here are links to a couple of student I-Search essays Look over them to remind yourself of the final form: –Way to BlowWay to Blow –Cat FactorsCat Factors

4. The most important thing to remember in writing your outline is... The thesis sentence of your outline......answers your research question

5. For example, in the two sample essays mentioned a couple of slides ago...

6. “Way to Blow” Research question: I want to know as much as I can about the history of glassblowing. Thesis: What I learned was that glass blowing has an almost mystical historical record that includes many locations, artisans and uses. “Cat Factors” Research question: I need to know what characteristics of a cat are used to classify it as a particular breed. Thesis: Cats are classified into breeds by their coats and their bodies.

7. Thus, the research question and the thesis in the What I Learned section are......linked.

8. How to Do the Descriptive Outline

9. Step One Write down the research question that you finally settled on: –It may not be the same question you started with; –If as you’ve researched, you’ve had to change the question to satisfy what you want to know, that’s fine.

11. Step Two Thinking about your research, answer the research question you just wrote in a single sentence with two to four parts; It should look like a previewing thesis sentence.

12. 1 st point 2 nd point 3 rd point

13. Step Three: Use your previewing thesis to write a topic sentence/general outline

15. Step Four For each topic sentence, write two or three generalizations that explain or clarify the information given in the topic sentence.

17. Step Five For each generalization, locate a couple of sources from your research that prove or support the generalization; insert those URLs under the generalization

19. Use a variety of sources for each point; Don’t develop a topic sentence by using just one or two sources, even if they’re really good sources; Try not to use the same source back- to-back

20. Notice that each generalization is supported by a couple of different websites. Notice also that I’ve tried not to repeat my websites within the same paragraph If you find that you’re using one source too much, then you can go back to the web and do some “spot” researching, i.e., look for just the information you need, such as “palm reading & fingernail shape.”