6 page

The following is a sample of an I-search paper. Pay particular attention to the MLA

formatting, to the headings used and to the way in which the content follows the
outline provided to you in the “How to Write an I-Search Paper” section of this
manual.

Annie Student

Mentor’s name

English 12

10 October 2004

LIVING WITH ASTHMA

What I Already Knew / What I Wanted to Know

“Well, Annie, it looks like you have asthma,” our family physician

informed me. I could not believe what I was hearing. I thought that I

had been suffering from a very stubborn cold. Questions started going

through my head as I listened to Dr. Davis explain my condition. I’m

in high school. Aren’t I too old to get asthma now? How can I stay

on the softball team? Will I still be able to go on camping and hiking

trips with my family?

I already knew that asthma is a chronic disease which affects the

lungs and that certain medications help control the number and

severity of asthma episodes. (That’s when the coughing and wheezing

start.) I didn’t know much more than that.

I needed to know more about what might trigger an asthma

episode. Would I be able to keep up with other players on the softball

team? Are there certain types of trees and plants that I should avoid?

Section 1

What questions
do you have?

Explain what
you already
know about your
topic.

Explain what
you need to find
out about your
topic.

After much pleading and negotiating on my part, my parents had

finally agreed that our family could have a dog. Would I be able to

live with it?

I made a list of the things I needed to know. From that list, I was

able to form my research question: Can I effectively manage my

asthma? As my Culminating Project Product, I decided to create

“Annie’s Guide” – a brochure on asthma management that I could

use to better monitor my condition, so that it didn’t hinder my athletic

participation and active high school social life any more than it had

to. I had great tech production skills and was sure that once I had all

the information I needed that I could produce a usable, beneficial

brochure to carry with me at all times to monitor my asthma and its

treatment.

My Search Process

My research took about three weeks. I began my research by

doing some background reading in the Encarta online encyclopedia.

That site provided a definition of the term asthma, information on

how the lungs function, the causes of asthma attacks, and the

diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Statistics on the number of

Americans with the disease were included in the article. Most of the

information, including the statistics, was supported by the

information in the Merck Manual of Medical Information.

From there I did an online search combining the terms asthma and

Explain about
the Product or
Performance you
will create for
your Project.

Section 2.

Describe your
research
“journey.”

Include
information

managing in the Google search engine . Of the many sites that were

available, I chose to use the American Lung Association’s web site.

There the information on asthma was current, well organized, easy to

understand, and it provided answers to all three aspects of my

research question. A Whois search of lungusa.org confirmed that the

web site was registered to the American Lung Association. It gave me

a street address at which I could contact the American Lung

Association, as well as the date the site was last updated. Again, I

used the Merck Manual of Medical Information to confirm the

accuracy of the information. This was the only resource I evaluated

for accuracy, currency, authority and purpose.

Dr. Davis referred me to an allergy/asthma specialist named Dr.

Emma Anders. Since she was going to treat my asthma, I decided to

interview her for my paper. I forgot to take her busy schedule into

account, and I did not know that she had planned a short vacation

during the time I was doing my research. She graciously agreed to

meet with me after her office hours one day. Dr. Anders was a great

source of information on all aspects of my disease, but the most

unique feature of our interview included a demonstration of two

instruments, a peak flow meter and a metered-dose inhaler. She also

sent home a video on the appropriate use of both pieces of equipment.

I felt sure that my “Annie’s Plan” brochure would be better

developed with an understanding of both the meter and inhaler.

about online
searches that you
conduct

Describe any
interviews that
you conduct.

During the next week I went to my school library. My school

librarian directed me to the reference section where I could find many

specialized medical encyclopedias. I chose to use the Merck Manual

of Medical Information because it was the most current publication

on the shelf. The vocabulary was much more technical than what I

had found in the other sources. Included in the article were a table

that showed the different medications used to treat asthma and a

graphic that illustrated the correct use of an inhaler. Using the

library’s OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) to search for books, I

did a subject search using the term asthma. My school library didn’t

have any titles that dealt with asthma. I realized that I would have to

go to the public library to find books.

Still at my school library, I talked to our school librarian about

using Proquest, a very comprehensive online magazine/newspaper

database. Our librarian showed me how to use the “Browse Topics”

feature. This feature allowed me to find the search terms used by

Proquest and to narrow my search. I found asthma listed as a search

term with 111 subtopics. I narrowed my search by adding the

subtopic athletes to one of my searches and teens to another.

At the public library I searched the OPAC (Online Public Access

Catalog) using asthma as the search term in a subject search.

Surprisingly, many of the titles shown in the catalog were checked

out. I didn’t want to place any titles from other libraries on hold, so I

checked out one of the two titles on the shelf. The book, Breathe

Right Now: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Treating

the Most common Breathing Disorders, was much longer than I

had anticipated. Consequently, I read only some of the chapters.

By the end of the third week, I felt I had plenty of information. My

original search question remained the same: Can I manage my

asthma? I was able to define exactly what it was that I wanted to

manage. I ended up narrowing my topic to three areas I had to deal

with in order to manage my asthma: environmental factors,

medications, and sports/exercise. When I developed my brochure, I

made sure that each of the three areas that I thought were important

were addressed.

The Search Results / What I Have Learned

According to the Encarta encyclopedia, many Americans, have

asthma and that number has increased dramatically in the last 20

years. “More than 17 million Americans suffer from asthma, with

nearly 5 million cases occurring in children under age 18. In the

United States, asthma causes 5,500 deaths each year… Among all

Americans, the prevalence of asthma increased more than 60 percent

between 1982 and 1994” (Abramowicz). The management of asthma

is a health issue for many people, besides me. I will be able to

manage my asthma and live a full, active life by minimizing the

effects of environmental factors that can trigger asthma episodes,

Section 3.

Explain what
your research
taught you that
helped you
develop your
Product.

following my physician’s instructions about medications, and by

sticking to an exercise program. Following my progress with

“Annie’s Guide” will help me do this.

Numerous substances can trigger an asthma attack of coughing,

wheezing, and shortness of breath. Allergens constitute the largest

category of triggers (Abramowicz). According to Susan Berg,

“Allergens are substances that produce an allergic reaction in people

who are sensitive to them.” Common allergens are pollens from

plants, animal dander, dust mites, mold and mildew (23). Dr. Anders

said we would do a series of skin tests for allergies right away. If

I am allergic to certain triggers, allergy shots will help by

desensitizing me to them, making them less likely to trigger an

episode (Anders).

If I am allergic to certain pollens, I can reduce the chances of an

asthma episode by staying indoors when those pollens are in the air.

Indoors, I can reduce the risk of an episode by using the air

conditioner to circulate air while keeping windows and doors closed

to keep pollens out. Cleaning the air with an air cleaning device can

reduce dust mites, mold spores, and other indoor allergens (“85 % of

Americans”).

Two instruments are commonly used in the treatment of asthma.

The first, a peak flow meter, is a tube about six inches long; which

measures a person’s ability to push air from his or her lungs. When a

person exhales into it, he/she can determine if his/her lungs are

working at their capacity. If the lungs are working below their

capacity, it is necessary to take some medication with a second

instrument, a metered-dose inhaler (Peak Flow Meters). A metered-

dose inhaler, a hand-held pump, delivers medication directly to the

airways and helps patients get their breath back very quickly Anders).

Today many different medications are available to help people

with asthma. Medications can be injected, taken orally or inhaled.

Inhaled medications are usually a first line of defense because they

work very quickly, usually in less than five minutes. This is because

they go right into the lungs and not into other parts of the body.

Certain anti-inflammatory drugs are used to keep air passages open

and prevent asthma episodes. One type of these is called

corticosteroids. I was relieved to find that these are not the same kind

of steroids that cause serious side effects in athletes. The risk of side

effects with corticosteroids is very small (“Asthma Medicines”).

Twenty or thirty years ago doctors believed that physical exercise

made an asthmatic patient’s condition worse. At that time doctors

believed a quiet, restful life was best. Now new research is showing

that “people with breathing disorders who can maintain a regular

program of exercise and activity are able to experience maximum

cardiovascular fitness along with greater symptom control, or an

increased ability to exercise and do the activities of daily living.

Exercise trains the respiratory muscles to work more efficiently”

(Smolley and Bruce 127-128). I had been worried that I would have

to drop off the softball team or miss our next family camping trip.

These facts, however, made me confident that I would be able to

continue to do both.\

Nancy Hogshead, a former Olympic athlete, demonstrates some

exercises for asthmatics on a video called Aerobics For Athletes. I

tried some of the exercises, and they are great. Nancy serves as a

wonderful role model. She and other Olympic athletes including Rob

Muzzio, Jim Ryun, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Amy VanDyken have

had to deal with asthma, and many of these athletes still compete

(Smolley and Bruce 128). In fact, a recent study of Olympic athletes

revealed that “more than 20 percent of the American athletes who

participated in the 1996 Summer Olympic games may have had

asthma (“Olympians”). I am very encouraged by this fact.

After doing the research, I concluded that if I developed a plan for

myself, I would be able to manage my asthma. “Annie’s Guide,” my

plan, addresses the areas of medical treatment, environment, pets and

sports. If I do find that I have allergies, I’ll take the allergy shots. I’ll

take my medications and monitor the peak flow levels every day as

well as go in for checkups every three months. Prior to outdoor

activities such as hiking and camping, I’ll have to check the pollen

counts that are published in our local newspaper. If the counts are

high, I won’t be able to participate. As for getting a dog, our family

will have to postpone that decision until I’ve found if I’m allergic to

them. Finally, I can continue to participate in my sports and physical

activities. I’ll use the peak flow meter before and after softball games,

do warm-up breathing exercises, and keep an inhaler handy for

emergency use. My guide, “Annie’s Plan” lays out all of the

considerations I have to make on a regular basis and allows me to

keep track of all of these factors on a daily basis by simply checking

off each element as I address it.

My Growth

I actually learned a great deal about doing research as a result of this

project. For one thing, doing the research took much more time than I

thought it would. Consequently, I have learned to plan my time more

efficiently. I’ll schedule an appointment well ahead the next time I

want to interview someone. My writing skills also improved. I

learned to use an outline to organize my thoughts before I begin to

write. I’m also better able to write a well-developed paragraph that

focuses on one topic. Proquest and the OPAC at the public library are

both tools that I hadn’t used before, but will use with my next

research project. I also learned how to evaluate information from web

sites.

In terms of making the brochure itself, I already knew a lot of

great document production skills. So that wasn’t much of a stretch.

Section 4.

Explain what
your learned
along the way.

Frankly, it was pulling together all of the information that challenged

me.

In addition to these academic benefits, I got a lot of information

that will help me lead a full and active life in spite of my asthma. The

production of “Annie’s Guide” made me really consider all of the

parts of my life that I CAN control in terms of asthma. Now, I

definitely feel like while I do have asthma, asthma doesn’t have me.

I’ll still be an active, athletic, social, and successful young adult.

Works Cited

Abramowicz, Mark. “Asthma, Bronchial.” Microsoft Encarta 98

Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoftpor., 1993-97.

Aerobics for Asthmatics. Videocassette. Allergy and Asthma

Network /Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc., 1993.

Anders, Emma R., M.C. Personal interview. 12 Apr. 1999.

“Asthma.” The Merck Manual of Medical Information. Whitehouse

Station: N.J. Merck Research Laboratories, 2003.

“Asthma Medicines.” American Lung Association Web site.

American Lung Association. 15 Apr. 1999.

.

Berg, Susan. “Recently Diagnosed with Asthma?” Asthma Mar.-Apr.

1999: 22-24.

“Olympians Don’t Let Asthma Hold Them Back.” Asthma Mar.-

Apr. 1999: 15.

“Peak Flow Meters.” American Lung Association Web site.

American Lung Association. 15 Apr. 1999.

.

Smolley, Laurence A. and Debra Fulghum Bruce. Breathe Right

Now: A Comprehensive Guide to Treating the Most Common

Breathing Disorders

This works cited
page is in MLA
style.

(Back to table of contents)

7

I-search Paper
Introduction

This paper can be started before you complete the project as you will need some research to
develop your product/performance. However, the I‐Search Paper is also a “reflective” document
that asks you to think about what you learned from the experience as you look back and “reflect”
on it. Make sure that you finish the paper after the product/performance is complete.

Like traditional research papers, you must use proper citations, and for this you need to follow the
MLA style; http://citationmachine.net is a good resource for this. Be sure to cite sources, use
quotation marks around anything you quote from another source, give credit for all ideas that are
not your own, and include a correctly formatted Works Cited Page. Unlike traditional research,
you will actually use the word “I.”

Components

There are five distinct components to the I‐Search paper. This section will take you through the
five parts. If you read through this and start writing as it guides you, the process will be a cinch. It
even tells you how long each section should be in order to meet the length requirement. Note all
the questions—They will give you lots of ideas.

Part 1: My Questions–What I Already Know, and What I Want to Know

In this section, you will describe what you already knew about the topic, why you were
interested in it, and what questions you began with. Some questions to guide your work in this
section include the following:

o Why have I chosen this topic?

o What product will I create, and how does it relate to this research topic?

o What do I already know about this topic?

o What do I wonder about? What questions do I have? On what particular question do I want to
focus?

o What do I want to “discover” in order to answer my major question?

In this section, you will probably not cite any research, as it really is just the introduction to your
actual work. However, you might refer to particular sources that “hooked” you in terms of
interest or from which you have gained what knowledge you already have. This section should
be 2-3 paragraphs long and provide the reader with a clear sense of why you’re researching your
topic, how it relates to creating your product, what you already know, and what you hope to find
out.

Part 2: My Search Process – How I Prepared to Create the Product

In this section, you will describe your actual research “journey.” You will need to describe the
sequence of steps that you go through as you research your topic, on your way to creating your
product. You might talk about what sources you begin with, how these helped or not, new

http://citationmachine.net/

8

sources as you find them, what new questions crop up as you learn more, and what frustrations
you encounter along the way. This is also the section where you talk about the help and
assistance that you get from others, i.e. primary sources: mentors and other people you interview.
You should about specific sites and sources. Be sure to include your reflections in this section.

o Explain your research steps and include specific sites

o Tell about the primary sources/people you interviewed

o Express your successes, failures, and feelings as you researched

Examples:

When I went to the library, I looked at…

On the Internet, I found three articles that…

I interviewed someone who works in this profession and…

I soon found that…

In order to complete this section, you will need to keep notes and log your work as you go.
Failure to do so will make this section very difficult to do well. Your learning log will be a
valuable resource for this section, so keep detailed notes. This section of your paper should be 2-
4 paragraphs long.

Part 3: What I Have Learned in Completing the Product/Search Results

This section finally allows you to focus on what you have learned as a result of completing your
product.

o What findings or conclusions have you arrived at?

o What sources have you used to come to these conclusions?

You need to be sure to cite your sources here! Be careful to connect what you have learned to the
question(s) you posed in the first section of your paper. You might use comparison/contrast,
pro/con, cause/effect, or sequencing as formats to demonstrate your analysis.

After doing the product, I discovered that…

I was correct in thinking that…

I was confused or mistaken about…

Be certain to use MLA documentation in this section and cite your sources correctly. Direct
quotes must ALWAYS be in quotation marks. You should try to use a minimum of three
sources. Also, since this section focuses on what you’ve learned, you will generally need about
three citations per page or one per paragraph. Personal interviews do count as sources.

This is probably the longest section of your paper—1 to 2 pages in length.

9

Part 4: What This Means to Me/My Growth

This section provides the opportunity for you to reflect on how you have developed during the
process. You should personalize your new learning and explain how it impacts your thinking on
the topic. Draw conclusions from what you have discovered. Explain what else you would like to
know.

The following statements may help guide your thinking:

o What I now know that I didn’t know before includes…

o The findings that mean the most to me are…

o What I’ve learned will affect me and my senior project by…

o As a result of this research, I’ve decided to…

Length for this section should be 1-2 paragraphs.

Part 5: References

You will need to cite your sources in two ways. First, you will need to properly cite sources
throughout your paper. Also, it is essential that you include a properly formatted (MLA Style)
Works Cited Page at the end of your paper. You will need to carefully document ALL sources
you use throughout your I‐Search process in order to complete this task correctly. From day one,
you need to keep a list going of all Internet sites, all reference materials, all people you
interview, and any other media sources that you use. You should do so in your learning log.

There are several online sources that may help you, one of which is the Write Source site,
http://www.thewritesource.com/mla.htm. There are several other MLA websites, so a GOOGLE
search will help.

Helpful Reminders:

EDITING IS CRUCIAL: Do not rely entirely on Spell Check! Read and re‐read your work for
correct spelling, punctuation, tense, word choice, and sentence fluency. Have others read your
paper to make suggestions or corrections. Reading it aloud is the BEST way to catch many of
your punctuation and sentence fluency problems.

Do NOT wait until the last minute.

Keep an ACCURATE LOG going of your research. If you don’t do this, you will find it virtually
impossible to complete the second section of the paper.

If you get stuck, remember the paper’s ultimate purpose: to tell the story of what you did to
create your product.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SAMPLE I-SEARCH PAPER.

http://www.thewritesource.com/mla.htm

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UmvcK1aSMWreNMFvi1zvZRwnM9PQ5aW8/view?usp=sharing