The document provides guidance on choosing a topic and developing good research questions for an I-Search paper. It recommends starting with a narrow, specific topic rather than a broad one so the research can be completed. Good questions are specific rather than vague and can be answered through research. The document also reviews key terms for research papers such as reliable vs unreliable sources, citations, facts over opinions, and determining the purpose. It lists assignments related to the I-Search paper that students need to complete or resubmit if scored below 80%.

1. Reviewing the I-Search
Paper
English I
NCVPS

2. Choosing a topic
O Choosing the topic of your I-Search is an
important part of the process.
O You want to avoid broad topics that you
can’t cover completely. For example:
O Africa
O Professional basketball
O Wild animals
O Surfing

3. Narrowing your topic
O A narrow topic will allow you to be able to
complete your research
O If we narrow the broad topic examples from
the previous slide, we come up with topics
you can manage:
O How to plan a safari instead of Africa
O A specific professional basketball player
instead of the entire sport
O Bengal tigers instead of wild animals
O A specific professional surfer instead of surfing

4. Questions
O Writing good questions will help you to find
good research
O Good questions are ones that you can find the
answers to
O They are specific, not broad or vague
O Here are some examples of bad questions:
O What is Africa?
O Why do professional athletes behave badly?
O Why aren’t tigers green?
O Are surfers athletes?

5. Good Questions
O Here are some examples of good
questions:
O What countries in Africa are good for
planning a safari?
O How did LeBron James start his
professional career?
O How many Bengal tigers are left in the
world??
O What are considered the best breaks in the
world?

6. Review of Terms
O In order to understand the research paper,
you need to be familiar with certain terms
O Any research paper, including the I-
Search, requires you to research your
topic and use facts.
O When researching, you have to know
what sources you can trust, and are
reliable and which ones you can’t trust,
and are unreliable

7. Review of Terms cont’d
O You also need to use citations in your
paper, so I know where your information
came from
O Research papers include facts, not
opinions, so you should make sure you
don’t lean on one side or another, or have
bias in your paper
O You need to determine what your
purpose, or reason for writing is
O Your paper should have an objective tone
to it, so that the facts can be trusted

8. Assignments
O You had the following assignments in
Lesson 3:
O Quiz on I-Search terms
O Forum where you posted about your topic
and responded to at least two classmates
O A paragraph where you explained what
your topic is and what why you chose it
O A Voki where you told me about your topic
O If you received an 80 or below on any of
these assignments, please resubmit them