Making the Writing And Research Connection With the I-search Process (How to Do It Manuals for Librarians)

Using the I-Search process, your middle grade and high school students will find new ways to enjoy the process of research. This innovative technique for creating research and term papers avoids the pitfalls and frustrations of traditional research methods by having students write in first person about the topics they’re interested in. With step-by-step clarity, this manual will help teachers and media specialists collaborate successfully to make the reading and writing connection click in their schools. Content includes:
• Starting the process
• Narrowing the topic
• Using information
• Assessing progress
• Writing the final paper
• Conducting in-service training
Appendixes provide sample questions, a time frame for keeping students on track, and student instructions for reading a chapter or magazine article for research purposes. Companion CD-ROM includes worksheets, tools, and sample I-Search papers.

Tallman and Joyce's first edition (1997) concentrated on training middle and secondary students to employ I-Search, a research and writing process that challenges learners to have a "stake in the topic" of study. What's new with this edition is the generalization of the process to expand application to learners of all ages, abilities, and personalities across the curriculum; what is unchanged is the assumption that learning is more intimate when students pursue inquiries within their scope of interest. In addition to a revised restatement of the I-Search process, this new volume offers feedback and changes based on reactions from teachers who followed the original. It uses the very evolution of the process and of instructional technologies to engender fresh application of I-Search, and it responds to national standards conceived since the first publication. An accompanying CD-ROM contains downloadable files of all of the figures and charts from the manual that include outlines, handouts, worksheets, and sample student projects. The flexibility of this edition is particularly welcome, as it suggests how to apply the I-Search process to any area of education.—Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH
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This volume, revised from 1997, covers the I-Search process for middle- and high-school students and now includes a detailed explanation of I-Search in the context of content units. Although it is useful for the media specialist and teacher who are familiar with I-Search, novices will also find valuable information. Part 1 deals with the process itself and offers comparisons of the writing and research processes; emphasizes the collaborative nature among students, teachers, and librarians; models plans of action; and details deciding on a topic and creating and assessing the final product. Part 2 focuses on connections with the curriculum and specific content units and describes management strategies including time lines and student instruction. Part 3 is an annotated bibliography. The accompanying CD-ROM contains all of the figures found in the book (templates, handouts, etc.), which can be reproduced and adapted. Rochelle Glantz
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