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Writing the I-Search: Part Three

Part Three is by far the longest and most formal part of your I-Search, the part where you combine the information that you have learned and recorded onto notecards in a clear, organized way that will teach an audience of sophomores about your new-found expertise on the subject.

Part Three:

uses "I" rarely, if ever, since it's not about you but rather about your topic.
is based on your notecards.
has a minimum of 2500 words but often twice that length.
can be read separately from the rest of the paper.
has lots of citations (generally one per notecard).
is generally more formal in its writing style than the other parts.
is written mostly in the author's own voice, with no more than 15% direct quotation.
uses quotations well in "sandwiches," including indenting quotations that are 4 or more lines long.
often uses the names and credentials of authorities in your sentences to give the paper the feel of human voices discussing your topic (e.g. "According to Martin Jones, a researcher on kidney dialysis at the Maine Medical Center...").
has substantial sections which are dialectic in nature -- that is, they show areas of disagreement, where the experts have conflicting views on your topic.
may reflect your own opinions when it comes to the conclusions you are drawing from your information.