Overview
You will be provided a list of topics from which you may select. Following the guidelines provided in this assignment, you must select five articles that cover your topic and create an annotated bibliography for each article. You will also include an abstract for this assignment.
What is an annotated bibliography?
A bibliography is a citation of a source. An annotated bibliography is the citation followed by a summary and evaluation of the source. It is not an essay or a research paper. It is usually two paragraphs, 1 to 1 1/2 pages long. Ann bibs are written in paragraph form without an introductory paragraph or a conclusion.
What is included in an annotated bibliography?
The APA formatted citation for the source
An explanation of the main purpose of the article
A short summary of the main points
The scholarly credentials of the author, source, publication
An evaluation of any biases that may be present in the source
The value of the work as it relates to your understanding of the topic
How do I get started?
Review the list of topics. Choose a topic that is interesting to you. Remember that you may need to be flexible. It will make your job easier to choose a topic that has lots of sources available rather than choosing something that is flashy. Any alternate topics must be preapproved.
Create a list of ideas related to that topic. For example, if you want to discuss book banning, you could focus on the treatment of books by either black, indigenous, or female authors.
With the help of the instructor, mentor, and the librarians, develop a list of sources that might be beneficial for this assignment. As you read through the articles, you should narrow down your topic. You should find the five sources which best suit the assignment.
It is easy to read short articles and get it over with; however, you will not have enough information to serve as a foundation for this assignment if your source is two to three pages long. Longer articles will serve you better and make the assignment easier. Read the abstracts for the articles and search for more recent publications to help narrow your options to three articles.
Make time to meet with your mentor. Schedule an EH 115: Writing Studio Individual Session with Hope Colburn (AC) for the following week. He and I are both available to help you navigate this process. Make sure you set aside time for an individual session with Bill, and you are always welcome to make an appointment with me, too.
Read and annotate your sources. Whether you read them online or print them out to have a hard copy, you should definitely read your source from start to end. Remember the annotating tips we practiced in class with the Common Read text. Underline. Highlight. Use Post-It notes. Write in the margins. This should not be a neat process.
Gather and organize the notes you have made. Your job is now to create an outline for the annotated bibliographies in order to organize your information and develop your analysis of the source and its content.
Once you have gathered your material, you should begin drafting your annotated bibliographies. Remember to include at least two direct quotes or paraphrases, which should be cited. You should follow the steps of the writing process to complete the assignment.
The paper will be submitted following APA guidelines, including a cover page.
