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Assignment Overview
What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is an alphabetized list of sources with descriptive commentary. Each entry in the bibliography consists of an MLA-formatted citation followed by 3 paragraphs (roughly 100-150 words total) of evaluation: this is the “annotation.” The first paragraph summarizes the source, the second paragraph assesses the source, and the third paragraph reflects on the source. An annotated bibliography is your first review of the literature on your research topic.
Do I need to choose a research question in order to do an Annotated Bibliography?
YES, you do—well, at least a “topic” idea. The first step in crafting an annotated bibliography is to figure out what topic you would like to investigate. Thus, an annotated bibliography begins with a broad search. This approach will help you to narrow down your research topic and ultimately, lead you to your focused research question. The sources you choose to include in your Annotated Bibliography should be related to the topic you have chosen. After reviewing and analyzing multiple sources on your chosen topic, you will be able to mount an argument where you make a claim based on your research topic.
Will the topic I ultimately choose for my Annotated Bibliography evolve into all the other assignments I draft for this course?
Yes. Of course, you can always change your topic after this assignment is completed and graded, but you will have to start the research process over again on your new topic. The reading and research you do to prepare for and draft the Annotated Bibliography is the foundation for the following assignments: The Research Proposal, Research Outline, Researched Argumentative Essay, and the Research Story.
Selecting a Topic: Are there any off-limit topics?
Selecting the right topic is an important step in ensuring your success in researching and writing an argument–starting with the Annotated Bibliography and including the Research Proposal, Outline and Story.
You’ll want to choose a topic that has the following features:
Of interest to you
Relevant
Current
Debatable
Well-researched
Narrow in scope
Academic or “scholarly” in nature
Topics to avoid, as they are either too complex to debate in a single essay, or not considered appropriate for an academic or scholarly argument, are as follows:
The death penalty
Euthanasia or self-assisted death
Abortion
The (il)legalization of drugs (e.g. marijuana)
Religion or religious readings (e.g. existence of a higher order/being, or life after death)
Gun rights/rules
Global warming
Please do not select one of the above 7 topics, as your essay may be returned without grading.
Assignment Prompt: Annotated Bibliography
Overview
An annotated bibliography is a combination assignment: it blends MLA reference citations with paragraphs–or annotations–that help you, and your readers, make sense of the sources you cite. For this assignment, you will be asked to create annotations that summarize, assess, and reflect upon sources related to your research topic (See Assignment Guide). This process serves two purposes: it provides you with a broader perspective of your research topic, and it prompts you to develop your own point of view: your thesis.
Expectations
The annotated bibliography is a very valuable first-step in the research writing process, since it helps you:
Collect and organize source material
Practice MLA formatting
Think carefully and critically about source content
Evaluate source reliability and credibility
Determine source usefulness
Synthesize multiple sources
Decide if you need more sources
Develop a working thesis
Requirements
Length/Sources:
This assignment requires 5 reliable and credible sources with annotations. The minimum word count is 750 words total, with 150 words per source annotation. *If the minimum word count is not met, your assignment will be returned with no grade and a resubmission will be required.
Organization
Each of the five sources should include an annotation with the following four components: a citation, a summary paragraph, an assessment paragraph, and a reflection paragraph.
Check out the table below for more information about the required content and conditions of each component:
Component
Content
Conditions
Reference Citation
Including a properly formatted citation can help readers access the same information you accessed (e.g. author, title, publishing date, etc.), if they are interested in learning more about the source and/or your topic.
*Think of this as pointing readers in the right direction.
Be sure to use MLA style for your citations.
You’ll need to pay attention to how you order the identifying criteria and include a hanging indent for any line after the first line.
Summary
*Think of this as presenting readers with “the big picture.”
In this paragraph, you will provide a thorough overview of the source, including the main claim/thesis, the topics covered, important supporting points, and any other information readers need to understand the overall gist of the source.
Be sure to use summary here, with no direct quotes.
You’ll want to stick to third-person language in this section (no “I, me, we, you, us, our”).
Assessment
*Think of this as providing readers with proof that the source is, or is not, useful.
In this paragraph, you will evaluate the source, noting whether it is useful, and why. You can discuss reliability and credibility, author expertise, date of publication, bias or objectivity, and intended audience. You can also compare/contrast this source with other sources that you have collected, if you find that analysis helpful.
Be sure to use paraphrase here, with no direct quotes.
You’ll want to stick to third-person language in this section (no “I, me, we, you, us, our”).
Reflection
*Think of this as presenting readers with your perspective.
In this paragraph, you will share how this source impacts your writing process. Did this source cause you to change your stance? Did you learn anything new or interesting about your topic? How might you use this source in your future essay?
You can feel free to use first-person language here, since you are sharing your own insights about this source and its relationship to your research topic. Be sure to stick to “I, me” language, though, as you don’t want to make assumptions about your readers.
Document Formatting: MLA formatting: Heading (name, assignment name, course name, date), original title, header (page numbers), line-spacing (double-spaced), 1”margins, and 12-point font size, Times New Roman or sans-serif font.
Genre/Style: Formal analysis following a guided format–see organization and example.
Source(s) Selection: While we encourage you to acquire sources from Gale’s Opposing Viewpoints, you may access credible, scholarly sources from other resources. Tertiary sources, such as online encyclopedias, dictionaries and Wikipedia, are not scholarly sources, and should not be cited within your work; however, they may offer helpful foundational information as you develop your understanding of an issue. For more information, please review Berkley University’s resource on scholarly and popular sources: “Evaluating Resources.”
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