Paper Assignment
Part 1: Annotated Bibliography
As preparation for your research paper, you will choose a topic and find at least five peer-reviewed, academic sources. It's a good idea to look for sources through the databases you can access through our library, such as JSTOR. If you want to use sources you found elsewhere, make sure they are credible sources - no citing Wikipedia - and check with me before you use them. You will need to defend why you find those sources credible in your annotated bibliography. Our research librarian will be coming to talk to you about how to evaluate sources.
We will talk about how to write annotated bibliographies in class, but here is a specific format to follow. Just as in your previous paper proposal, in a brief paragraph before you begin the bibliography, clearly state your topic, how you arrived at it, and your tentative thesis for the research paper. Then you will list each source alphabetically in MLA format. You will then annotate each source in the following format (note that this is the format for an online article; if you have other kinds of sources, the format will be a little different):
Sample, George A. "This is an Article in an Academic Journal." Grey Haired Academics Monthly, Volume #, Issue #. Date of publication. pp. Academic Database. Web. Date Accessed.
3-4 sentences: Summary - What is the author's thesis? What are the main ideas supporting that thesis? What is the purpose?
3-4 sentences: Analysis - Is the author clearly identifiable? Can you establish her or his credibility? Is the source's presentation clear and reasonable, or is the language biased? Is there any reason to suspect bias on the author's part (philosophical, religious, political, cultural)? If so, what do you think are the biases? Is there any evidence backing the purpose? Is it verifiable? Anecdotal? Relevant to the purpose? Is it testable? Can it be independently verified through another source not related to this one?
3-4 sentences: Evaluation - What is your opinion of this source? What is its potential value to your research paper? Is it topical, timely, and relevant to your paper? How exactly do you plan to use it?