ILS 2385: The Annotated Bibliography (gather and synthesizing research) for the Semester Research Project
This assignment is crucial; it allows you to prepare some research before you dive into drafting your Semester Research Project.
Why should I write an annotated bibliography?
To learn about your topic: Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information. At the professional level, annotated bibliographies allow you to see what has been done in the literature and where your own research or scholarship can fit. To help you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view.
To help other researchers: Extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies are sometimes published. They provide a comprehensive overview of everything important that has been and is being said about that topic. You may not ever get your annotated bibliography published, but as a researcher, you might want to look for one that has been published about your topic.
WHERE TO FIND YOUR INFO:
To begin the annotated bibliography assignment, you will be asked to locate EIGHT journal articles (or books) on your own using the library's electronic database.
YOU CANNOT USE SOURCES FROM THE WORLD WIDE WEB! You must use sources from the library's databases or other sources from a library (i.e. books, magazine, journal, or newspaper articles, videos, etc.)
To access the library's electronic databases see the link below:
You'll find full-text books using ABC-CLIO EBOOK COLLECTION as well as EBSCO eBOOK ACADEMIC COLLECTION and EBOOK CENTRAL .
There are many databases at your disposal for academic and scholarly a
rticles. See the list above. Also don't forget that you many use documentary films (see the Kanopy database).
COMPLETING THE ANNOTATIONS
Once you have decided on your ten sources, you will have to read and analyze them and take extensive notes. If they are long or book-length articles, then do your best to skim them. Always look at the table of contents, the chapter headings, and the index or bibliography in the back. You can learn a lot about a book from doing these things before you read it at length. You will then go back and read carefully the parts that are relevant to your paper.
Next, you should carefully read each article, underlining any ideas that you feel are important and/or those that elicit a strong personal response. As you are reading, record your own personal responses in the margins of the article. Then, you should write the article's annotation.
To complete each annotation, first write the MLA citation for the article (check your handbook for the correct citation). Your annotation should be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt., and Times New Roman font, using MLA style.
List the sources alphabetically by author’s last name, using MLA style, and then write an eight-to-ten sentence blurb summarizing each of your ten sources. Make sure to identify the author’s thesis in your summary and other important points made in the article. Finally, indicate in a sentence how you might use the source in your paper. Here is an example (but you will double space everything):
Pitts, Leonard. “Parents’ Influence is Limited.” The Dallas Morning News. 2 February 2002, 27A.
In this editorial, Pitts first claims that people are too quick to blame a child’s parents if the child does something wrong. In fact, he says, parents might even enjoy pointing the finger at other parents who have a child in trouble. However, he tell us, once he had his own children, he became more humble and realized that no matter how “good” parents are, children will still do things that are “bad” and against the “rules” that guided how they were raised. This leads him to an example: a song by Marvin Gaye, suggesting that parents should stop trying to mold children “like their own piece of clay.” Finally, he argues that parents should keep offering wisdom, guidance, and love, but stop thinking that they are the ultimate influence on their children’s lives. I will use this article to illustrate the perspective of those that believe when a child does something bad, the blame is too easily placed on parents.
For an additional example, click the link below:
•Remember that the purpose of an annotation is to give a reader a condensed and objective account of the main ides and features of a text. Indicate the main ideas of the text. Accurately representing the main ideas (while omitting the less important details) should be your major goal.
•Use direct quotation of key words, phrases, or sentences. (“According to Hattemer” or “as Hattemer explains”) to remind the reader that you are summarizing the author and the text, not giving your own ideas. NOTE: Instead of repeating “Hattemer says,” choose verbs that more accurately represent the purpose or tone of the original passage: “Hattemer argues,” "Hattemer explains,” "Hattemer warns,” “Hattemer asks,” “Hattemer advises” (These are referred to as author tags).
•Avoid summarizing specific examples or data unless they help illustrate the thesis or main idea of the text.
•Report the main ideas as objectively as possible. Represent the author and text as accurately and faithfully as possible. Do not include your own personal reactions to the author's information.
• Lastly, in one sentence explain how you might use the source in your research paper.
Make sure to vary your sources (printed articles [not available on-line], full-text articles from the library’s electronic databases, books, magazines, academic journals, etc.). You should have at least three different types of sources. Remember to print a copy of the source.
UPLOAD ONE COPY OF THE COMPLETED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR YOUR GROUP TO ULEARN BY THE DUE DATE ON THE COURSE SCHEDULE.
