Annotated Bibliography

Due at your conference in Week 9 (October 28^th)

In an Annotated Bibliography, a writer annotates sources that she or he has collected. What is annotation? This is the process of briefly summarizing, analyzing, and/or evaluating sources that you have read. You are compiling an Annotated Bibliography that will contain information on all of the sources you have collected for your research paper. Each source will have its own one or two paragraph-long entry in the Annotated Bibliography.

Since the purpose of this annotated bibliography is to help you manage your sources, you may want to include quotations, page number citations, and other information that will help you when you begin to write your research paper. When you begin writing your research paper, for instance, you do not want to have to dig for important quotations and page numbers. Having important quotations archived in an Annotated Bibliography as a step in the research paper writing process. Once you have read your sources and annotated them, it is easier for you to make connections among sources.

In building your Annotated Bibliography, you will use the Writing Center’s handout on Writing Annotated Bibliographies as well as the information we will discuss in class.

Requirements: Your bibliography should contain 7-10 sources. One of your sources must be a book, and 3 must be academic journal articles. Once you go beyond 4 sources, you may use sources from the “free web.” Please use MLA format throughout the bibliography, and follow the formatting guidelines on the Writing Center’s Annotated Bibliography handout. As mentioned above, each annotation should be one or two double-spaced paragraphs long. Be sure to include a writer’s memo with this assignment.

Research Proposal

Due Friday, October 26th

In the Research Question assignment, you began a dialogue with yourself and others about your topic of interest. This enabled you to begin finding relevant information and helped you to craft a research question that can be meaningfully answered with the resources at your disposal. Now you have a revised research question that can organize and direct the rest of your writing, and you’ve developed an initial understanding of the literature being written about your topic. You are now ready to write a formal research proposal. A research proposal is a plan for research that articulates a concise research question, indicates why that question is important and to whom it is important, briefly describes the literature you plan to use for your research, and even suggests possible answers (hypotheses) to your question. Keep in mind that a research proposal is forward-looking and should provide direction for your research.

The proposal should have the following parts:

1. An introduction describing to whom your research is important, ending with the articulation of your question;

2. A middle section suggestion a trajectory of your paper and a plan for proceeding with your research, listing possible sources you will use; and

3. A conclusion in which you articulate possible answers (hypotheses) to your question.

As with the Research Question assignment, The Craft of Research can be helpful here. Remember how the central “formula” there worked:

I am trying to learn about/working on/studying ________________

Because I want to find out who/what/when/where/whether/why/how ______________

In order to help my reader understand how/why/whether _________________.

Guideline: The proposal should be about 1-2 double-spaced pages in length. Please follow the formatting guidelines outlined in the section of your syllabus titled “Guidelines for Typewritten Work.” Please also be sure to cite any sources you use in your essay; consult Easy Access for MLA citation guidelines. Additionally, you will need to include a writer’s memo with this assignment.

Research Question Assignment

Research Question Assignment

(The First of Many Steps to Write a Research Paper)

Question itself Due Monday, October 15^th for Library Session

First Draft Due Wednesday, October 17^th

The research project you are about to undertake will give you practice formulating a question and shaping that question over time. You should expect, then, that as you engage in library research, and the research process in general, your question will change as you make new discoveries.

From Chapter 3 in The Craft of Research, there are several techniques for approaching the task of formulating a good research question. Specifically, in section 3.4, there is a formula for organizing ideas in order to pursue the research project effectively:

I am trying to learn about/working on/studying ____

Because I want to find out who/what/when/where/whether/why/how _____

In order to help my reader understand how/how/why/whether ________.

While this formula certainly doesn’t exhaust the possible avenues of exploration for a given topic, it does accomplish three key tasks that are essential to beginning a research project:

1) it identifies the topic,

2) it identifies a question related to the topic, and

3) it motivates the question by indicating why it might be important to your readers.

The purpose of the Research Question assignment is precisely to accomplish these three tasks. The question that you identify will emerge out of the reading and writing you’ve done over the last sex weeks. It should be personal and important to you. Think of your question as beginning a dialogue with people who have written articles and books about the topic you are curious about. Again, you should expect your initial questions to change, especially in the early stages of the research process. Finally, please be aware that you can count on the librarians to help you with your research and that it is easier for them to help you if you have a question from which to begin your research.

Your Research Question paper should do the following:

· identify a question;

· describe how you arrived at your question and explain why your question is important to you (i.e. tell the story behind your question);

· provide some key words or phrases related to your question that you can use as search terms to begin your research; and

· tell your reader how you plan to begin researching your question and topic (What will you consult first: dictionary, encyclopedia, library database, book or journal? Why?)

It may help to read the material in Chapter 3 before beginning your Research Question paper.

Guidelines: The Research Question paper should be one page in length. Please follow the formatting guidelines outlined in the section of your syllabus titled “Guidelines for Typewritten Work.” Please also be sure to cite any sources you use in your essay; consult Easy Access for MLA citation guidelines.

Be sure to include a writer’s memo with this assignment.

BRING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION WITH YOU TO THE LIBRARY SESSION.

Revised Course Schedule

English 100-22 Course Schedule

(Subject to Change)

Unit II: Critical Reading

Week 5	M	10/01	We will discuss “Mister Sparkle Meets the Yakuza.” Summary Two due for discussion and peer review. HW: First draft of Analysis Two, due Monday 10/08.
	W	10/03	“Mister Sparkle Meets the Yakuza” discussion cont. We will discuss analysis and argumentation. Analysis One returned with comments HW: Continue working on Analysis Two. Bring copies for your peer review group and me on Monday.
	F	10/05	No Class. HW: Draft one of Analysis Two, due Monday 10/08. Work on CLUE (1-3 due on Wednesday 10/10; 4 and 5 due on Friday 10/12).
Week 6	M	10/08	Draft of Analysis Two due for Peer Review. We will discuss portfolios and revision strategies. HW: Write Midterm Portfolio Cover Letter. Revise essays for Midterm Portfolio, due Monday 10/15. Continue working on CLUE.
	W	10/10	Portfolio and Revision discussion cont. Workshop on Midterm Portfolio Cover Letter. CLUE 1-3 due. HW: Continue working on Midterm Portfolio and Cover Letter. Continue working on CLUE.
	F	10/12	I will introduce Unit III: Researching and distribute new assignments. Analysis Two returned with comments. CLUE 4 and 5 due. HW: Continue working on Midterm Portfolio and Cover Letter. First draft of the Research Question. Have your Research Question prepared for the Library Instruction session on Friday.
Week 7	M	10/15	Library Instruction Day (meet at College Library 1193D). Midterm Portfolio due by 9pm at my office in Helen C. White 7151. HW: Continue working on the Research Question, due Wednesday 10/17. Bring copies for your peer review group on Wednesday. Read Chapter 3 in The Craft of Research.

Unit III: Researching

	W	10/17	First draft of Research Question due for discussion and peer review. Discussion on HW: Read Chapter 4 in The Craft of Research. Revise Research Question; second draft due on Friday, 10/19.
	F	10/19	Second draft of Research Question due. Discussion on Chapter 4 in The Craft of Research and plagiarism. HW: Work on Research Proposal (due 10/26) and collect sources for Annotated Bibliography (due Week 9 at conference). Begin reading Chapters 5 and 6 in The Craft of Research.
Week 8	M	10/22	Library Day (research and write on your own). I will return comments on the Research Question via email. HW: Continue working on the Research Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, and reading Chapters 5 and 6.
	W	10/24	We will discuss finding and evaluating sources, writing the Annotated Bibliography, and Chapters 5 and 6 from The Craft of Research. HW: Continue working on the Research Proposal. Work on Annotated Bibliography, due at your conference.
	F	10/26	Research Proposal due. Discussion of Wednesday’s topics cont. HW: Continue working on Annotated Bibliography. Bring 2 copies to your conference with me.
Week 9	M	10/29	Conferences at the Open Book Café in College Library. Research Proposal returned at conference. HW: Revise Annotated Bibliography, due Friday 11/02. Begin writing your Research Paper, due Wednesday 11/14.
	W	10/31	Conferences cont. HW: Continue revising Annotated Bibliography. Bring copies for peer review group and me to class on Friday. Continue writing your Research Paper.
	F	11/02	Second draft of Annotated Bibliography due for discussion and peer review. I will discuss your Research Narratives/Oral Presentations. HW: Work on your Research Narratives/Oral Presentations (due next week). Continue working on your Research Paper.
Week 10	M	11/05	Research Narratives/Oral Presentations HW: Continue working on your Research Paper.
	W	11/07	Research Narratives/Oral Presentations HW: Continue working on your Research Paper.
	F	11/09	Research Narratives/Oral Presentations HW: Continue working on your Research Paper.
Week 11	M	11/12	Research Narratives/Oral Presentations HW: Continue working on your Research Paper.
	W	11/14	Research Narratives/Oral Presentations. If we finish early, the rest of the period will be used for questions and library research. HW: Continue working on your Research Paper. Bring copies for peer review group and me to class.
	F	11/16	First draft of Research Paper due for peer review. HW: Work on second draft of Research Paper, due Friday 11/30.
Week 12	M	11/19	Continue Peer Review. First draft of Research Paper returned with my comments. Discussion on Reflections Project. HW: Continue working on second draft of Research Paper. Begin Reflections Project, due Monday 12/03.
	W	11/21	No Class.
	F	11/23	Thanksgiving Break. No class.

Unit IV: Reflecting

Week 13	M	11/26	In-class writing for Reflections Project. HW: Continue working on second draft of Research Paper and Reflections Project.
	W	11/28	In-class writing/work for Reflections Project. HW: Continue working on second draft of Research Paper and Reflections Project. Bring copies of Research Paper for peer review group and me on Friday.
	F	11/30	Second draft of Research Paper due for discussion and peer review. HW: Continue working on Reflections Project. Bring copies for peer review group and me for Monday.
Week 14	M	12/03	First draft of Reflections Project due for discussion and peer review. HW: Revise Reflections Project. Second draft due 12/07.
	W	12/05	Discussion and in-class workshop on the Final Portfolio Cover Letter. HW: Continue working on Reflections Project.
	F	12/07	Second draft of Reflections Project due. Continue in-class work on the Cover Letter. HW: Revise your Portfolio materials. Final Portfolio due on Friday 12/14.
Week 15	M	12/10	Workshop on Final Portfolio. Reflections Project returned with comments. HW: Continue revising your Final Portfolio.
	W	12/12	Instructor Evaluations. Peer review of Final Portfolio.
	F	12/14	Last day of class. Peer review of Final Portfolio. Final Portfolio due at Helen C. White 7151 (my office) by 9pm.