Annotated Bibliography

As this point, you should have identified a rhetorical problem and developed at least two related research questions you are interested in exploring. For this assignment, you will create an annotated bibliography of sources related to your research questions.

As you may already know, a bibliography is a list of sources (articles, books, etc.), formatted according to certain rules. An annotated bibliography is similar, except that each of the citations is followed by a paragraph summarizing and evaluating the source. These paragraphs are called annotations.

Researchers often use annotated bibliographies to organize the information they collect when they are researching a topic. They help researchers keep track of what they have learned from different sources, so they dont have to go back and re-read everything when they sit down to write about their research.

Your annotated bibliography should list, summarize, and evaluate at least five credible sources related to your research question.

Due date: Sunday, March 8

Finding and Reading Sources

Using the SmartSearch or other search engines, find at least five sources related to your research questions. Choose sources that will help you answer your research questions and that present a variety of perspectives on your topic, not just sources by writers who agree with each other. You are welcome to use sources assigned for class, if they are relevant for the assignment and your topic. Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, do not count towards the required number of sources.

Once you have found relevant sources, carefully read them. Pay particular attention to the authors main point or conclusions as well as the arguments, evidence, and/or research they present to support their main point or conclusions.

Formatting Your Annotated Bibliography

Please follow these guidelines when composing your Annotated Bibliography.

• Place an MLA-style Citation at the top of each entry. (See the sample Blackboard for an example.)
• Place the annotation (the paragraph summarizing and evaluating the source) under the bibliographic information. Each annotation should include the following information:
• A summary of the authors main point(s). For argumentative sources, this will be the authors central claim (e.g. their thesis). For informational sources, this will be the conclusions the author drew from their research.
• An explanation of the authors arguments and/or evidence. For argumentative sources, this includes examples and data the author presents as well as arguments that support their thesis. For informational sources, this includes any research the author discusses, such as such interviews with experts, surveys, or research studies.
• An assessment of the sources credibility. Explain why you believe the source is credible. Or, if you dont think the source is credible, explain why you are still including it in your annotated bibliography (for example, it may represent an important counter-argument you want to address). Remember to draw on what youve learned about evaluating the credibility of sources in this class.

The length of your annotations will vary depending on the length and complexity of the source. However, most annotations that accomplish these goals will be 150-250 words each.

List the entries in alphabetical order, according to the authors last names.

If you have any questions about MLA style, consult the or or email your instructor.

Generative AI Guidelines

You MAY use generative AI to proofread your writing, such as:

• Using Grammarly to check grammar and punctuation.

You may NOT use generative AI to create substantial content for this assignment, including:

• Asking Chat GPT or other generative AI to summarize sources for you.
• Asking Chat GPT or other generative AI to write part of your annotations.

The two rhetorical problems this needs to be over are:

The downfall of student literacy

How Limited access to mental health resources for college students is affecting them