ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

An annotated bibliography is a list of secondary source citations with a short overview of each essay’s main argument. The educational goal is to 1) gather information necessary for your final research paper and 2) to train yourself in finding other authors’ theses sentences so you can write your own. Before you begin this assignment you should read the Purdue OWL section on annotated bibliographies at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

For this assignment you should:

1. List at least six secondary sources in alphabetical order. These should include 3 books and 3 journal articles.
2. Include all information required by the MLA style for the citation. You can find this in your handbook or online at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
3. Include a 75-100 word summary of each source, which should include direct quotes. The goal here is for you to find the author’s thesis sentence.
4. Proofread for grammar errors. For style guidance, go to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Your bibliography should look something like this for a book:

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.

Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic. In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun.

Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.

Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.

(Example from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. )

And like this for an article:

Babbitt, Kevin. "Mary Magdalene and the Drama of Saints: Theatre, Gender, and Religion in Late Medieval England." Theatre Journal 57.2 (2005). 331-332. 10 September 2005. <http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ theatre_journal/v057/57.2babbitt.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.>.

The author provides an in-depth review of Theresa Coletti's book (ISBN-13: 978-0812238006) based on the Bodleian Library manuscript Digby 133 (the Digby Mary Magdalene). He is very favorable of the book, describing the author's analysis as knowledgeable, thorough, and cohesive. Babbitt highly recommends the text for anyone interested in looking at the performance of religion, especially in light of gender issues.

English 1102: Essay 6: Research paper

10% Introduction

The student establishes the importance of the literary theme or topic being analyzed in his/her opening paragraph. The essay uses an anecdote or some research to demonstrate why the chosen subject is significant to the primary text being analyzed. The introduction insists on the need to redefine the issue.

15% Thesis

The thesis asserts a clear and coherent interpretation of the selected theme or topic, explaining the theme/topic’s function within either the work or the work’s genre.

15% Organization and Development

On a paragraph by paragraph basis, the essay uses transition devices and topic sentences to remind readers of the basic thesis being argued. Each paragraph demonstrates a proficiency with literary analysis by explicating cited passages. Secondary sources (research) are cited to support the student’s thesis, or as a contrast to it. Each paragraph is well-developed.

15% Research

The essay employs a combination of secondary sources from the Troy University library catalogue and online databases to demonstrate knowledge of existing criticism on the chosen theme or topic in the work selected. (The ratio of books to periodicals is up to the individual instructor).

15% MLA Formatting, including in-text parenthetical citation and Works Cited

The essay demonstrates proficiency with the use of parentheses to designate the page of a cited quote from either the primary or secondary source, recognizing that MLA does not make use of “p.” or “pg.” The student demonstrates knowledge of when to include the author’s last name within the parentheses (Bishop 106) and when not to (106). The Works Cited page demonstrates a commitment to the proper MLA formatting procedures outlined at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Among these procedures: listing authors in alphabetical order by last name; authors’ last names listed first, followed by first name; proper citation of title using italics for full-length books and quotation marks for article, short story, and poems; use of place, publisher, and date of publication for books and journal title, volume and issue, date of publication, and page numbers for articles; use of punctuation including periods, commas, and semi-colons; and proper acknowledgment of medium of publication, including use of “Print” for physical books (“hard copy”) and articles consulted and URL and date access documentation for sources read online (Web. Date).

10% Conclusion

The student has incorporated a clear conclusion that goes beyond simply summarizing the topic to include the potential implications of their analysis.

10% Punctuation/Grammar

The student has followed punctuation and grammar rules throughout the paper. The student has also paid attention to accuracy in spelling and the overall formatting of the paper.

10% Improvement

The essay shows signs of concerted effort on student’s part to correct grammar errors from previous assignments and to demonstrate improvement over the course of the semester.