–Updated March 18–

 

Unit Two: The Reflective Annotated Bibliography Essay

 

In Unit 2, (THIS unit) you will be writing something called an “annotated bibliography.” This is what people write when researching: a list of sources (articles, interviews, books, etc.) about a specific topic; generally, for each source, there is a summary of that source as well as other important notes. Annotated bibliographies are very helpful tools for research because they help us keep track of multiple sources and ideas so we can use them later in larger projects. They also help us get a broad understanding of the topic or question we are researching. People use them in all kinds of academic research–but people also use documents like this in almost every field to make sense of their research for their future selves, their professors, their bosses, and the committees and groups they work with. 

You will be writing a “Reflective Annotated Bibliography.” That means, for each of your three sources, you will write entries that are a little bit longer than a person would in a usual annotated bibliography. That’s why this is the whole assignment instead of just one step in a research paper. Doing it this way will help you learn more about your topic and sources and more about doing research in general.

In each entry, you’ll write about, not just what the writer said, but how they said it, why they said it and who you think they want to read their writing. I know this sounds a bit confusing right now, but don’t worry.  I’ll explain it as we go!

 

What you need to do now: 

We need to start by finding a question or topic that really makes you curious– something you want to learn more about.  We’ve read many articles about education and these will serve to help us ask questions about that theme. I suggest education can serve as a spring board for questions. But I also think that the Brooklyn waterfront can also be a source of interesting topics.

This is not a traditional research essay.  It does not begin with a thesis. Real research, as we’ll discuss, is all about asking questions that you don’t already have the answers to. Doing research to support a position you already have is a persuasive essay, but not the kind of research we do in real life (most of the time). So you’ll start with questions and then follow whatever interesting side roads you discover, informing the class about what you found.

An overview of the process and finished product: 

We will spend the next few weeks researching and writing. An annotated bibliography is something you write as you research (though of course you will spruce it up for final submission).

Your reflective annotated bibliography will have three sections: an introduction, three sources, and a conclusion.

An introduction in which you introduce your question, why this question intrigues you, some basic information on the topic and question, and what you expect to find in your research.  (At least 300 words)

THREE sources (at least 400 words each), each with a corresponding bibliography entry which includes :

  • 1–MLA citation of the source
  • 2–a summary of the source’s content
  • 3–a reflection on that source which includes your opinion of what you’ve read
  • 4–a brief rhetorical analysis (an evaluation of the author’s credentials, writing style, and purpose, and why you think the author is credible or not)
  • 5–a short analysis of why you believe the author chose that genre and why it was a good or bad choice for the intended audience
  • 6–You must include at least one key quote from each source, and explain why you selected it.

Note: Each of these three sources will need to be a different genre.  That is, you can’t have three magazine articles or three YouTube videos.

Note: Students may not use an Encyclopedia for any of the three sources. But students may, of course, read an encyclopedia for beginning information.

A conclusion, in which you summarize what you found–but also go beyond a traditional summary conclusion. You should also explain what surprised you and how your thinking on your question deepened or changed. You will also explain why you think what you learned is important, and who you think should hear about it (At least 200 words).

Just FYI: this whole thing adds up to at least 1700 words. Usually people write more.

What you’ll be graded on:

  1. Introduction: A clear introduction to the topic and a clear Research Question, title (10 points)
  2. Annotations: Three complete annotations that connect to the Research Question. Annotations must include citation, summary, rhetorical and genre analysis, quotes, and why important to your project. Writing must be clear and conform to academic conventions (80 points)
  3. Conclusion: how did the information you found match your expectations? (10 points)

 

Draft of Student Example of Annotated Bibliography:

Reflective Annotated Bib Student Example-2021

 

 

Due Dates: 

Introduction: March 23

First Annotation: March 28

Second and Third Annotation: March 30

Conclusion: April 4

Final Draft of Reflective Annotated Bibliography: April 6 [printed]