Sources and Annotations

We all started with a topic that was to broad and with time we have tried to narrow it down to be more specific.

Research

A large part of the research paper is research. Try to research as much as possible, at least look at 12 sources that have to do with your topic to help in the process of getting informed. Most of the research you have looked at may not even make it into your essay, which is fine because it does not have to. It is just for you to gain knowledge on the topic.

The goal of research was to find out the important points on the topic.Be come experts in the topic therefore we are able to ask questions and narrow down to an specific aspect of the topic.

Browsing the web

The primary source engine we all usually go to is Google which is a place to start to look for information and which also helps to go more in depth. When searching a topic on Google we find that a lot of results pop up on the topic that are probably not any good use for the research paper.

Browse websites and articles, if there are links click on links they will refer you to further information about the topic.

Wikipedia is a good place to go. A lot of people are scared to use Wikipedia because it is known for not being accurate, but then again a lot of things posted on the internet aren’t. Therefore, you should always do further research and compare the information you have found to see if it is credible. NOT to cite but to just learn background information. When you go to Wikipedia a scroll all the way down you will find a lot of links and references that could lead to important articles.

A good way to narrow down the search results are by going to www.scholar.google.com which in fact the results found in Google scholar are more credible because they have been reviewed. To access some article you may have to pay but please do not pay. If you feel like that article might be helpful for your topic first check the school library website, which might have the same article for free!

Evaluating a source 

Step 1: read it

Step 2: ask yourself: Is it useful?

Step 3: Is it credible?

To find out if it is credible ask yourself:

– Who is the author? It should have an author, if it doesn’t then you probably should not use it. How to find the author? Go to the about page. In the about page you will find a lot of information about who wrote the article, there view on the article, and when it was published.

– Where was it published? Knowing where it was published also helps you know if it is credible for example if the article is from the New York Times or if the article comes from a website that ends in .gov then you would know that those articles are credible.

– How current is the article? It is important to ask yourself this because you may need different research for your topic. For example, if your topic is on how modern technology affects individuals then, you will need current information about technology and the affects it has.

– Determine what the view point of the topic is being represented. This could make a big difference in your research. You need to show that you are aware of the view point.

– Determine the effectiveness of the topic.

Annotated Bibliography 

We have already completed two drafts.

If there are any more questions on what the annotated bibliography should have or be please read the assignment, which could be found on the schedule.

10% of the grade is the annotated bibliography and the proposal.

Each annotation should be 150 words. Which should include a brief overall summary of the article, the main idea, and the significance of the article. The summary part should be the longest part of the annotation and the rest should be an explanation of why the article is important and how does it help your paper evolve. In the summary do not write “the article says or talks about” the article can not speak. You could use other words such as: explains,reveals, states, argues, expresses, shows, describes, and many more.

Evaluation: show the understanding of your source. Ask yourself: Why is this important for your paper? Why is it useful? What is the viewpoint?

The annotated bibliography should be in:

• Alphabetical order
• Single spaced
• In third person
• In MLA citation

The finial annotated bibliography should have 6 UPDATED SOURCES. If you have changed your topic as you have narrowed it down do not forget to go back and change your annotations!

We have a couple more days until the semester is over so lets finish strong! We could all do it! 🙂