The Proposal and Annotated Bibliography

The Proposal and Annotated Bibliography.

Due: SEE D2L; Grade: 10% - The intended audience is an academic audience. Complete both parts. APA style

How the assignment is organized: Proposal – page break then – Annotated bibliography

Objective: The goal of this research proposal and annotated bibliography is to present and justify a research idea. I expect you to be clear about your topic, its contexts and scope, a clear and logical sequence of ideas, how you intend to develop the essay, a clear methodology for conducting the research, possible key arguments and evidence to be used to discuss those arguments, and anticipated outcomes. SELECT ONE OF THE PROMPTS FROM THE CAPSTONE GUIDELINES

PROPOSAL –5%

The proposal must comprise the following parts:

1. Broad subject area and specific topic/aspect of the broad subject area

2. Tentative title – see the handout in D2L about developing an academic title

3. Thesis-main argument on this topic. Third person. Keep the ACE rule in mind

4. What are your key research questions? List at least 7 research questions in sequential/logical order. Use focused How, Why, What questions that develop various aspects of the paper.

Common mistakes you must avoid in writing a proposal

· Failure to be concise; being "all over the place" – usually signaled by a very broad subject area without a clear sense of purpose.

· Failure to present research questions – does not use key academic sources in the annotated bibliography – demonstrates that you have not put sufficient time and effort into finding key scholarly sources.

· Failure to delimit the contextual boundaries of your research [see the list in the course handout] – Aspect, time, geography, demography, implications, causes, effects, justification for alternative perspective

· Failure to state a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research – main argument/position is unclear.

· Sloppy or imprecise writing. Poor grammar.

· Failure to address all the major issues.

EVALUATIVE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY – 5%

· IMPORTANT - Read Writer’s Reference 432-435 – The Annotated Bibliography

· APA style; remember that entries must be in alphabetical order. Proper citation is extremely important. You must also demonstrate in your evaluative bibliography that you have read and understood all the key arguments in the source material you are using and you know its value to the research paper you are writing. 4-6 sentences per each entry.

· See the following sections in WR – 426 “Determining if a source is scholarly,” 428 –429 “Evaluating all sources,” and “evaluating sources you find on the web.” Also, use the questions on page 100 of WR “Checklist for reading and evaluating arguments” for assessing the author’s arguments. Not all of them would apply.

· TEN scholarly/peer-reviewed sources. Use the library’s databases and other comprehensive sources of credible information. Avoid using Wikipedia, general web sites and blogs, and for this exercise, avoid even institutional web sources

· You are writing an evaluative annotated bibliography – one that estimates WHAT IS in the source and also OF WHAT VALUE it is to your writing project. University of North Carolina at Chappell Hill – Writing an evaluative annotated bibliography - http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/annotated-bibliographies/apa-examples/

Schechter, H. (1971). Death and resurrection of the king: Elements of primitive mythology and ritual in "Roger Malvin's Burial." English Language Notes, 8, 201-05.

Though Schechter reorganizes the material in an interesting format, basically his study is a reiteration of Cassier's seminal argument in The Sacred and the Profane: Modern Myth Studies. Schechter's major contribution to the debate is his recognition that Reuben sacrifices Cyrus so that the curse of death-in-life can be removed. Schechter's attempt to put Cassier's argument in a jungian context is intriguing but not quite successful, since he must ignore important elements in the story to do so.

Useful source of additional information

Research Guide from the University of Southern California (copy and paste into a web browser) – http://libguides.usc.edu/content.php?pid=83009&sid=1756237