(Marijuana should be legalized). The essay has to be an argument.   Research Paper and Process: Students will produce a specific, unified,...

(Marijuana should be legalized). The essay has to be an argument.

Research Paper and Process: Students will produce a specific, unified, developed, organized, and coherent research paper of 1800-2400 words using at least EIGHT sources, both print and non-print. Students will show competency in a research paper process of choosing and narrowing topics, collecting sources from indexes, creating a working bibliography, taking notes from sources, using sources in proper MLA formats, and providing proper documentation for those sources. Sources must be credible and come from a variety of fields.  You must include at least THREE SOURCES from scholarly periodicals. Other sources may include books, magazines, newspapers, websites, personal interviews, TV shows/documentaries etc.

Annotated Bibliography: The Annotated Bibliography Will include between 10 and 15 sources formatted according to MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. See the page and link below explaining and demonstrating the format.

Also—there is a link to the HCC Library within or course. All our MLA formatting will follow the HCC Library webpage guide to MLA Formatting. This is where you will go to look up the answers to the MLA Formatting Test, as well as to format your Annotated Bibliography and your Research Essay.

The Annotated Bibliography

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS

Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.

THE PROCESS

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed

library research.

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.