Research Communication: Cover page, abstract, purpose statement, qualification statement, progress report memo, annotated bibliography

ASSIGNMENT CRITERIA: 1) Provide rhetorical context for the source in the first sentence. This might include verification or critique of the authority or qualifications of the author, as well as the point of view or perspective from which the work was written. For instance, you may note whether the author seemed to have particular biases or was trying to reach a particular audience. 2) Explanation of main points (summary) and purpose of the work (basically, its thesis), showing among other things that you have read and thoroughly understand the source. 3) Comment on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the topic being researched ​and​ your own research project. As you move forward in drafting your Ann Bib, this sentence is also where you will reveal relevant links to other relevant work, possibly include a comparison with some of those already on your list, and where you will establish connections to other aspects of the same argument or opposing views​. EXAMPLE A: For a paper on kids movies with cross-over appeal that includes The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, and Shrek D​irector, Andrew Adamson’s animated feature from Dreamworks, with musical and romantic comedy elements, appealing to both children and adults in a narrative exploring motifs of friendship, family, and love, through juvenile comedy, reveals adult themes.​ ​ The film is about an ogre’s struggle to reclaim his swamp, while unexpectedly finding love and friendship, ultimately showing that “love conquers all.” ​ ​Shrek deviates from the love story, using comedy, music, and contemporary references portraying themes of other films in this bibliography -- those films having limited appeal to adult audiences -- but reaches a broad audience and supports research into the cross-over appeal of children's films into the adult audience as a result of its particular humor and comedic delivery. EXAMPLE B: For a paper on the best writing and rhetoric class texts that includes A&B Guide to Writing, the Everyday Writer, the Dictionary, and the Purdue OWL Rhetoricians Allyn and Bacon create a writing guide for FIU’s first year college composition students, that provides instruction on how to respond to a variety of college and professional writing scenarios through a better understanding and use of rhetoric.​ ​The text is divided into five sections – “A Rhetoric for Writers,” “Writing Projects,” “A Guide to Composing and Revising,” “A Rhetorical Guide to Research,” “Writing for Assessment” – to cover the various stages of effective writing that are crucial for communication in college, professional, and business settings.​ ​Similar to ​The Everyday Writer​, this text’s approach provides easy to understand instructions and examples for writers and researchers on the topic of writing, but focuses more on an understanding of rhetoric to facilitate a better understanding of other sources on the topic, and support a more complete understanding of the role of rhetoric in this research

EXAMPLE C: For a paper on Nursery rhymes that includes mary had a little lamb, twinkle twinkle little star, and ol’ McDonald, in which TTLS is the most educational . Based on a Mozart melody, and published in 1806 by Ann Taylor, this nursery rhyme nudges children tp question their surroundings including the skies and its intrinsic value. ​The tune begins by placing the child in the position of observer, but as it progresses the child becomes an engaged intellect questioning concepts that are beyond its range of experience, while also giving a parent a vehicle through which praise and wonder can be expressed about the child – the little star. ​Similarly to OMcD, which also educates children in language basics, specifically by introducing the sounds of different animals to children, TTLS introduces the melody of the alphabet song, functioning as a tool to learn the fundamentals of the English language, EXAMPLE D: For a proposal that attempts to persuade a specific audience of a course of action to be taken. Written by a psychologist who specializes in group dynamics and originally published in a respected psychology journal, this article was reprinted in a business journal because of the author’s focus on group dynamics in high stress scenarios. ​The article posits that a most likely response to stress can be predicted through its exploration of the phases of high stress situations and lists various types of responses to stress factors while simultaneously developing character studies of the participants in stressful situations through analysis of their actual and most likely responses. ​This explanation is particularly useful in understanding possible reactions to stress within a group dynamic, and helps to expose the effects of members’ stress levels on each other in a way that other studies in this research that focus on groups and do not consider the effects of the individual in the group on the group itself, might not effectively reveal.