Short writing assignment “annotated bibliography”

The Council of Science Editors (CSE)

As the name suggests, the CSE documentation system is most prevalent among disciplines of the natural

sciences, although many of the applied fields in the sciences, like engineering and medicine, rely on their

own documentation systems. As in the other systems described here, CSE requires writers to document all

materials derived from sources. Unlike MLA or APA, however, CSE allows multiple methods for in-text

citations, corresponding to alternative forms of the reference page that appears at the end of research

reports. For more detailed information on CSE documentation, consult the latest edition of Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. You can learn more about the Council of Science Editors at its website: www.councilscienceeditors.org.

WRITING PROJECT Writing an Annotated Bibliography

The annotated bibliography is a common genre in several academic disciplines because it provides a way

to compile and take notes on — that is, annotate — resources that are potentially useful in a research

project. Annotated bibliographies are essentially lists of citations, formatted in a consistent

documentation style, that include concise summaries of source material. Some annotated bibliographies

include additional commentary about the sources — perhaps evaluations of their usefulness for the

research project or comments about how the sources complement one another within the bibliography

(possibly by providing multiple perspectives). Annotated bibliographies are usually organized

alphabetically, but longer bibliographies can be organized topically or in sections with subheadings. Each

source entry gives the citation first and then a paragraph or two of summary, as in this example using MLA

style:

Carter, Michael. “Ways of Knowing, Doing, and Writing in the Disciplines.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 58, no. 3, 2007, pp. 385–418.

In this article, Carter outlines a process for helping faculty across different academic disciplines

to understand the conventions of writing in their disciplines by encouraging them to think of

disciplines as “ways of doing.” He provides examples from his own interactions with faculty

members in several disciplines, and he draws on data collected from these interactions to

describe four “metagenres” that reflect ways of doing that are shared across multiple disciplines:

problem-solving, empirical inquiry, research from sources, and performance. Finally, he

concludes that the metagenres revealed by examining shared ways of doing can help to identify

“metadisciplines.”

For this assignment, you should write an annotated bibliography that seeks to find sources that will help

you respond to a specific research question. Your purpose in writing the annotated bibliography is

threefold: (1) to organize and keep track of the sources you’ve found on your own topic, (2) to better -

understand the relationships among different sources that address your topic, and (3) to demonstrate

knowledge of the existing research about it.

To meet this purpose, choose sources that will help answer your research question, and think about a

specific audience who might be interested in the research you’re presenting. Your annotated bibliography

should include the following elements.

An introduction that clearly states your research question and describes the scope of your annotated bibliography.

As many as eight to twelve sources (depending on the scope of the sources and the number of perspectives you want to represent), organized alphabetically. If you choose a different organization (e.g., topical), explain how you have organized your annotated bibliography in the introduction.

An annotation for each source that includes:

– A summary of the source that gives a concise description of the main findings, focused on what is most important for responding to your research question

– Relevant information about the authors or sponsors of the source to indicate credibility, bias, perspective, and the like

– An indication of what this source brings to your annotated bibliography that is unique and/or how it connects to the other sources

– A citation (see the Appendix) in a consistent documentation style

WRITING PROJECT Developing a Supported Argument on a Controversial Issue

For this writing assignment, you will apply your knowledge from Chapter 4 about developing an argument

and from this chapter on finding and documenting appropriate sources. The sources you find will be

evidence for the argument you develop. We ask you to make a claim about a controversial issue that is of

importance to you and support that claim with evidence to persuade a particular audience of your position.

As you write, you might follow the steps below to develop your argument.

Begin by identifying an issue that you care about and likely have some experience with. We all write best about things that matter to us. For many students, choosing an issue that is specific to their experience or local context makes a narrower, more manageable topic to write about. For example, examining recycling options for students on your college campus would be more manageable than tackling the issue of global waste and recycling.

Once you have identified an issue, start reading about it to discover what people are saying and what positions they are taking. Use the suggestions in this chapter to find scholarly sources about your issue so that you can “listen in on” the conversations already taking place about your issue. You might find that you want to narrow your topic further based on what you find.

As you read, begin tracking the sources you find. These sources can serve as evidence later for multiple perspectives on the issue; they will be useful both in supporting your claim and in understanding counterarguments.

Identify a clear claim you would like to support, an audience you would like to persuade, and a purpose for writing to that audience. Whom should you talk to about your issue, and what can they do about it?

As you work to develop your argument, consider the various elements of an argument you read about in

Chapter 4.

Identify a clear central claim, and determine if it should have a simple or complex thesis statement.

Develop clear reasons for that claim, drawn from your knowledge of the issue and the sources you have found.

Choose evidence from your sources to support each reason that will be persuasive to your audience, and consider the potential appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos.

Identify any assumptions that need to be explained to or supported for your audience.

Develop responses to any counterarguments you should include in your argument.

Insider Example Student Argument on a Controversial Issue

The following sample student argument, produced in a first-year writing class,

illustrates many of the principles discussed in Chapters 4 and 5. As you read,

identify the thesis, reasons, and sources used as support for the argument. Notice

also that the student writer, Jack Gomperts, followed CSE style conventions

throughout his paper, in response to his instructor’s direction to choose a

documentation style appropriate to the subject of his argument.

Discussion Questions

1. Whom do you think Jack Gomperts is targeting as his audience in this assignment? Why do you think that is his audience?

2. What is Jack’s thesis, and what does he provide as the reasons and evidence for his claim?

3. What assumptions connect his thesis to his reasons? Additionally, what assumptions would his audience have to accept in order to find his evidence persuasive? Really dig into this question, because this area is o�en where arguments fall apart.

4. What counterarguments does Jack address in his argument? Why do you think he addresses these particular counterarguments? Can you think of others that he might have addressed?

5. What kinds of sources does Jack rely on in his argument? How does he integrate them into his argument, and why do you think he has made those choices?

6. What would make this argument more persuasive and effective?

Academic Research

Research typically begins with a research question, which establishes the purpose and scope of a project. As you develop research questions, keep in mind the following evaluative criteria: personal investment, debatable subject, researchable issue, feasibility, and contribution.

A researcher who has established a clear focus for her research, or who has generated a claim, must decide on the kinds of sources needed to support the research focus: primary, secondary, or both.

While both scholarly and popular sources may be appropriate sources of evidence in differing contexts, be sure to understand what distinguishes these types of sources so that you can choose evidence types purposefully.

Primary sources are the results of data that researchers might collect on their own. These results could include data from surveys, interviews, or questionnaires. Secondary sources include research collected by and/or commented on by others. These might include information taken from newspaper articles, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and scholarly books, to name a few.

Keep in mind that as you conduct research, you will likely have to refine your search terms. This process involves carefully selecting or narrowing the terms you use to locate information via search engines or databases.

Be aware of the challenges of conducting basic searches for sources via Internet search engines like Google. While Google Scholar may be a better means of searching for sources in the academic context, researchers o�en rely on more specialized research databases.

Peer-reviewed academic journals are an excellent source of information for academic arguments. The publication process for journal articles is typically much faster than for books, so using journal articles allows you access to the most current research.

Be aware of the strategies you can use to integrate the ideas of others into your own writing: summarizing, paraphrasing, and/or quoting.

When you integrate the words or ideas of others, take care to ensure that you are documenting their words and ideas carefully to avoid instances of plagiarism, and make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism at your institution and/or in your individual classes. Follow appropriate rules for documenting your sources and constructing a bibliography. In academic contexts, this o�en means using MLA, APA, or CSE documentation systems.