Approaching Things Anthropologically PDF document

Step 2 of Final Project: Extended Abstract + Annotated Bibliography

Some Guidelines

As you can see in the syllabus, the prompt for STEP 2 is simple: “To cultivate research skills,

you will write a 500-word extended abstract on your project that is supported by an annotated

bibliography with at least 3 sources. You will integrate your groupmates’ comments in writing

your extended abstracts.”

You finished Step 1 of the project on Week 5 which included writing a 300-word draft abstract.

You have also received comments from your groupmates on how your project can be improved.

So now, let’s proceed to Step 2.

What is an “extended abstract”?

An extended abstract is simply an extension of your draft abstract. It will include these elements:

• Project title – What is the most appropriate title of your project? You can still change this later but it helps to do things processually.

• Research question – Consider your groupmates’ comments on your draft abstract, an rewrite your research question or the main theme of your project.

• Format of Project – You should have a clearer idea by now what the format of your project will be (paper, film, PowerPoint, exhibit, etc.)

• Related Literature – What are some of the most significant academic literature or references that you found while researching your topic? Newspaper articles and

secondary data such as statistical reports are an important source of data, but so are book,

the archives, and journal articles. It is important to read up on previously published

academic literature that is related to your work. For example, if you are interested in

investigating the effects of the lockdown on sanitation practices, you might want to look

up books and articles using Google Scholar or the Purdue Library Database with the

following keywords: medical anthropology, sanitation, modern medicine. If you are

interested in investigating how postcolonial countries are struggling or succeeding in

implementing sanitation practices during the pandemic, these keywords might be useful:

postcolonial sanitation, empire and colonial medicine, etc. The most relevant references

that you found will appear in your annotated bibliography. Please note that you must be

logged in or connected to the Purdue VPN to access these library resources.

• Source of Data – Academic work usually begins by reading up on current literature. Anthropologists do not stop at reading related literature and secondary data; they also

collect what is called primary data. These include information collected by researchers

themselves from participant observation, ethnography, interviews, focus group

discussions, etc. Think of de Leon’s ethnography. He used photos, interviews, participant

observation, and other methods to collect data. Your project will be simpler in scale.

Check out previously submitted projects in this class and check out what methods they

used: Anthropology of the Hometown on a Lockdown – Exhibit of Multimodal Projects

in Anth 205 (Human Cultural Diversity)

• Significance of the project – How will your work contribute to related works/projects that are currently available? Why is your project important?

• Argument – What do you envision is the overall argument that your project will be making? Anthropological arguments are made by piecing together data from various

sources such as the archives, related literature, and data from ethnographic methods such

as interviews with informants, participant observation, immersion in a particular fieldsite,

etc.

What is an “annotated bibliography”?

You have read by now some literature relevant to your chosen topic. Annotations are not copy-

pasted texts from references; they are 1-paragraph summaries of the references that you have

read. Your annotation should include a summary of how the piece relates to the project that you

will work on. Which concepts from the readings are related to your project? To see some

examples of annotations that I have written, please visit THIS. A collection of annotated readings

(at least 3) altogether make up an “annotated bibliography.” Your bibliography should follow

anthropological citation conventions. Anthropologists use the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th

edition.

Finally, please also review this Brief Guide on how to approach things anthropologically that I

uploaded on Brightspace.

How do I submit my Extended Abstract + Bibliography?

Please submit on Discussion Board. Students are encouraged to read and comment on each

other’s submissions.

Good luck and enjoy the thought process! 😊