Assignment - Annotated Bibliography

When you prepare to write an essay or a research paper about a society's mythology, the place to start is to read its myths, or at least a few of them. The next step is to consider what experts have to say, and to take notes so that you don't forget where you read a particular idea or comment, and so that you can go back to find out more information. As you are reviewing what these authorities are saying, you will probably find that these experts don't see eye to eye on major issues such as the meaning of the myths, the influence of characters, or the interaction between a society and its myths. Holy mackerel! How the heck do you handle this mishmash? -- An annotated bibliography! That is, a list of possible sources for your research paper, each with a short paragraph in which you evaluate the source.

Assessment of Sources

You should keep the following criteria in mind when assessing those sources that are web-based:

What is the purpose of the site? i.e., is it academic and historical? Is it educational? What level is its target? (High achool? College) Is it a travel-site? Is it encyclopedic?

How extensive is the site? Is your page part of a large multi-page site? How easily can you find the home page and basic info about who is responsible for the site?

Is there a clear list of sources, as well as background of the main author?

Is there adequate Web-site upkeep?

What is the quality of the bibliography and notation - does it seem to cite authoritative sources?

Does it have links to other sites?

Does it link to or use primary sources?

NOTE WELL that one article or page from a multi-page web-site may not have some of the info you are looking for. Often you need to go to the site home page to find info on the overall purpose of the site, authors for the site, and sometimes most importantly, who is paying for the site and what do they expect in return for your use?

Encyclopedic sources - You often cannot judge all the articles the same. When judging encyclopedic sources especially, whether those links and references are there or not should be one way to determine reliability. If the article does NOT have those links and at least a good bibliography as well as clear notes - then it is probably not even good for background information.

You should keep the following criteria in mind when making your assessment for those sources that are print books or articles

Examine aspects like index and table of contents. Are chapters subdivided? How precise in the index? How easily can you find some specific piece of info in a large book? What does the preface say - does it inform about the purpose, does it justify the book? Sometimes long scholarly articles will also have these features - address any sense of organization of the article. How does an article fit the journal in which it appears?

Does it have footnotes? Endnotes? Bibliography?

Do not settle for the fact that something is backed by a reputable institution. How does the book or article prove its validity?

Instructions for the Anotated Bibliography

(In other words, exactly what I am looking for in this assignment)

View the "Guide to Writing an Annotated Bibliography" attached to this dropbox for precise instructions for creating the entrie.s

Select one area of concentration:

Greek/Roman mythology

Indian/Asian mythology

Germanic/Norse mythology

African mythology

North/South American mythology

Write a thesis statement that narrows the scope of your project. This is a single sentence that states the theme that you are going to investigate. See the "Guide to Writing an Annotated Bibliography" for more information.

Locate 6 potential sources; 2 of which must be either scholarly books or articles from an academic journal. The remaining 4 may be web-based. Only ONE of these web sources can be an encyclopedic site, e.g. Wikipedia, About.com, Britannica online, etc .

Note: you are not allowed to use the textbook as a source.

E-books are acceptable sources, as are online journals such as the Online International Journal of Arts and Humanities.

An example of a web-based, non-encyclopedic site is http://buddhismbeliefs.org

Contact a librarian - online or in person - for assistance in collecting solid sources and/or verifying the academic integrity of your sources.

Double-space your submission, include your name at the top of the first page, and be sure to use proper formatting for both the source entry and your evaluation. Refer to the "Writing an Annotated Bibliography Guide" attached to this dropbox.

Submit your Annotated Bibliography to the Module 2 Assignment Dropbox no later than the last day of this Module. If you adhere to all guidelines, you can expect this entire project to be at least 3-5 pages total.

For more information, and examples, refer to

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01

Guide to Writing an Annotated Bibliography:

Formulate your thesis statement. Create a single sentence that states what you are planning to research in your area of concentration. Here are some broad suggestions that can be adapted to the particular myths in your chosen area of concentration:

The way a particular myth demonstrates the worldview of a culture

The connection between social structure and a myth

Transcendental truth that is revealed in a myth

The interplay between the political structure of a society and a myth

The effect of the relationship of the gods and human beings on cultural perspectives

For more information and general examples of thesis statements, go to http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/

This assignment must include a minimum of 6 sources. You must adhere to the following requirements for your collection of sources:

Resources: 2 of the 6 must be a traditionally published book and a serious academic article from a peer-reviewed source.

4 of the 6 may be web-based. Only ONE of those web-based sources may be encyclopedic - to include Wikipedia, about.com Britannica or any general encyclopedia

In at least 1 of the 6 sources, discuss how one of the theories of mythology - feminist, anthropological, Marxist, psychological, archeological - plays a key role in the expert's interpretation of a myth in your area of concentration.

For each source, create a citation using APA format. The first line is left justified, and the rest of the lines for the entry are indented. Always copy the entire URL - even if the style you use does not require it. It's the best and easiest way for me to locate your source document.

Below the citation, without an extra space, begin the annotation.

Provide a summary in 3-4 sentences of the content of the source in relation to the topic. Include why the source is relevant.

Reflect on how you might utilize this source, how its design, availability of info, etc. could work for you. Include criticism of the sources in your reflection and comments on its usefulness. State how you think this source will add to your thesis. Indicate any prejudices or special perspectives in the source document, and whether these add or detract value from the information. This is your evaluation of the document in light of your thesis. Consider whether this is a primary or secondary source, and how valid the authority is. This section should be no longer than 4-5 sentences.

Follow the same procedure for the remaining sources.

Conclusion: Prepare a brief statement that discusses your experience with different resources. How did librarians, Ask Academic, specific web searches, etc. inform your choice on one or more of your sources, or your general search.