Contemporary Issues in CJ
The students will write a five paragraph essay on the topic using the format below.
The following are the due dates for the Annotated Bibliographies:
Students will be given 3 topics this semester. For each topic the students will research scholarly journals and write a five paragraph essay referencing the topic. It must be a scholarly article or you will not receive credit.
• Topic : Prison Over Crowding in America
An annotated bibliography is a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the topic article. They go beyond a simple summary. They discuss something important about their central question or topic.
Format of Annotated Bibliography:Each of the following items should be addressed in each annotated bibliography:You may use the following format to complete each assignment:
1. Identify Thesis: This is a summary of article.
a. Main Argument: What is the main argument of the article?
b. Does this argument appear to be biased?
2. Major Methods: What is the method the source (author) used to gather and analyze the material in the article? (Methodology) a survey, review of literature, etc..,
3. Significance of the topic: How and why is this topic relevant to criminal justice?
4. What impact does the material in this article have on the criminal justice system? You must address each of the three components of the CJ system:
a. Law Enforcement
b. Courts
c. Corrections
5. Conclusions:
a. What are the conclusions stated in the article about the topic?
b. What is your opinion of the conclusions?
The following reading strategies can help you identify the argument of your source:
• Identify the author's thesis (central claim or purpose) or research question. Both the introduction and the conclusion can help you with this task.
• Look for repetition of key terms or ideas. Follow them through the text and see what the author does with them. Note especially the key terms that occur in the thesis or research question that governs the text.
• Notice how the text is laid out and organized. What are the main divisions or sections? What is emphasized? Why? Accounting for why will help you to move beyond listing contents and toward giving an account of the argument.
• Notice whether and how a theory is used to interpret evidence or data. Identify the method used to investigate the problem/s addressed in the text.
• Pay attention to the opening sentence(s) of each paragraph, where authors often state concisely their main point in the paragraph.
• Look for paragraphs that summarize the argument. A section may sometimes begin or conclude with such a paragraph.