Paper Assignment

Preparing for the Research Paper:

Annotated Bibliography and Research Proposal

This assignment is in preparation for writing your research paper. By completing the assignment, you will have an opportunity to discuss your research paper topic and procedures to write the paper with your instructor and peers. It consists of two parts: an annotated bibliography and a research proposal.

Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is one of the ways that researchers document their sources and is oftentimes the first step to writing a research paper. In writing an annotated bibliography, you need to both summarize and critique your sources. In the previous semester, you have practiced establishing your credibility and supporting your arguments by referencing scholarly sources and presenting your voiceby dialoguing with other scholars. In a longer research paper, it is usually helpful to write an annotated bibliography to engage with your sources before you write the paper. Your annotated bibliography should include 5-7 sources, at least 3 of which have to be scholarly research articles from out-of-class readings.

Your annotated bibliography should follow the format below:

• Your summary of each article should beone page and structured as follows:

-APA style reference at top of page
-One paragraph summary of the source identifying the argument
-One paragraph critique of the source evaluating its strengths and weaknesses
-One paragraph discussion about how the source informs your study

Research Proposal

Your research proposal should be 1-2 pages and address the following questions:

-What is the topic that you are researching? Why have you selected the topic to learn more about?

-What is your particular angle of looking at the topic? How are you going to contribute to the academic conversation around this topic?

-What method(s) are you going to use to research the topic? (For example, if you are going to do interviews, you need to give a detailed account of your anticipated interviewees, time and place to do the interviews, etc.)

-What seems to be the general consensus on the topic and where does this line of research need to go?

Audience: Your instructor, your classmates, and the CWRU community

Note: Bring your survey and/or interview questions to our individual meeting.

Submission guidelines:

- Your paper should be double-spaced, use 12-point font Times New Roman, 1'' margins, page-numbered, and follow APA format
- Submit your annotated bibliography and research proposal as ONE Word document on Canvas under Assignments.