Reserved on Phyllis young
Annotated Bibliography
See pages 137-140 in The Curious Researcher for details on how to complete a final Annotated Bibliography. Page 139 contains a sample annotation - you'll write one of these for each of your sources.
Once you have selected your 10 sources for your research paper (be sure that all 10 are scholarly), list them in correct APA citation format. Please review the definitions of scholarly vs. nonscholarly sources and make sure that all of your research is peer-reviewed.
Under each citation, please write an annotative paragraph, including the following:
1. Understand: Your summary of what your source says and the credentials of the author
2. Contextualize: Your comments about how the article fits into a larger understanding of your topic
3. Apply: A guess about how you might use the article in your essay
In order to receive full credit for this assignment, you need to include a variety of books, periodicals, and articles relevant to your topic. Also, your sources need to be objective, stable, and scholarly. In selecting your final 10, make sure that you use the textbook's tools in evaluating each source for reliability and validity. Please use APA citation style and be sure to summarize and list what you found most promising or interesting about each of your sources.
You can contain 5 scholarly source that you used but, should add 5 more scholarly sources.
ESSAY
The argumentative essay is your chance to demonstrate your ability to combine all the skills you've developed in this course. The success of this essay will depend on your ability to write a clear, developed thesis statement that presents your argument; provide clear support for your thesis in each paragraph using at least ten scholarly sources; and quote, paraphrase, and summarize sources that support your argument using APA style.
Your Task
Using your Bibliography and Literature Review, write an 8-10 page argumentative paper in which you take a side of the issue and use your research to support your argument. You need to use the counter-argument technique in order to bolster your thesis; make sure you address both sides and show how your argument is the most convincing. You need to include at least ten scholarly sources on your APA style References page. Please consider the Rhetorical Triangle and Three Rhetorical Modes as you compose your essay. Feel free to use the Toulmin Model of Argument if you like.
Your essay should look for connections between your argument and your sources. How do your sources provide support for your argument (your thesis)? What are the connections between each of your sources? How does each source help your argument?
Your essay should also have a coherent structure. Its method of progression is very important. Whether you choose the Toulmin Model, Question-Claim Structure, or another method, your essay must progress in a logical sequence. Do your best to avoid logical fallacies!
What I'm Looking For
All essays will be written in the third person. An excellent essay will demonstrate the writer's ability to craft a solid thesis statement and carry its argument through an 8-10 page paper. Each part of the paper will support the thesis statement. The writer will correctly cite his or her sources using proper APA style.
A perfect essay will be free of grammatical errors; a good essay will come very close to being error-free. A poor (aka: failing) essay will annoy the reader with careless mistakes.