PAPER PROPOSAL AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Due Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Paper Proposal:  Sometimes, a paper proposal can be a long, drawn-out proposal.  However, for this assignment, I simply want to see your current thesis based on the research that you’ve done.  Remember, this thesis should be a statement that makes a claim.  You should also include a little bit of information about how you came to your thesis, as well as the main points you will be making in the body of your research paper.  This paper proposal need only be 1 or 2 paragraphs.

What is the purpose of writing an annotated bibliography? 

·        It gives you practice using MLA format. 

·        It forces you not to procrastinate.  Having to turn in an annotated bibliography on Monday guarantees that you will have started thinking about and researching your hypothesis.

·        It will help guide you from a hypothesis to a working thesis.

What is an annotated bibliography?

A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.). An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation.

Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes the full bibliographic information for each source, and a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources.

Your annotated bibliography will include at least three sources, and should conform to the rules for sources laid out in your research assignment.  For each source, you will provide:

·        full bibliographic citation in MLA format. 

·        An annotation in which you

o       briefly summarize the source’s purpose/main points

o       assess the value of the source (tell whether it holds any biases, whether or not it’s credible and why, the intended audience, whether or not it’s current, etc.)

o       explain how the source will be useful for your paper.  (How does it relate to your topic or thesis?  How might you incorporate it into your own argument?)

For this assignment, your annotations should be 1-3 paragraphs.  (You may choose to write one paragraph in which you address all three of the above elements, or you may split them up.) 

àRemember:  You are not stuck with the thesis you write, or the sources you find for this annotated bibliography.  This is simply a way to get you started so you’re not doing your research the day before the paper is due!!!