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Capstone Project: Annotated Bibliography

The Basics

1. Brief Description: Select 12 peer-reviewed scholarly sources and create an annotated bibliography in MLA format, providing concise summaries and assessments of each source.
2. Research: Include 12 peer-reviewed scholarly sources—primarily articles, but you may also include books and chapters in book collections.
3. Format: MLA Style.
4. Length: 12 bibliographic entries with a 3- or 4-sentence annotation for each entry.

The Details

This assignment builds upon your Bibliography assignment. You'll deepen your understanding of the scholarship on your topic and prepare yourself for completing the future steps in the Capstone Project.

Instructions

1. Choose 12 sources: Select the best and most recent peer-reviewed articles, books, or book chapters relevant to your topic. You may include sources that were in your Bibliography assignment, but you may also include new ones that you have found.
2. Create an MLA-Formatted Bibliography: Create bibliographic entries for each selected source in MLA Style.
3. Organize Your Bibliography: Arrange your bibliography in alphabetical order by the author's last name.
4. Write Annotations: Write a 3-4 sentence annotation, summarizing and assessing each source.

Additional Information

Annotated Bibliography vs. Bibliography

• Purpose: An annotated bibliography goes beyond a standard bibliography by including concise summaries or evaluations for each entry. The annotations should offer insight into the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources.

Guidelines for Choosing the 12 Best Sources

1. Avoid Insubstantial Sources: Book reviews and brief notes are ineligible for this assignment. Peer-reviewed journal articles are generally between 15 and 30 pages.
2. Emphasize Recent Work: Prefer resources published within the last 10 to 15 years.
3. Identify Landmark Work: Include older but influential works if they are cited frequently in the field.
4. Focus on Article-Length Work: Journal articles and chapters in peer-reviewed book collections are preferable, but books are acceptable if they are particularly relevant. Consult with me for efficient reading strategies if you choose a book.

Guidelines for Writing Effective Annotations

1. Consider the Audience: Your annotations should be useful to anyone interested in your topic, even if they're not invested in your specific thesis.
2. Summarize and Assess: Annotations should offer both a summary and an assessment of each source.
3. Make Connections: If possible, link one work to another in your bibliography to highlight agreements or disagreements.
4. Be Concise: Keep annotations under 200 words and get to the main points quickly. Identify the main thesis of your source and focus only on the main points. Quote sparingly; rely mostly on paraphrase and summary.

The Rubric

• 40% Depth and Insight in Annotations
  • Insufficient: Annotations are missing or fail to provide a meaningful summary and assessment of the source.
  • Adequate: Annotations provide basic summaries but lack depth in assessment or insight into the source's relevance.
  • Good: Annotations offer a well-considered summary and assessment, demonstrating an understanding of the source's relevance to the research topic.
  • Outstanding: Annotations provide an insightful and comprehensive summary and assessment, clearly articulating the source's significance to the research focus.
• 30% Relevance and Appropriateness of Sources
  • Insufficient: Contains fewer than 12 sources, and many are not peer-reviewed or lack relevance.
  • Adequate: Includes 12 sources but some are not peer-reviewed or have limited relevance.
  • Good: Contains 12 sources, primarily peer-reviewed, with minor issues related to relevance.
  • Outstanding: Includes 12 peer-reviewed scholarly sources that are highly relevant to the research focus.
• 20% Accuracy and Consistency in MLA Formatting
  • Insufficient: Many entries lack proper MLA formatting, with numerous errors.
  • Adequate: Some entries have formatting errors or inconsistencies.
  • Good: Most entries are correctly formatted in MLA, with minor errors.
  • Outstanding: All entries are accurately formatted in MLA Style.
• 10% Organization and Presentation
  • Insufficient: Lacks organization and presentation is poor, making it hard to navigate.
  • Adequate: May lack clear organization or has significant presentational issues.
  • Good: Generally well-organized and presented, with minor issues.
  • Outstanding: Organized in alphabetical order by the author's last name, impeccable presentation and readability.