Continuing Annotated

BibsThursday, September 20

Referencing Sources

Use citations to find the volume and issue number of the article. They will usually consist of two numbers (though not always).

Here is your article!

Now, you find…

Annotated Bib: Why should I write one?

To learn about your topic

Learn “what’s been said”

Develop your own point of view

To see what the issues are, what people are arguing about

Annotated Bib: Format

Citation (MLA/APA)

Precis

How does this source relate to the others? Include at least one quote in this section.

Citation

Precis

How does this source relate to the others?

Repeat for 10 articles

Writing a precis

Name of author, [a phrase describing author], genre and title of work, date; a rhetorically accurate verb (such as "assert," "argue," "suggest," "imply," "claim," etc.); and a THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the text.

An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.

A statement of the author's apparent purpose, followed by an "in order to" phrase.

A description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

Evaluating claims

In a second paragraph for each source, explain how that source ties into your topic:

You should make clear how this source is relevant to your own research, if that link is not easily obvious to me. For example:

“This article is of relevance to my research project in its definitions of motivation and incentives and in its findings about specific incentive programs.” You should evaluate the claims and credibility of the author as necessary. For example, if the author seems to be biased or if you think her interpretation of her data is flawed, you can comment on that in your annotation. Include at least one quote from each source in your discussion.

Make connections to your other sources. “This source relates to…”

Example, part 1

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.

Anne Lamott, a professional writer, in her 1995 work, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, asserts that students argue mostly with their own inner critic when writing a paper. She supports this assertion through a variety of anecdotes, in which she uses humor to display students’ insecurities with their own writing abilities. Her purpose was to show that students should be more confident when writing, because they are often their own tough critics. Her intended audience includes writing students and teachers, and she targets this audience by using anecdotes from both the student and the teacher perspectives on writing.

Example, part 2

Lamott’s book is relevant to my topic because she focuses on the students’ writing processes as determinants of their confidence with writing. Stating, “Students’ lack of confidence with writing often limits their abilities,” meaning that students limit their writing potential when they doubt themselves, Lamott argues that writing teachers should work to increase their students’ confidence with writing (89). This article relates to the claims made by Swales, but he references the discourse communities in which students write, while Lammott speaks more directly about individual students and their writing processes. This article can also be related to Grant-Davie, since he discusses rhetorical situations and their influence on how students might target audiences through their writing.

Other reminders

List in alphabetical order, just like you would in a list of Works cited

Double-space the entries

Do not number them

Heading should be in MLA/APA format

Shoot for at least 10 citations

Peer draft this Thursday, Sept. 27th. Final Monday, Oct. 2nd

Some details…

Article titles in quotes

Book titles and journal titles in italics

Punctuation goes inside quotation marks: Devitt states, “Genres are reactions to life,”

which means… Devitt states, “Genres are reactions to life”

(234).