The idea for the research paper that is advanced in its abstract will need support, and not all of that support can come from the work being discussed. Too, authoritative discussion of the work will require understanding of the relevant research that has already been conducted; much attention has been paid over many years to the works of early British literatures, and it is irresponsible to neglect the prior conversations about the pieces. To help ensure that students' research papers are written from sufficient background knowledge to be regarded seriously, the students in my Spring 2014 section of ENGL 2543 are required to compile a short annotated bibliography. The bibliography must have at least five entries, each of which centers around a relatively recent (i.e., within the last ten years, unless otherwise agreed-upon in consultation with the instructor) single book; book chapter (if from an edited collection); or published, peer-reviewed article from a reputable scholarly journal; and each entry will need to consist of three parts:
MLA-style citation for the piece: Follow the 2009 version of the guidelines, please, and note that URLs are not required or requested.
One-paragraph summary of the piece: In the first sentence, restate the piece's thesis, and in the next few sentences, gloss the main points raised in the piece. Models of effective summaries can be found here, and discussion of them here (keep in mind that the discussion is aimed at students of a different institution, and that the final sentence of the summaries discussed therein should be expanded as outlined in point 3, below).
One-paragraph assessment of the piece: Discuss briefly how the piece is likely to be useful in your project (the question of if it will be useful should not be raised; do not include the piece if it is not) and the degree to which it is relevant to your research.
The entries in the bibliography should be listed alphabetically by the first part of their citations, and they should not be numbered. Separate the entries from one another by means of an extra vertical space (i.e., hit enter twice before beginning the next entry). The entries should also conform to MLA formatting and layout guidelines for both citation and paragraphs following.
The annotated bibliography will be graded based on the appropriateness of its content, formatting, and language (i.e., all required parts are present, all required parts fulfill their assigned functions, they are laid out appropriately, and they reflect reasonable expectations of collegiate writing). The formal rubric by which submissions will be graded is attached below.
The annotated bibliography must be submitted via D2L as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf document no later than the beginning of class time on 14 March 2014 to be eligible for full credit. Late submissions will be penalized as outlined in the course syllabus. Submissions in other formats (other file formats, e-mail instead of D2L dropbox, or typed hard-copy) may be made only with prior instructor approval; hand-written copies will not be accepted in any event.
An example of an annotated bibliography, if one not specifically suited to the assignment in my Spring 2014 section of ENGL 2543, can be found here.
More information is forthcoming.