Source Inventory Activity

This activity is designed to help you take stock of the ideas and information you want to cover in your project, the sources you have so far to support them, and the sources you still need to find. Before you begin, if you are working in a group, decide how you will divide up the topic and subtopics for this activity. Each person should fill out the inventory for at least their parts.

Source Inventory Steps:

Step 1: On a sheet of paper, create two columns. In the left-hand column, list all of the ideas and information you plan to discuss in your project. You can use your assignment prompt, submitted assignments, idea inventories, and other resources to generate content for this column. Try to avoid lumping several ideas into the same box. If you can separate ideas and information into individual pieces and subtopics, you’ll have an easier time finding sources and further developing your project (see sample below).

Step 2: In the right-hand column, write in the source(s) you have so far that support what you want to say. These can be sources that supply information, give definitions, offer different perspectives, present counter-arguments, provide examples and case studies, and so on. Add as much information as you need to trigger your memory when it’s time to write (see sample below). You will probably find that you have a lot of empty boxes in this column, and that’s okay! Empty boxes just mean you have more gathering to do.

Step 3: Hit the library! Look for more sources that support what you want to say (and thus fill out your inventory). Pro tip: If you set up a meeting with one of our outstanding librarians, be sure to take this inventory with you. The librarian can use it to help you find great sources. ☺

Step 4: Repeat! Like other project development tools, the source inventory is something you can keep building over time. The more you revisit and refine it, the stronger your project will be!

Sample Inventory (for a paper on Pacific diaspora):

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: "Annotated Bibliographies"
• Turabian Teacher Collaborative topic sheet: "Finding Relevant and Reliable Sources" (check out their full list of topic sheets here)
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: "Annotated Bibliographies" (check out their full list of handouts here)