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Prof. Mathews Eng.101 Annotated Bibliography: Your Assignment

Your Assignment

Step 2. Annotated Bibliography. 

 Context. You have spent the last few weeks thinking and researching. Your annotated bibliography gives you an opportunity to take stock of your sources so that you see what sources you have, whether or not they are reliable and relevant, how you might use them in your article, and what sources you still need to find. 

 What is an Annotated Bibliography? There are many different types of annotated bibliographies, and professors use the term in a variety of ways. Essentially, though, an annotated bibliography is a document that lists sources on a particular topic/question and offers a brief discussion of each source, summarizing that source and discussing how it connects to the other sources and the researchers thinking-in-progress, including her working thesis. 

 Why Write an Annotated Bibliography? Creating an annotated bibliography gives structure and purpose to the (otherwise messy) research process. Writing an annotated bibliography requires you, the researcher, to read, think about and analyze each of your sources so that you are clear about how you will use them in your article. While working on an annotated bibliography, a researcher often realizes they cannot use a source and need additional (or different) sources. This kind of setback can be frustrating but necessary as you, the researcher, figure out what you want to know--and argue. 

 What are the Components of an Annotated Bibliography? An Overview. This will be a paragraph or two in which you: 

  • Explain your topic, question, and claim or working thesis (a workingthesis is what your thesis would be if you were to write the paper right now. Its called workingbecause it might change). 
  • Summarize what you have found out so far from your sources, what you still want/need to find out and where you might look.
  •          List each of your sources in MLA format and, below EVERY source, write 1-2 paragraphs where you: 
    • Explain why this is a relevant and reliable source (you may find sources that are not relevant or reliable--but these are not worth listing in your annotated bibliography). 
    • Summarize the basic claim of the source. What did theysay? Use They Say, I Say templates in this summary.
    • Respond to the source. What do yousay? Use templates from Chapter 4 of They Say, I Say to agree, disagree, raise questions, etc.
    • Plan. Explain how you will use this source in your research article. Be specific. 
    • Synthesize. Explain the way this work fits with--or challenges--other information you have about the topic. 

 How do I create an MLA Citation? Citations are important because they help researchers organize and share information about sources in a standardized way. There are many online resources that will help you create citations for your sources, including a thorough guide at the Purdue Online Writing Lab. 

How many sources do I need? You need a minimum of 5 sources to address your research question from a variety of perspectives. Those sources must have been published after 2015 and come from WCCs Harold Drimmer Library Website. 

Burgin, Shelley and Nigel Hardiman. "Is the Evolving Sport of Mountain Biking Compatible with Fauna Conservation in National Parks?" Australian

           Zoologist, vol. 36, no. 2, Aug. 2012, pp. 201-208. Environment Complete, https://doi:10.7882/AZ.2012.016.

This article discusses the impact of adventure sports on the environment and how these extreme sports focus less on appreciating the natural environment and more on excitement and calculated risk. Burgin and Hardiman of Bond University in Australia and Kent University in the UK assert that, without proper management, the outcome will be degradation of natural areas and an impact on the local fauna, for which the author states, "The immediate response of individual animals to recreational disturbance is usually either death or behavioral change (203)." As a mountain biker, I share the authors' concerns for the local fauna and agree with their claim that the popularity of these adventure sports will suffer if nothing is done to correct the problem.

      I plan to use this article as a secondary source for my research, as it is a reliable source with extensive references. The article was published in 2012, recent enough to reflect the current status of the issue it discusses. I will use this article to address the impact adventure sports have on the environment and show the importance of educating adventure sports enthusiasts about what they can do to help reduce harm to the environment.

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