An annotated bibliography: assessing quality of, and connections between, academic sources (Sociology)

Assessment #2: Connecting Course Material to Other Academic Ideas (Synthesizing Knowledge)

 

This assessment is asking you to demonstrate understanding of key concepts in this course by connecting them to academic ideas found beyond the set readings for the semester. It requires you to demonstrate research skills in addition to analytical and argumentative writing skills.

 

For this assessment the key is to demonstrate:

(a) understanding of key concepts (define, explain main ideas learned)

(b) ability to connect key concepts to ideas learned in other settings (apply knowledge by analyzing texts and drawing logical connections)

(c) ability to bring together (synthesize) ideas from a range of sources and contexts

 

This assignment asks you to work on the building blocks for a research essay—finding relevant sources and making connections between them. It builds skills you will need to succeed in post-graduate work if you choose that path, but it also builds skills you will need in a variety of work settings (e.g. consulting, government ministries, media, non-profit) if you choose that route after graduation. This assessment emphasizes depth of engagement with a single topic and demonstrating knowledge and academic skills through literature searching and making theoretical connections.

  

                                                                                      

 An annotated bibliography: assessing quality of, and connections between, academic sources

 

• Pick one theme or concept from Weeks 5 through 9 of the semester that is interesting to you.
• Find and write an annotated bibliography entry for six (6) academic sources not found on the course outline (not on the required OR recommended list, though up to three may be from the “supplemental” reading list). These sources should relate to the theme or concept that you decided to focus on. (If you were writing a research essay, these would be six of your academic sources for the essay.)

 

• For each entry in an annotated bibliography, you should include
  • A full bibliographic heading for the source (as you would list it in a reference list—Chicago Social Sciences or APA style should be used)
  • A short descriptive paragraph (What is this article about? What’s the main point and main contribution and key concept(s)?)
  • A short evaluative paragraph (What are its strengths & weaknesses? How does it fit with/build on/become useful in light of other entries in your annotated bibliography?)

 

• After you write the six annotations, include a summary paragraph(s) that draws together and explains what you’ve learned about the topic by reading these six sources: how does it deepen your knowledge of the subject beyond what we learned through lecture and set course readings? What key ideas have you come to understand about the topic (theme or concept), and how are the different sources helping you to build that knowledge? Why is this topic interesting to you?