Empoword

Part Three: Research and Argumentation 319 ask you to write an annotated bibliography before or during the drafting process for your actual essay. An annotated bibliography is a formalized exercise in the type of interpretation described throughout this section. An annotated bibliography is like a long works cited page, but underneath each citation is a paragraph that explains and analyzes the text. Examples are included in this section to give you an idea of what an annotated bibliography might look like. Annotated bibliographies have a few purposes: a) To organize your research so you don’t lose track of where different ideas come from, b) To help you process texts in a consistent and thorough way, and c) To demonstrate your ongoing research process for your teacher. This kind of writing can also be an end in itself: many scholars publish annotated bibliographies as research or teaching tools. They can be helpful for authors like you, looking for an introduction to a conversation or a variety of perspectives on a topic. As an example, consider the model annotated bibliography “What Does It Mean to Be Educated?” later in this chapter. Although every teacher will have slightly different ideas about what goes into an annotated bibliography, I encourage my students to include the following: • A brief summary of the main ideas discussed in the text and/or an evaluation of the rhetoric or argumentation deployed by the author. a) What are the key insights, arguments, or pieces of information included in the source? What is the author’s purpose? How does their language pursue that purpose? • A consideration of the text’s place in the ongoing conversation about your topic. a) To what other ideas, issues, and texts is your text responding? How would you describe the intended audience? Does the author seem credible, referencing other “speakers” in the conversation? • A description of the text’s use-value. a) Is the text useful? How do you predict you will use the text in your work? You might note that your work in the CRAAP Test will provide useful answers for some of these questions. Sometimes, I’ll also include a couple of compelling quotes in my annotations. Typically, I request that students write about 100 words for each annotation, but you should ask your teacher if they have more specific guidelines. Your annotated bibliography will be an excellent tool as you turn to the next steps of research writing: synthesizing a variety of voices with your ideas and experiences. It is a quick reference