• Proposal and Annotated Bibliography Assignment. In a Word document

A research proposal is a way for you to show that you have carefully considered your topic and its viability for an upcoming, major writing project. It takes into consideration your rhetorical situation for your own writing, as well as showing that you have examined multiple perspectives on the issue to determine that the topic is appropriate for the assignment parameters. As you work on this project, keep in mind that the summaries (annotations) you complete can be useful as you write the actual argument later. If you do well with summarizing, then you have a good selection of evidence that you can use as a foundation around which you can build a paragraph in your argument later.

This assignment has two parts: the proposal and the annotated bibliography. The proposal should be 2-3 pages and the annotated bibliography should be 3-4 pages. Thus, the total length of the combined elements should be 5-7 pages.

Your proposal should demonstrate that you have narrowed your focus to a specific topic for your Researched Argument essay, but you will not take an argumentative stance for this proposal or bibliography. Explain why this is a worthy topic to spend the rest of the semester on and why you are interested in it. Show that you understand who your potential audience will be and who might disagree with you. Also, describe the various points of view that you come across.

The annotated bibliography should include citations and annotations for the 5 best sources that you have found so far that offer insight into the points of view on the issue you are going to write about for your Researched Argument essay. The majority of these sources (at least three) should be scholarly sources found in the VSCC (Vol State Community College) Library’s databases. Find sources that are varied, scholarly, and meet the standards of high quality. Do not use Wikipedia, encyclopedias, or other non-scholarly websites or materials. These sources should offer differing points of view on the issue. You may use the Internet to search, but limit those sources to the most credible and authoritative ones you can find. All of your sources must be from within the last year.

As you work on the bibliography, use Noodletools to cite your sources. Also, look for quotes and paraphrases that may be useful when writing your Researched Argument essay. Quotes, summaries, and paraphrases should be smoothly and accurately incorporated into the text of your annotations, and in-text citations should be provided for any direct quotes; parenthetic citations are unnecessary for summaries and paraphrases in the annotations. Each annotation should have two substantial paragraphs. In the first paragraph, begin with the author’s full name and his/her/their credentials, and then  evaluate the credibility of the source and discuss the central idea of the work and the key points. Note the position the writer takes on the issue. Put the writer’s main ideas into your own words without imposing your thoughts or opinions onto what they are trying to say. In the next paragraph, discuss why/how the article will be useful in your research essay and incorporate what you will quote or paraphrase. 

Follow MLA guidelines for formatting your document, including heading, spacing, font, page numbers, and margins. Font should be Times New Roman, 12 point

Below are some guidelines for organizing and developing your assignment’s proposal section. 

Introduction (1-2 paragraphs)

1. State your choice of topic, and give a sense of why you are choosing the topic you would like to address for your Researched Argument Essay that you will write later in the semester. Show that you have a personal connection to the topic; without personal investment, it’s hard to see the relevance of the issue and to form a valid position. Consider your own experience with the topic, as well as your interests, values, and beliefs that are driving your choice.

2. Admit any biases that you have in order to recognize that we choose topics based on our own perspective, and consider how this project might be a learning experience for you.

3. Consider who your intended audience for this project might be by explaining who might find this topic important and why. Who might disagree with you and why?

4. You do not have to formulate an argumentative thesis for your argument at this point; instead, consider what your central question for research might be. What are you hoping to figure out? Your thesis for this proposal essay should be a declaration of your intended topic for discussion for your semester’s arguments, not an argument for or against an issue.

Body Paragraphs (2-3)

1. Discuss specific reasons your topic might be important to readers.

2. Discuss debates and controversies related to your topic. Think of this as a sort of summary of the different points of view on the topic. Show that you understand some of the different points of view on the topic. The goal here is for you to show that you understand the ongoing conversation regarding the problem and to recognize its importance to your potential readers, NOT to make your own argument. Remember that you must argue a viewpoint in the future essay, but you can only come to an educated point of view by reviewing multiple sides. This section should show that you have been thoroughly researching the topic and the various viewpoints on it.

3. In this Research Proposal, do not present your own arguments for or against; do not take a point of view in the conversation. Simply give a preview of the arguments that you have found so far in your research. The research you do throughout the semester should drive your conclusions. Plan to approach the topic with an open mind!

Conclusion (1 paragraph)

Try to anticipate objections to your topic, problems finding research, your own abilities in writing, and anything else that you feel might be a challenge. Present any concerns you have about writing on this topic. Remember that the Research Proposal opens dialogue about your plans. The proposal should be 2-3 pages typed, using MLA formatting.

Formatting the Annotated Bibliography

Below are some guidelines for organizing and developing your assignment’s annotated bibliography section. The annotated bibliography will consist of 5 entries and should be 3-4 pages, using MLA formatting.

Documentation Essentials: How to Properly Cite Your Sources 

Incorporating Source Material

Avoid dropped quotes by ALWAYS introducing quoted material with a signal phrase, or by working a quoted phrase seamlessly into your sentence.  Signal phrases create a bridge between your own diction and the words of your source by smoothly transitioning from your voice to the source’s.  Signal phrases can also allow you to lend credibility to the source, and they are especially useful with summaries and paraphrases because they indicate where the source information begins despite the fact that it’s written in your voice. 

BASIC RULES FOR INCORPORATING SOURCE MATERIAL

• Use the author’s full name the first time you use it; then, refer to the author by last name alone in subsequent references.
• Punctuation follows standards of English grammar; besides the quotation marks, it’s almost as if the quote weren’t ‘a quote.’
• Capitalization, especially at the beginning of the quote, must follow standards of English grammar.
• No sentence should start with quotation marks.

EXAMPLES

Example 1:  Dr. John Morris, a psychologist from Harvard University, asserts, “Social attitudes towards dress and style affect the way that high school students view one another, which in turn, affects their attitudes towards one another” (145).

Example 2:  One noted literary critic argues that “[a]uthor James Joyce is one of the greatest Modernist writers” (Hunter 12).

BASIC RULES FOR PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS

• Parenthetical citation is always at the end of the source material.
• There is never a comma within the parentheses between the author’s name/article title and the page number.  If paragraph number is included, a comma is placed after the last name.
• The name of the writer is only included in the parentheses if that name does not appear in the signal phrase before the cited information, or in other words, the sentence that includes the quote, summary, or paraphrase.
• Punctuation (comma, semicolon, period) ALWAYS comes AFTER the parenthetical citation.  A period NEVER appears before the parentheses.
  • The only exception to this rule is if there is an exclamation point or a question mark at the end of the quote.  In this case, you will include that punctuation before the end quotes, but you will also include a period after the parenthetical citation.
• If you do not have an author for a source, you will include an abbreviated version of the title of the work within the parenthetical citation in order to lead your reader to the first element of the works cited entry.

BASIC RULES FOR Bibliographic Information

• Entries should be organized in alphabetical order based on the first item in the entry.  Exclude articles (a, an, the) from this consideration and move to the next word to alphabetize.
• Double space, not just between entries.  The spacing on this page should be consistent with the rest of your essay.
• Entries should use a hanging indent instead of a first-line indent.
• If you do not have an author for your source, or if it’s listed as “Anonymous,” then the Works Cited entry will begin with the title of the work.  Do not put “Anonymous” as the author.