project 1 annotated bibliography
Project 1 Annotated Bibliography (20 points)
Think of your topic and your proposed thesis statement. To support your claim for your causal argument, you need to present evidence that readers will consider persuasive. Such evidence may consist of your own observations and experience as well as:
The results of empirical studies or historical research found in scholarly and popular books, in journals, and on Web sites
Testimony from interested or affected parties (“Interviews with other students indicate that …”) or experts (“Professor X, a noted authority, asserts that …”)
The use of examples that demonstrate that your suggested cause or causes actually do cause the effect.
With this in mind, include your proposed topic and thesis statement at the top of this assignment, and create an annotated list of 5 sources you have collected to inform your argument. Some you will use in your essay; some you may not.
Before completing your annotations, read the information on the last page of this document that shows the differences between different types of sources on the Continuum of Quality. Then watch this tutorial on Evaluating Resources:
http://www.asu.edu/lib/tutorials/evaluate-resources/
Now, for each of your sources, cite the source correctly according to APA style, and then write a paragraph length annotation that:
Summarizes the main points of the source.
Justifies the credibility of the source. (Is the source suitable to use in an academic research project? What makes the source reliable and scholarly?)
Explains the relevance and applicability of the source for your project. (Why is the source important to use? How is it relevant to your argument? How will you use it in your project?)
Once you have completed the annotations, take another look at your topic and thesis statement. Do the sources you’ve found and annotated help support your claim for a causal argument?
Evaluating Sources
A source can be electronic, printed, or live and includes websites, blogs, books, academic journals, newspapers, surveys, interviews, newspapers, magazines, and the list goes on. As researchers who place a high value on credibility, we know that not all sources are created equal. We know, too, that we put our reputation on the line with every source we utilize to build our arguments. So evaluating sources should become an automatic practice for us. Evaluating sources can be made a little easier if we understand that all sources fall somewhere on a Continuum of Quality. 
Very Useful Useful Cautiously Useful * Not for Legitimate Arguments
As we move from left to right on the continuum…
…The author becomes less of an expert and less knowledgeable and begins to rely on other experts and ultimately pseudo experts.
…The audience broadens, becoming less specialized and thus less knowledgeable about the topic discussed.
…Complex ideas are simplified, and word choice becomes less objective.
…Logos and ethos give way to pathos.
…The purpose for writing becomes less about presenting both sides (balanced) and more about following a personal/publication agenda (biased).
… Sources referenced and evidence provided become less credible, less scholarly, and ultimately nonexistent.
* Newspapers, news magazines, and news websites usually fall within the serious-popular to popular to popular-exploitive range. Close evaluation as to their general bias and political bias is important.
Always ask yourself, “Where does this source fall on the continuum of quality?” Investigate its author, audience, presentation of ideas, use of appeals, purpose, and the sources and evidence it utilizes.
