Focused Annotated Bibliography

The purpose of the focused annotated bibliography is to prepare for the research paper assignment. The annotated bibliography, therefore, is a record of the research you have done for the research paper. But you also need a purpose, a focus, for this assignment. In addition to the research, you will also have an introductory paragraph that explains your thesis, the purpose of your research. Therefore, this assignment is comprised of the introductory paragraph as well as the citations, each with an annotation.

Write an introduction of at least 200 words explaining the purpose of your research. This purpose will also serve as the thesis for the research paper. Be as specific as possible, completely explaining and defining your purpose. Remember that the thesis is a specific critical argument, an analysis of one of the assigned texts. The thesis does not have to be limited to one sentence; you may need a paragraph or two to explain your ideas – consider your audience. Also, you may need to tweak the introduction when you begin writing the research paper itself. Gather, cite, and annotate at least five secondary, scholarly sources on a text from our Syllabus under the “Readings” for each Unit (these are not the type of sources you normally find by doing a Google search). The text you select is the primary source (one of the novels, short stories or poems in the course), but this primary source is not listed on the annotated bibliography. Only secondary sources are listed on the bibliography. The secondary sources should be up-to-date sources. Citations must follow current MLA guidelines. Every citation will have an annotation, a summary of the source. Each annotation will be between 90 and 110 words, a complete paragraph of three to four complete sentences. The annotation will state the author’s main argument and key points/evidence supporting that argument.