Your major class research project for this semester is an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is a comprehensive bibliography of the range of research on a subject, with brief descriptive annotations (i.e., summaries) of select readings.
A researcher who consults an annotated bibliography should be able to define the central research interests and variety of interpretations and theoretical perspectives within a relatively well-defined body of scholarship. A strong bibliography will identify the predominant interpretations on a particular research subject, outline critiques of the dominant perspective, suggest directions for current research, and provide bibliographic citation for subsequent researchers. An annotated bibliography is not really a unique interpretive work, in the sense that it does not need to say something no other scholar has said; instead, it should familiarize researchers with the full range of scholarship on a well-defined topic. From your perspective think of it as an opportunity to read and summarize the scholarly literature on a subject that fascinates you.
The topic that you focus on can be anything within anthropology (people and their cultures through time and space), that has produced a relatively large body of literature. In general, you want a broad topic, rather than a highly specific one. But at the same time, you also do not want to choose too broadly.
You will be expected to use campus resources as much as possible but you are also encouraged to find resources off campus as well. It will not be possible to write the paper by spending a few evenings on Google, even though Google Scholar is an outstanding online resource; your work with electronic resources will need to go beyond simple search engines. The region has strong academic libraries that you can use either in person or via interlibrary loan.
The completed bibliography is due to me on or before December 9. Email me if you have any questions.
What makes a good annotated bibliography?
A strong bibliography has a well-defined subject that is neither too broadly defined nor too narrowly defined. Find a topic that includes a reasonably rich scholarship with a fair number of publications.
An interesting topic matters a lot. Don’t choose a topic just because it has a long scholarly record, choose it because the research itself is interesting to you. If the subject bores you then find something else.
The literature should include a fair amount of recent scholarship. Weak bibliographies are often filled with sources more than 20 or 30 years old; a few of those classic resources are great, but there should be a rich and active scholarship right now.
A wide range of resources is always most powerful. Include peer-reviewed journals and scholarly monographs that represent a broad range of anthropological scholarship and interdisciplinary work. For instance, don’t take everything from American Anthropologist, even though it is one of the discipline’s most important resources. If appropriate, include popular texts or web pages, but use them judiciously. Do not make articles from Time, Yahoo, or some stranger’s blog the heart of your study or you will not earn a strong grade. One of the points of the project is to display your resourcefulness conducting research, and a broad range of resources shows that you can use multiple library and online resources.
Thorough annotations are always better than sketchy annotations. A thorough annotation outlines the research questions as the author defines them (probably in the abstract if it’s a journal article, and likely in the introduction in a text-length study), clearly indicates the research method and data, and indicates the author’s conclusions. The annotation should always say how this source fits within the broader scholarship on your topic. See the passage on annotations below for more detail on how to write an annotation.
Follow grammar and style guidelines scrupulously (the details are included below). Spelling errors, sloppy grammar, and incomplete bibliographic citations will penalize the study. I can only grade the product, not the process of working hard on a bibliography, and if the product does not reflect all your hard work you will not receive the grade you deserve.
Non-negotiable realities
I will grade this paper strictly for its length, content, adherence to style guidelines, diversity of resources and spelling and grammar. The style guidelines outline how to prepare the final text. The annotation guidelines provide directions for how to gather a sufficient quantity of resources and prepare the annotations. Please review these guidelines closely and adhere to them during the production of your bibliography. I am happy to read partial drafts and answer any questions you have during the preparation of the bibliography.
Organization
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