Suggestions for Evaluating Your Sources
Part One
I. Complete your initial post no later than Thursday, responding to the following questions:
1. What four sources do you plan to use for your Essay #2? (Remember: two of your sources must be from our They Say/I Say text.)
2. Why have you chosen these sources for your specific Rogerian approach to the debate over equality/inequality and “The American Dream”? (How will these sources be
helpful to you in creating a balanced, objective, Rogerian Argument?)
Part Two
1. Read the Module Ten Lecture: “The Annotated Bibliography: What? Why? And How?”
2. Read and carefully review each of the following:
-“Annotated Bibliography Example” (in folder here)
-“Suggestions for Evaluating Your Sources” (in folder here)
-LB Brief pages 353-358
3. Select, re-read, and carefully make notes for your four sources for Essay #2, to prepare for your Annotated Bibliography. (Note: an Annotated Bibliography is NOT
the same thing as a regular Works Cited List. The Annotated Bibliography is a separate, more detailed assignment, to be completed this week.
After you have asked yourself some questions about the source and determined that it’s worth your time to find and read the source, you can evaluate the material in
the source as you read through it.
• Read the preface/1st paragraph–what does the author want to accomplish? Is your topic covered in enough depth to be helpful?
• Consider the tone, style, level of information, and assumptions the author makes about the reader. Are they appropriate for your needs?
• Try to determine if the content of the source is fact, opinion, or propaganda. If you think the source is offering facts, are the sources for those facts
clearly indicated?
• Do you think there’s enough evidence offered? Is the coverage comprehensive? (As you learn more and more about your topic, you will notice that this gets
easier as you become more of an expert.)
• Is the language objective or emotional?
• Are there broad generalizations that overstate or oversimplify the matter?
• Does the author use a good mix of primary and secondary sources for information?
• If the source is opinion, does the author offer sound reasons for adopting that stance? (Consider again those questions about the author. Is this person
reputable?)
• Check for accuracy.
• How timely is the source? Is the source 20 years out of date? Some information becomes dated when new research is available, but other older sources of
information can be quite sound 50 or 100 years later.
• Do some cross-checking. Can you find some of the same information given elsewhere?
• How credible is the author? If the document is anonymous, what do you know about the organization?
• Are there vague or sweeping generalizations that aren’t backed up with evidence?
• Are arguments very one-sided with no acknowledgement of other viewpoints?
-from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/03/
Example:
The following example shows two annotated bibliography entries. Your complete Annotated Bibliography will include all four of your required sources for Essay #2.
**Note the formatting, spacing, indenting (for entry & for annotation paragraph), and the alphabetical order of entries!**
Annotated Bibliography
John Q. Student
October 28, 2014
Essay #2 Topic/Title: College Education: What Are We Really Learning?
Menand, Louis. “Re-imagining Liberal Education.” Education and Democracy.
Ed. Robert Orrill. 1997. Rpt. in Current Issues and Enduring Questions.
Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2014. 534-
536. Print.
Menand’s talk, originally delivered at an Education Symposium at Rollins
College, offers a look at both the possible changes that could be made to the
liberal arts curriculum at the college level, and the question of what, exactly, the
goal of a liberal arts education should be. A core curriculum that combines both
the humanities and a “culture”-based set of classes including law, business,
government, and technology is key to preparing graduates for the challenges
they face, argues Menand. Given Menand’s position as a professor of English
and Literature, and as a scholar in education theory, his talk argues for a
balanced combination of the traditional “arts and humanities” liberal arts degree
with equal importance placed on more vocational, skill-based training. Menand
cites John Dewey’s philosophies on the goals of education in general, and how it
should prepare students both in terms of academics and practical experience,
and his points help support the claim that college must do both in order to be
successful for its graduates.
Nemko, Marty. “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree.”
Chronicle of Higher Education. 2008. Rpt. in Current Issues and Enduring
Questions. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St Martins,
2014. 523-527. Print.
Nemko’s essay calls into question both the quality and relevance of the
Bachelor’s Degree in America in the twenty-first century. His argument covers
the cost and debt of higher education, the lack of preparedness of many college
students to complete their degrees, and the questionable “products” many
colleges turn out after four years, citing employers who report, more and more,
that their new hires lack the critical thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills
needed in the workplace. His own experiences as a counselor and education
consultant, along with his references to reports by the Pew Charitable Trust, the
Spellings Report, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching, strengthen Nemko’s points for a compelling argument. Urging colleges
and administrators to review their curriculum and graduates just as a tire
manufacturer or other business would, in terms of accountability and production
performance, Nemko’s essay supports the argument that more than just
traditional academics are required in successful education.
Module 10 Lecture: “The Annotated Bibliography: What? Why? How?”
I. WHAT is an Annotated Bibliography?
A Bibliography is an MLA-format (for our purposes) Works Cited List (
a list of sources (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.)
one has used for researching a topic. A bibliography includes just
bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).
+
An Annotation is a summary, evaluation, and reflection of sources.
=
Therefore, an Annotated Bibliography is 1) a Works Cited List WITH 2) an Annotation (complete with a summary, evaluation, and reflection of each of its sources.
1. The MLA Works Cited Entry
You will create the regular Works Cited entry for each of your four required sources (two of which must come from the assigned pages in our textbook). Review the MLA
Lesson Powerpoint and materials from Unit 1 (for Essay #1) for reminders on how to create your entries in correct MLA format.
2. The Annotation: 3 parts = at least 3 full sentences:
Summary: What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would
you say? (Note: you’ll be paraphrasing here.)
Assessment: Is it a useful source? Why or why not? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or
objective? What is the goal of this source? (Note: see the suggestions/guidelines for evaluating sources below.)
Reflection: How does this source fit into your research? How does it help you shape your argument? Has it changed how you think about your topic?
II. WHY Is It Helpful to Complete An Annotated Bibliography for My Essay?
An Annotated Bibliography can help you in a variety of ways as you write your essay:
To better understand your topic: When you write annotations for each source you use, you must read each source more carefully. You begin to read even more critically
instead of just collecting information.
To help you formulate/clarify your writing: Completing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By
reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you can better develop your own writing.
To help your reader / other researchers: Your annotated bibliography can help your reader and (in the case of extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies which
are often published), other researchers working on your issue or topic.
III. HOW Do I Complete An Annotated Bibliography?
The Annotated Bibliography combines two formats you’re already familiar with:
1. Each source’s entry is written in MLA format.
2. The entry is immediately followed by the Annotation, which is written in paragraph format (at least three full sentences following grammar and clarity guidelines
incorporating MLA guidelines for paraphrasing).
