Overview
Your Final Project will be an Annotated Bibliography. It is worth 25% of your grade; it will be worth 250 points. Annotation means creating commentary and explanation about information – literally, making notes! We want to evaluate the sources we use when compiling research on a topic, not just summarize them.
We’ll break the Annotated Bibliography down into a First Draft prior to its due date, so that you can build towards it and get some feedback along the way. I’ll also give you more guidance between now and when it's due. Keep checking this page, and keep an eye out for any mention of this assignment in the Announcements.
Due Dates:
FIRST DRAFT of your Final Project: Friday, November 7, 11:59pm you’ll submit your first draft. It will consist of:
- Your research topic (explain in 2-3 sentences).
- Two sources for that topic listed (one of which is an academic, peer-reviewed source), with Chicago-style, author-date citation info. Make sure to provide a valid link to each source, and attach screenshots of both sources. This is to avoid false sources generated by AI.
- An entry for one of the two sources drafted that includes the Summary (3-5 sentences) and Evaluation (10-12 sentences).
FINAL PROJECT of your Annotated Bibliography: Friday, December 12, 11:59pm you'll submit your Annotated Bibliography. It is worth 200 points and will consist of:
- An Introduction stating your research topic (3 sentences); a higher grade will entail formulating your research topic as a research question (e.g. "How has X influenced Y?"). See the Rubric!
- Three sources for that topic listed (two of which are academic sources), with Chicago-style, author-date citation info. Make sure to provide a link to each source, and attach screenshots of both sources. This is to avoid false sources generated by AI.
- Three entries for each source (comprised of a Summary and an Evaluation per entry).
- Include the Generative AI Declaration at the bottom of the page with your Final Draft (you can copy and paste it into your text, inserting your name). Make sure to check any and all statements that apply, whether you used it or not. No problem in using AI, just be open about it!*
Purpose: This project will help you formulate a solid and feasible topic that interests you about American Pop Culture. By sifting through the literature on your topic and annotating specific pieces, you will be able to assess and critically respond to the value, scope, and relevance of research and scholarship on the pop culture topic you’re interested in.
Research Topic:
What would you like to research in American pop culture? Think it through: it shouldn’t be too narrow, nor too wide. Your topic may even change somewhat as you read research literature. If the topic is about something really recent (the latest microtrend on Tiktok, for example), there may not be enough academic literature on it! The Library's CREDO reference resource is a great place to brainstorm research topics. Once you have your topic, use the Library's One SearchLinks to an external site. for finding books and articles. You can always ask me or a Librarian for help. Librarians can be reached via chat, zoom, email, phone or in-person hereLinks to an external site.. They are super helpful!
You may have to read and/or skim a lot of book chapters and academic journal articles to find ones that are of use for your proposed research topic, and worth annotating. Be prepared to read a lot for this assignment! You can start by reading abstracts or skimming to help you identify and select relevant sources.
Sources: You will use three sources, TWO of which must be academic, scholarly, peer-reviewed ones. After you pick your research topic, look for three sources that you will annotate.
One source may be non-academic and written for the general public (e.g. from a magazine, newspaper, trade journal, online news outlet/podcast/YT). We also call these popular sources. Popular source also include trade journals; a trade journal is a periodical/magazine that targets a particular trade or profession (like “Hollywood Reporter” for people in the entertainment industry or “Wall Street Journal” for business).
The other two sources must be academic ones (e.g. a scholarly book, a peer reviewed academic journal article, sometimes also called “refereed” because it means the author’s work has been assessed/reviewed by academic peers for rigorous disciplinary standards of expertise). To check if an academic journal article is peer reviewed, check hereLinks to an external site. for reference. The author’s academic credentials are usually listed at the beginning or end of the publication; if they are not, you may have to Google the author to find out about their qualifications.
Entries:
The entry for each source will include a Summary (~3-5 sentences) and an Evaluation (~10-12 sentences). Here’s a GCC nifty guideLinks to an external site. (with a cute video!) and example of an annotated bibliography (the sample of the final entry is at the bottom of page 2).
Below are the main questions you want to be able to answer in your entry for each source. Questions 1 and 2 are the Summary; Questions 3-7 are your Evaluation. Remember, you are EVALUATING and ASSESSING your sources, not just summarizing them.
Tip: Incorporate feedback I gave you!
- Who is the author and why should you pay attention to what she or he has to say? That is, what are the author’s credentials?
- What are the author’s main ideas?
- What is the purpose and depth of the work? Is it a broad, general overview? Does it cover something specific? Does it leave anything out?
- What is the author’s point of view, perspective or assumptions upon which the work is based? How does this manifest?
- Does the author seem to be trying to reach or influence a particular audience? If so, who is the intended audience? Scholars? General adult population? Everyday consumers? A group of people sharing a particular point of view?
- How does this source compare/contrast to others in your bibliography? Be specific.
- How does this source support/influence your research topic? Be specific.
*Generative AI Declaration:
Generative AI Statement:
During the preparation of this assignment I, [insert your name here], used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE], in order to (checkmark whatever applies):
Improve readability (e.g. check grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc .) _______
Generate ideas _______ (provide the prompt(s)*
Summarize sources ______
After using this tool/service, I, [insert your name here], reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the assignment.
If you did not use any AI tool or service, include the statement below:
I, [insert your name], did not use any AI for this assignment.
**I highly encourage you to meet with a librarian for research support. You can make an online appointment here: https://glendale.libcal.com/appointments/onlineLinks to an external site.
Citation Style: The citation style you will use is called Chicago style (not APA or MLA). Use the author-date list entry. See the example below:
Shrock, Joel. 2004. The Gilded Age: American Popular Culture Through History. New York City: Bloomsbury Publishing.
(See how his name and date of publication came first? That’s what we want!) Please see references here for the citation style https://campusguides.glendale.edu/cite/chicago