PROJECTS 2 & 3 ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION SHEET

Annotated Bibliography (150 points) & Academic Argument (200 points)

DESCRIPTION
Projects 2 and 3 are related; therefore, it makes the most sense to provide joint instructions.
Project 2 focuses on finding and evaluating sources, and Project 3 emphasizes integrating
sources with your own ideas.

Project 2: Annotated Bibliography (150 points)

You will compile an annotated bibliography, using your choice of either MLA or APA
format, of research you conduct on a serious debatable topic. You are expected to conduct
sufficient research for your subject matter and audience and document every source you discover
in your annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography lists every source located during
research while a works cited or references page lists only those sources using in your paper. An
annotated bibliography lists sources located during research and generally includes additional
information beyond the source citation. Your annotated bibliography should include the
following information for each source: (1) complete, correct citation sentence (MLA or APA);
(2) brief summary of source in your own words; (3) evaluation of the source (credibility,
accuracy, reliability, etc.); and (4) statement of relevancy to your Project 3 paper.

Project 3: Academic Argument (200 points)

You will write an academic argument on a serious debatable topic (the same topic you
researched for Project 2). You will need to make a claim or claims based on reasons and support
those reasons with evidence. Your evidence will come from your source research (completed for
Project 2) and research you conduct yourself (i.e., primary or field research). In your rhetorical
analysis for Project 1, you evaluated what made an argument effective or ineffective; you should
aim to apply what you learned about rhetorical appeals, devices and features to make your
written argument most effective. You will need to determine the most appropriate structure for
your argument based upon your topic and claim.

NOTE ON CHOOSING A TOPIC:

This project will take a significant amount of time and energy on your part; therefore, you
should choose a topic that interests you. You should strive to choose a legitimate academic topic
in which you have a personal interest, that allows you to locate adequate source material, and
that is flexible enough to alter (without the need for re-start) should you run into obstacles. While
no topic is absolutely off-limits, you should be careful to avoid overly broad and highly-
controversial topics (e.g., abortion, gun control, and gay marriage) UNLESS it is related to your
major AND you intend to provide a unique and/or creative perspective. See How to Write a
Research Paper from Georgetown University (provided as a PDF with this information sheet)
and consider asking a librarian for help honing in on a topic.
DETAIL REQUIREMENTS

All drafts and the final of this project should be formatted using EITHER MLA or APA
formatting guidelines. You must choose the documentation system that is most commonly used
for the discipline of your major. You should use the most recent MLA Formatting and Style
Guide OR APA Formatting and Style Guide, both of which can be found online at the Purdue
Universitys Online Writing Lab (Purdue OWL or OWL)
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/. These guides provide very specific rules for type
size, margins, headers, etc. You will be expected to follow all formatting requirements to the
letter.

For the annotated bibliography (Project 2), you must compile at least twenty (20) sources. You
should strive to use a wide variety of types of sources, with no more than five (5) from
Online/Internet sources.

For the academic argument (Project 3), you should use at least seventy percent (70%) of the
sources compiled for your annotated bibliography in addition to your primary/field research. The
text of your paper should be at least 2000 words, not including any front matter (APA), end-of-
paper source list (both) or necessary notes (both).

IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND DEADLINE INFORMATION

Monday Mar 6 Statement of Topic & Plan 20 points

Friday Apr 1 Project 2 Draft Annotated Bibliography 30 points

Wednesday Apr 12 Project 2 In-Class Peer Review 20 points

Friday Apr 14 Project 2 Final Annotated Bibliography 60 points

Project 2 Reflection 20 points
Project 3 Draft Academic Argument 35 points

Friday Apr 28 Project 3 In-Class Peer Review 30 points

Monday May 1 Project 3 Final Academic Argument 100 points

Project 3 Reflection 35 points

NOTE THAT all items are due and must be submitted via the appropriate link online by the
beginning of class on the date listed above. Submit items as attachments in Microsoft Word (.doc
or .docx) or Rich Text (.rtf) format. DO NOT SHARE FROM GOOGLE DRIVE OR SIMILAR
PROGRAM.

Be sure to save all versions of your papers as separate computer files because you will need all
drafts and final products for your final portfolio.