Journal 10 - Research Criteria and Source Selection for Essay

School: Monroe County Community College - Course: ENGLISH 152 - Subject: Accounting

Journal 10 Basic Research & Narrowing Search Criteria 1.Write down at least 5 search criteria you are using to search for sources about your topic. 2.Indicate to yourself the search criteria or combination of search criteria that turned up sources that were useful. 3.Locate 3 sources that you would like to consider using for your essay. 4.Write the MLA citation for all 3 sources.

Constructing an Annotation Directions:Complete for all 3 sources in paragraph form. Step 1: Record the work's complete bibliographic information.Use MLA documentation style. Step 2: Begin with one or two sentences explaining the authority and/or qualifications of the author. For example, "Dr. William Smith, a history professor at XYZ University, based his book on twenty years of research." Step 3: Include a few sentences on the scope and main purpose of the work. "Scope" refers to the amount, both breadth and depth, of material the work covers. For example, you would want to note whether a research study was conducted on either the short-term and long-term side-effects of a new medicine or just the short-term side-effects. "Purpose" indicates what the author wants to do with the work: persuade, entertain, inform. Indicate main thesis and 3 major points of the source. Step 4: Note any biases you detect. No work can be "objective" because every person brings her/his own experience, beliefs, and values to any subject. However, some authors are able to present all sides of an argument fairly, while others will obviously favor one side over another. Works such as editorials are, of course, intended to have a bias. Step 5: Comment on the work's intended audience. Depending on authorial choices like use of jargon, technical information, prose style, background information, and so forth, you should be able to determine whether the work is meant for an expert or non-expert audience on the topic. Step 6: Mention the work's relationship, if any, to other works in the area of study. Some works describe research projects that are part of larger studies. Other works are direct reactions to or against other works. Step 7: Conclude with a clear analysis of how/in what ways you want to use the source. This should be the majority of your annotation and detailed according to your topic and how you will utilize the material in the source in relation to your thesis (NOTTHE SOURCE'S THESIS) and paragraph. I suggest indicating within the annotation which criteria of your thesis the source is

connected to. If there is more than one, indicate them. Within the annotation, quote/summarize and/or paraphrase material you will be using from the source and cite using a parenthetical citation. After citing material from the source, the next two should be a combinedat least7 sentences: oExplain HOWand IN WHAT WAYSthe material is relevant to your topic. oExplain HOWand IN WHAT WAYSthere is a connection between the source and your thesis.