Download Annotated Bibliography - Assignment 2 | ENG W233 and more Assignments English Language in PDF only on Docsity! Assignment #2—the Annotated Bibliography Once you have determined which topic you will write about for the remainder of the semester, you will research this topic and write an annotated bibliography on the sources you find. An annotated bibliography is a useful tool for you to enter into a conversation with your sources. Purpose To ensure that you write with an abundance of sources and that you have some grasp of what your sources say before you use them in a paper. Additionally, writing an annotated bibliography gives you experience in critical reading and summarizing. Grade Weight This paper is worth 20% of your final grade. Sample Annotated Bibliography Entry Murray, Donald. “All Writing is Autobiographical.” College Composition and Communication. 42.1 (1991): 66-74. Murray, a well-known professor of writing and composition theorist, contends that life experiences influence a writer’s choice of topics, language, perspective, and motivation to write (hence his title). Because writing is autobiographical, Murray argues that students should be allowed to write about topics that “itch” their lives and that they should be allowed their own language in doing so. Like Bishop and others, Murray believes that writing is therapeutic. However, he does not point out the pitfalls of personal writing. Not only is writing autobiographical for Murray, he goes further to contend that writing can actually shape a person’s identity. “Over the year it’s possible for a writer to shape himself as a human being through the language [and topics] he uses” (71). Clearly, Murray is a strong advocate for using writing as a tool of personal discovery. Furthermore, he offers some useful hints for how to communicate with readers; thus his essay is also a how to article. For example, he discusses the selective use of detail and a technique he calls “layering.” I find Murray’s arguments compelling; the essay should be required reading for all composition teachers. However, he quotes way too much from his own writing—after the umpteenth example from his writing, I wanted to tell Murray to get over himself. I don’t think this source will be as useful to my paper as I first imagined, but I may describe his autobiographical process as one example of personal writing. The Process You begin with the correct MLA citation for your source. Then, in a paragraph, you summarize and react to the source (note the use of present tense). In addition to summarizing and reacting, you should: Evaluate the author’s credibility o What are the author’s credentials? o What tone does the author use?
