Week 3

Library Sources Annotated Bibliography

[WLOs: 1, 2, 3] [CLOs: 2, 3, 4, 5]

GEN103 Library Sources Annotated Bibliography Assignment (Links to an external site.) Video

Prior to beginning work on this assignment,

• Read Module 2 of your course textbook.


• Complete the Creating References Skill Check Activity (Links to an external site.) from Week 1 on formatting references.


• Watch Keywords are Critical (Links to an external site.) and Ebook Central Overview and Searching (Links to an external site.).


• Review the How to Read a Scholarly Article (Links to an external site.)


• Download and review the Library Sources Annotated Bibliography template that you will complete and turn in for this assignment.

To prepare for this week’s assignment, consider the feedback your instructor gave you on your Week 1 research question and make necessary revisions. To learn how to view the comments on your papers watch the Waypoint: Accessing Assignment Feedback (Links to an external site.) video.

This week, you will continue working on your annotated bibliography. If needed review the Week 3 Annotated Bibliography Example handout:

1. Develop search terms based on your research question.


2. Find two scholarly journal articles and one e-book with the help of Ashford Library Tutoring.


3. Construct APA Style references for these sources.


4. Write annotations for these sources.


5. Copy and paste the library tutoring lesson summary to the end of the document.

Develop Search Terms

To start this assignment, complete the Generating Search Terms worksheet. The Generating Search Terms worksheet will help you select the major concepts in your revised research question. Note: You will not submit this worksheet, but will need it for Step 2.

Find Two Scholarly Journal Articles and One E-Book

Now you are ready to search for scholarly journal articles and one e-book. Review the steps for using [email protected] by completing the GEN 103: Introduction to the Ashford University Library (Links to an external site.) tutorial.

• Consult with Ashford Library Tutoring to find relevant search results. You will select your first scholarly journal article from these results. Please note you must access the session from your course. See this tip sheet (Links to an external site.) for help connecting with a librarian.
  
  
  
  • Bring your revised research question and two to five search terms to the library tutoring session.
  
  
  • Once the library tutoring session ends, a lesson summary of your session will be sent to the e-mail address you’ve provided. You will include the lesson summary as part of the assignment. Please note a library tutoring session needs to last at least five minutes to receive a summary.
  
  
  • Download and save the full text article so you can review it later.
  
  
  
  


• Use [email protected] and the skills you learned in your session to locate your second scholarly journal article. Download and save the full text article so you can review it later.


• Use your search terms and the Ashford University Library EBook Central database to find one e-book that relates to your research question. Watch the


• Ebook Central Overview and Searching (Links to an external site.) video for help with using this database.


• For each source, make note of the information you need to construct references and locate each source again.

Construct APA References for These Sources

Remembering what you learned about how to format references in the APA Skill Activity, construct APA references for your sources. Write those references in the Library Sources Annotated Bibliography template. Check your reference format using the Ashford Writing Center’s Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) to ensure they are correct.

Write Annotations for These Sources

Now, you will write annotations for the two scholarly articles and one e-book. Write the annotations in your own words on the Library Sources Annotated Bibliography template. The annotations must be two paragraphs long and must address the points below. Provide brief descriptions or explanations to support your answers:

Paragraph 1: Summarize

• What kind of source is this?


• What is the thesis or main claim of the source?


• What evidence or claims does the source present in support of the thesis? Present at least two examples of support the source uses.


• What other important claims does the source make?

Paragraph 2: Evaluate

• How adequately does the source support its thesis?


• How current is the information in the source relative to your research question?


• How credible and authoritative is the source for your research question?


• What limitations, if any, did you note in the source?


• How does the source help answer your research question?

Copy and Paste the Lesson Summary of Your Library Tutoring Session to the End of the Document

• If you need assistance locating the lesson summary or if you’d like to download the transcript from your library tutoring session, please refer to this tip sheet (Links to an external site.).

To make sure your submission is as strong as it can be it is recommended you:

• Use Grammarly (Links to an external site.) to assist you in locating and correcting grammar and punctuation errors.


• Submit your bibliography to Turnitin to make sure you did not accidently copy another’s work.
  
  
  
  • You may review the resource Understanding Turnitin (Links to an external site.) for more information.
  
  
  
  


• Submit your work to the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.) for feedback. The Ashford Writing Center staff can help you identify formatting, grammar, and other common writing issues in your work and give you ideas for ways to fix them. The Ashford Writing Center staff is available by email or by chat.

The Library Sources Annotated Bibliography

• Must be double-spaced, include a title page, and be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.). It should not include a References page.


• Must use the Library Sources Annotated Bibliography template provided in the assignment instructions.


• Must use two scholarly journal articles and one e-book.


• The Source Types handout offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.