Annotated Bibliography

  

Create an Annotated Bibliography

ASSIGNMENT: Using your research question, working thesis, and outline from Research questions, thesis, outline Assignment 1.2 which is attached, create an annotated bibliography that provides a synopsis of your sources and an explanation of how you will use them.
 

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.
 

As this assignment builds on Touchstone 1.2: Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline, that Touchstone, as well as Touchstone 2.1, must be graded before you can submit your annotated bibliography.

A. Assignment Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.

1. Annotated Bibliography

Make sure to:

❒ Alphabetize the entries, according to APA style.

❒ Include the required bibliographic information in APA format for each entry.

❒ Include 3-4 sentences for each entry that provide a short summary of the source and how you plan to use it to support your argument.

❒ Include at least seven entries in your annotated bibliography, all of which must be credible, academic sources.

❒ Choose your own sources, but use no more than three websites (there is no limit on the number of online journals used).

❒ Thoroughly check the formatting requirements for the different source types.

❒ Indicate the required sources (book, peer-reviewed journal, newspaper/magazine, and credible website) by including the source type in parentheses after the relevant entry.

2. Reflection

❒ Have you displayed a clear understanding of the research activities?

❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?

❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?

B. Reflection Questions

DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.

1. Accurately recording bibliographic information is essential and saves you time, as you can transfer this information to the References page of your drafted essay. Each source entry should include a brief summary of the source as well as 3-4 sentences describing how you intend to use that source to build or support your argument. Discuss how your annotated bibliography meets these criteria. (2-3 sentences)

2. Which strategies were most helpful for you when searching for credible sources? (2-3 sentences)

3. What difficulties did you face while searching for credible sources? How did you overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)

Daniels – Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline 1

Daniels

English Composition II

July 29, 2020

Research question: How does the availability of voting during a crucial time of a pandemic impact an election period ethically?

Working thesis statement: For ethical, democratic, and integrity purposes, policymakers should adopt a timely and secure voting system during the election period encompassed with the pandemic.

Detailed Outline

Working Thesis in Introduction: For ethical, democratic, and integrity purposes, policymakers should adopt a timely and secure voting system during the election period encompassed with the pandemic.

A. Electoral statistics on pandemics’ implications on election

B. Electoral system integrity, the security of the election system

Source 1: Perera on government ethics during this time of pandemic

Source 2: Martin-Rozumilowicz and Kužel on how to maintain the integrity of elections during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Source 3: Ace on Electoral Integrity.

I. Ethical Issues

A. Pandemic’s victims’ cases rise

B. Electoral insecurity and voters coercion

Source 1: Miller on the ethics of campaigning during a pandemic, paragraphs 5 to 8

Source 2: Perera on how the COVID-19 pandemic may affect how we vote, paragraphs 6 to 9

II. Democratic Issues

A. Election postponement

B. Restrictive voting

Source 1: Cooper on to vote or postpone? Elections in Africa in the time of COVID-19

Source 2: Lopez on Texas voters caught in the middle of a battle over mail-in voting

III. Integrity issues

A. Voters’ suppression and election fraud

Source 1: Kamarck, Ibreak, Powers, and Stewart on are American elections pandemic-proof? A state-by-state scorecard

Source 2: James on the new development: running elections during a pandemic

IV. Benefits of a Timely election

A. Promotes transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and equal opportunities to compete in an election.

B. Preserves the democracy of the citizens

Source: Sahley, USAID, on supporting free and fair elections

V. Achieving Election Security through Online voting

A. Block-chain enabled electronic voting

B. Mail and absentee voting

Source: Kshetri, Nir, and Voas on Blockchain-Enabled E-voting

VI. Counterargument

A. Absentee voting is significantly prone to increased fraud than on-voting

B. Mistrust of the election results and complexity of the system leaves the policymakers with no option than postponing the election

Source: Porup on online voting is impossible to secure. So why are some governments using it?

VII. Conclusion

A. Adopting an encrypted online voting system is better to safeguard ethics, democracy, and integrity aspects of an election and to achieve a secure election free from postponement risks.

Source: Yang, Yi, Nepal, Kelarev, and Han on a secure verifiable ranked-choice online voting system based on homomorphic encryption

Reflection Questions

1. Learning to conduct research is vital because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences)

Time used for the research, acquiring the articles, and examining their credibility and reliability were the most challenging elements of this study. This assignment demands a couple of resources to complete; therefore, it consumed much of the time to find and choose the most appropriate and recent for the study. 

2. The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify a debatable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences)

           The working thesis for this assignment is precise, relevant, and direct to the point since it addresses the ongoing aspect of the society making is possible for debate. I have established the approaches and reasons to consider conducting the election instead of altogether avoiding it due to the pandemics. The thesis has determined why the plan is crucial and strategies to adopt to improve. 

3. A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented. (3-4 sentences)

           I began by establishing the ethical, democratic, and integrity concerns related to pandemics’ impact on the election process. Afterward, I have presented the benefits of a timely and secure election to achieve democracy, morality, and integrity of an election. Additionally, I have also established counterargument elements to depict the aspects that still exist to threaten the research’s concern even after adopting those measures. In the end, the outline sets it is better to conduct the election under limited risks than a full postponement. 

4. You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are the specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences)

           I believe in the information depicted on this assignment; however, I would want to earn more on the essay’s structure and formatting to help arrange the content of the task. Additionally, the research question could be complicated for someone who has limited knowledge of the topic. Thus I would establish it deeper to elaborate on the safe, ethical, and democratic electoral process during pandemics. 

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

Logan Stevens

English Composition II

December 12, 2019

Annotated Bibliography

Brown, M., & Funk, C. (2008). Food security under climate change. Science, 319

(5863), 580-581. doi: 10.1126/science.1154102

The authors claim that developing regions of the globe are likely to face serious food

insecurity as climate change affects crops. These regions are particularly

endangered because they are distinctly vulnerable to the demands of Western

markets (the desire for mono-cropping corn, for example, in order to feed cattle) and

lacking in the kinds of agricultural technology that help farmers cope with

environmental effects on crops. Brown and Funk claim that investing in local food

economies—including sustainability, agricultural technologies, and emergency

plans—will help these areas of the globe acquire enough food in the face of climate

change. change. This source will be useful to my paper as it provides a big picture

example of the related effects of factory farming and the coming dangers of climate

change that push us to change our eating and food production habits, so I can use this to

discuss both my argument and the counter-arguments.

Comment [SL1]: Good adherence to APA
formatting here.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

(Peer-Reviewed Article)

Cook, C. (2004). Diet for a dead planet: How the food industry is killing us. New

York, NY: New Press.

Cook argues that our current food system is destroying us in several ways. For

example, we have pesticides and antibiotics that are used in industrial agriculture,

as well the significant ecological damage of industrial food production, the stripped

nutrients that we now find in our food, and the social justice issues of farm worker

and immigrant labor. This book will be useful to the conclusion of my essay when I

encourage readers to take action beyond just purchasing choices.

(Book)

Davis, C., & Lin, B.H. (2005). Factors affecting U.S. beef consumption.

Retrieved from

https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=37389.

This government website provides information on beef consumption in the United

States. It breaks down beef consumption by geography (highest in the Midwest and

lowest in the Northeast), by percentage eaten by rural or urban consumers, and by

race and ethnicity. This information establishes context for the topic and will be useful

in the introductory paragraphs of my essay to inform readers of the popularity of

eating beef in America.

(Credible Website)

Lappe, A. (2010). Diet for a hot planet: The climate crisis at the end of your fork. New York,

NY: Bloomsbury.

In this book, Lappe describes the effect of industrial food production on global climate

change. She traces food from planting and animal husbandry to harvest and production,

Comment [SL2]: Good. You summarize the
main points made by the source and explain how
you plan to use this information in your
argument.

Comment [SL3]: This source sounds like it’s
very wide-ranging, and you do a good job of
focusing on a single aspect which will be useful in
your conclusion.

Comment [SL4]: Excellent. It can be very
difficult to find credible web sources, but this is a
very useful and appropriate source.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

ultimately arguing that we need to take a more local and sustainable approach to food

production. This book will be very useful to my essay because of the focus on climate

change and the discussion of animal production in particular. These ideas will support the

part of my thesis that focuses on consuming beef that is locally sourced.

(Book)

Palmer, B. (2010). Pass on grass: Is grass-fed beef better for the environment? Slate.

Retrieved from

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2010/12/pass_

on_grass.htm

Palmer compares the environmental impact of both grain-fed, factory-farmed beef

and grass-fed, free-range beef. Some controversial evidence exists that grain-fed

beef might be better in some ways; however, the expenses of grain, issues of

monocropping corn and soy, and excess manure suggest that grass-fed is

environmentally better. Palmer also emphasizes that however the cow is raised,

“eating beef will never be the greenest thing you do in a day” (para. 2). This source

will be useful to my essay because it tends to favor grass-fed beef while highlighting

the negative environmental impacts of all beef, which will help me evaluate the

environmental consequences of eating beef and discuss alternative actions.

(Magazine)

Pollan, M. (2002). An animal’s place. The New York Times. Retrieved from

Pollan, a well-respected food journalist and activist, engages with the ethical

arguments of vegetarianism, admitting that animals feel pain and fear, and that they

Comment [SL5]: Good. This is very specific and
clearly demonstrates how this source will help
you develop your argument.

Comment [SL6]: You don’t have to include
specific quotations in your annotated
bibliography, but sometimes it can be helpful to
do so when there’s something specific that you
want to use in your paper. Well done.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

deserve to be treated humanely. He extends this discussion to the ethical conflicts

surrounding factory farming and the negative treatment of animals. Pollan

ultimately rejects vegetarianism and calls, instead, for an early version of

“locavorism,” sourcing one’s food from environmentally responsible and humane

producers who are also geographically close. This article will be useful to my essay

because Pollan’s perspective is foundational to my argument that it matters how

our food is produced and that when it comes to beef, specifically, we should aim for

the most sustainable methods if we’re going to eat it at all.

(Newspaper)

Ruechel, J. (2006). Grass-fed cattle: How to produce and market natural beef. North

Adams, MA. Storey Publishing.

This book is a guide for raising grass-fed cattle. It is useful for describing the health

benefits of grass-fed beef in particular, as well as the more positive environmental

impacts as compared to grain-fed, factory-farmed beef. This source will be useful

to my essay because it provides factual data and statistics that will support my

argument that grass-fed beef is better both for consumers and the environment.

(Book)

Sager, G. (2008). Where’s your beef from?: Grass-fed beef: Is it green, humane and

healthful? Retrieved from: http://www.life.ca/naturallife/0812/grassfed_

beef_green_humane_healthful.html
This article compares the differences between grass-fed and grain-fed beef. It

highlights the health benefits of grass-fed over grain-fed, discusses that grass-fed

does not equal organic, and describes the negative global impact of grass-fed

Comment [SL7]: Very good.

Comment [SL8]: Good. This looks like the
credible source with solid evidence and you
clearly demonstrate how you plan to use it to
support your argument.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

beef—particularly that raised outside the US. This source will be useful to my

argument since it presents a wealth of data and discusses the complexity of the

topic. I will also be able to use this source to present the opposing viewpoints to

my argument.

(Credible Website)

Comment [SL9]: This looks like an interesting
source. It appears to be credible and fact-based,
but be very careful using sources that focus on
presenting a certain perspective; these can often
trade in biased or less credible information. The
information you reference here seems clear and
unbiased, but make sure to vet your sources very
carefully.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

Reflection Questions:

1. Accurately recording bibliographic information is essential and saves you time, as you
can transfer this information to the References page of your drafted essay. Each source
entry should include a brief summary of the source as well as 3-4 sentences describing
how you intend to use that source to build or support your argument. Discuss how your
annotated bibliography meets these criteria. (2-3 sentences)

My annotated bibliography meets all of these requirements because I have summarized the
source and explained how I am going to use it within my Argumentative essay. I think this is
an important step before drafting the essay, because I’m finding I take less time gathering
information since I’m explaining the validity and usefulness of each source.

2. Which strategies were most helpful for you when searching for credible sources? (2-3

sentences)

I found it extremely helpful to look at, not only when the source was published, but whether
or not the information was going to help support my claim or not. On top of that, cross-
checking the information to make sure it is valid. This helped me find sources that I could
utilize fully, instead of pulling one detail from each.

3. What difficulties did you face while searching for credible sources? How did you

overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)

I was able to find a lot of sources that could only provide a small piece of support toward my
claim. It was a bit more difficult to find sources in which I could use more than one point. I
tried to make sure that I was searching for a clear and consistent group of sources to ensure I
didn’t need more than the few sources I found.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

Annotated Bibliography Rubric and Feedback

Rubric
Category

Feedback Score
(acceptable, needs
improvement etc.)

Annotated
Bibliography

You have exceeded the required number of
sources. You summarize them very clearly, and
you provide information about how you plan to
use them to support your thesis statement.

18/20

Quality of
Sources

All sources appear to be credible and relevant to
your topic. You’ve formatted this effectively as
well.

13/15

Style Your word choices are consistently effective. You

do a good job of avoiding redundancy and
imprecise language.

5/5

Conventions You adhere well to all of the APA formatting

requirements and your use of English
conventions is consistent throughout the
touchstone. Well done.

5/5

Reflection You answer all of the questions thoroughly,

providing insights, observations, and examples in
your responses. You consistently exceed the
length guidelines for your responses.

5/5

Overall Score and Feedback: 46/50