Writing an Annotated Bibliography and Argumentative Research Paper

Task 1: Annotated Bibliography

The first stages of the research writing process involve topic selection, formulation of a research question, preliminary research, and the development of a working thesis statement. Now you will begin identifying and evaluating sources to determine how effectively they can support your argument. If needed, the “Topic Ideas” web link below can be used for selecting your research topic.

For this task, you will create an annotated bibliography by finding 8-10 sources for your research paper, listing the sources in APA-formatted references, and providing an annotation for each source. Each annotation should offer a summary of the source, an evaluation of its author’s or publisher’s credibility, and an assessment of its relevance to your topic.

REQUIREMENTS

Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. An originality report is provided when you submit your task that can be used as a guide.

You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in an assessment, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the assessment. 

1.  Compose an appropriate, arguable thesis statement that previews twoto fourmain points and that you plan to use in your research paper.
2.  Create an annotated bibliography of eightto tenappropriate, credible sources that you plan to use in your research paper.

Note: You may use the attached “Annotated Bibliography Template” to complete your annotated bibliography, but use of the attached template is not required.

1.  Provide a full, APA-formatted reference citation for the 8–10 sources.
2.  Provide an annotation (suggested length of 150 words) for eachof the 8–10 sources by doing the following:
3.  Summarize the information presented in the source.
4.  Analyze the credibility of the author of the source or of the publication (e.g. journal, publisher, or website), if no author is present.
5.  Analyze the relevance of the source to your chosen research topic.
6.  Write each annotation in your own words, without the excessive use of direct quotation or extensive paraphrasing, for the 8–10 sources from part B.
7.  Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.

Note: You may use this “Annotated Bibliography Template” to complete and submit Task 1. The originality score for this task will be higher due to matches to the template. However, only non-template text will be considered when evaluating submission originality.

Annotated Bibliography Template

Name:

Student ID#:

Thesis Statement:

Annotated Bibliography: Please follow this template for each of your 8–10 annotations

(Optional)

(Optional)

Writing an Annotated Bibliography and Argumentative Research Paper

Task 2: Argumentative Research Paper

Writing a research paper gives you an opportunity to explore a topic of special interest, research that topic, and organize your research findings in writing for an academic audience.

Through your preparation work, you have established an argumentative thesis statement and have planned a clear organization of your main points. Your research is complete, and the details are integrated into your writing plan. You have pulled it all together in a draft and have revised the paper’s organization, ideas, and words.

In this task, you will write the final draft of your argumentative research paper. You may use the sources and thesis from Task 1, but it is not required. Aim for a polished, error-free submission. The writing tone for your research paper should be formal and appropriate for academic writing. The information in the paper should be based on credible source material. If needed, the “Topic Ideas” web link below can be used for selecting your paper topic.

The paper must follow APA documentation guidelines and must include an APA-formatted reference list, not your annotated bibliography from Task 1. Any sources that you cite in the paper must be included in the reference list, and any source in the reference list must also be cited within your paper. Please see “Appendix B: APA Format” from the learning resource, found in the web links section below, for additional directions on creating an APA-formatted reference list.

Note: An abstract is not required for this task, but including a title page is recommended.

REQUIREMENTS

Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. An originality report is provided when you submit your task that can be used as a guide.

You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in an assessment, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the assessment. 

1.  Write an original and cohesive argumentative research paper (suggested length of 8–10 pages).
2.  Provide an effective introduction.
3.  Provide an appropriate thesis statement that previews twoto fourmain points.
4.  Develop each of the previewed main points in effective paragraphs with support from a variety of sources.
5.  Provide an effective conclusion.
6.  Incorporate sevenacademically credible sources in your paper.

Note: More than seven sources may be used but are not required.

1.  Acknowledge sources, using APA-formatted in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

Note: Refer to Appendix B, linked below, for assistance with referencing guidelines.

1.  Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.

Writing an Annotated Bibliography and Argumentative Research Paper

CITATION