Assignment 1: Course Project Task II/Annotated Bibliography

During Module 2, you identified four journal empirical articles related to your research question. In this module, select two more articles related to your topic, totaling to six sources by this module that you would have gathered.

For the first assignment this module, select two of those six sources and using the guidelines provided on the Module 3 page 2 lecture page, create the annotated bibliographies of the two sources and submit to the Submissions Area. Each annotation must be no longer than 150-200 words.

This submission will automatically be reviewed by Turnitin software. You will receive an Originality Report for matching text sections that have been flagged by the software. Review the handouts in Shared Documents to understand how to interpret the Turnitin report accurately.

As you revise, make sure you have cited your sources accurately and also paraphrased the original material in your own words.

Once the revision is complete, submit to the Submission Area, by the due date assigned.

Name your file W7000_M3_A1_lastname_firstinitial.doc.

All written assignments and responses should follow APA style in formatting and attributing sources.

Please make sure you review the elements of the grading criteria and associated points carefully and make sure your assignment has addressed all the elements and in enough detail to merit full points.

Module 3 Overview ( 1 of 2)

Similar to the pieces in a puzzle, various building blocks move you towards developing a major literature review. In this module, you will learn about two of those building blocks: the theoretical framework and an annotated bibliography.

In Module 1, you identified your research topic and potential research questions related to some issue or problem in your profession or field, but it is difficult and not feasible to investigate all aspects of a problem. You need some kind of structure or perspective from which you can examine your problem. This is where the theoretical framework comes in. A framework provides a specific lens through which you can examine your problem, and it helps you to exclude perspectives that might compound the scope of the study. This course introduces you to this concept as it forms the basis for selecting sources in your literature review, selecting the methodology, and making sense of your findings. In addition, your theoretical framework is informed by the preliminary literature that you review, and in turn informs the direction of the literature review of your proposed study.

Your theoretical framework could be based on a single theory or a set of theories from related fields that are applicable to your topic. For instance, the use of theories on social structures could well form the basis of exploring classroom behavior. Similarly, theories of social and academic integration could form a framework for exploring students’ writing abilities, or political science theories could form a lens for studies on public administration. So, as you explore the literature, examine carefully the theoretical bases used in studies relevant to your topic.

Module 3 Overview (2 of 2)

One academic genre that helps in critically evaluating and documenting relevant literature is the annotated bibliography. With an annotated bibliography, you are exploring the literature and developing a list of possible sources that could be applicable to your research topic. However, it is more than just a reference list of citations. Each citation is followed by a single paragraph of about 150-200 words where you summarize the key points as well as discuss the relevance and quality of the sources you have selected. This compilation of summary, evaluation, and reflection is called the annotation.

An annotated bibliography requires the application of a few higher order skills: critical identification of relevant sources, discerning and presenting key points, and a concise analysis of the quality of the sources.

Therefore, to recap, these are the main steps you need to take to complete an annotated bibliography

• Cite the source using APA style.
• Summarize: What is the main thesis presented by the author? What are the main points presented in support of the thesis? Provide the key points related to the purpose of the study, methodology, participants, and results. Omit unnecessary details.
• Evaluate: Did you find this source useful, reliable, and relevant? Why or why not? How does it compare with other sources that you have selected? Are there similarities or differences in the way the topic has been presented? Is the author an expert in the field? How can you determine that? Is the presentation well balanced? Are the key arguments well supported? What kind of sources does the author use as support? Are they scholarly, reliable, and credible sources?
• Reflect: Was this source helpful to you? What aspects of the source will you be able to use in your study? Do you have a different viewpoint about your topic now after reading this source? Discuss.

Format to follow:

• Cite the source in APA Style.
• Follow the citation with a single block paragraph of not more than 150–200 words comprising your annotation (summary, evaluation, and reflection). Word limit is important so make sure you revise carefully and remove unnecessary details prior to submission.
• The whole block should be double-spaced and indented an additional two spaces.