Seminar in Natural Science (online) |
BGS 391 | ||
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Annotated Bibliography For this project, you will find and evaluate five sources related to your assigned Illinois ecosystem. Your paper will consist of an annotated bibliography, using MLA citation style for the entries (1 page); and an introduction (1 page max.) to the entry list. The purpose of the assignment is three-fold: it gets you researching your assigned ecosystem on your own (and, by extension, with your small group) so that you're able to delve into it deeply; it provides you with potential ideas and sources for a research project, should you choose to focus upon your ecosystem for the final assignment in 391; and it supplies the class with an extension reading list from which I'll select assigned readings for weeks 10-12. Format: 2 pages, single-spaced text, 1" margins, 12-point font size; double-space between paragraphs, as in this document. Use "hanging indent" for your list of entries. Assignment Overview The annotated entries should be science-based sources related to your assigned ecosystem. Sources may include websites (e.g., environmental organizations, government sites, scientific institutions, companies or private organizations, homepages of scientists or other environmental authorities), technical reports, scientific papers, books, in-depth magazine or newspaper articles, or specialized reference works. Please note that:
The introduction should define and briefly describe your assigned ecosystem; preview the type, scope, and quality of the sources you found; and discuss some of the key things you learned about your ecosystem from your research. Your annotations should be 4-5 sentences max, and be in your own words (no quotes, please!). First, summarize the content, scope, organization, and/or major points of the entry in 2-3 sentences; then, analyze the quality, value, relevance, significance, etc. of the entry in 1-2 sentences. Your aim is to inform a reader unfamiliar with the work about its purpose, scope, and usefulness with respect to understanding your ecosystem. Here's an example of a book annotation:
Drawing from Your Ecosystem Discussion Group The purpose of the Ecosystem Discussion Groups is two-fold: to serve as a bulletin board where your group members can post references and/or links to sources, discuss and critique them in reference to one another, and brainstorm possible research topic ideas for the final project of the semester, the Web-based Research Presentation. It's OK for you to use a source found by another member of your ecosystem group, and it's possible that people may annotate some of the same sources in their bibliographies. (That said, you should not over-rely on the findings of others -- follow your own nose!) Moreover, your bibliography must consist of sources related to your assigned ecosystem, whether or not they were posted to your Group Discussion Board. Tools and Tips for Finding Sources
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Last updated
09/27/07 |