This guide is to assist students in Professor Vera Thomas's ENGL 1302 class in researching for and preparing their annotated bibliography.
"Annotated Bibliography (minimum of 5 entries, including your selected class reading, 200 words each). Most, if not all, of your sources should be accessed using San Jacinto library databases.
"An annotated bibliography is like an expanded Works Cited (Modern Language Association, or MLA) page where your reader sees not only the formal citation but an annotation containing a summary and explanation of each source. You’ll list your sources alphabetically according to MLA as you would in a Works Cited page. Each formal citation will be followed by three brief paragraphs containing 1) a summary, 2) an indication of the credibility, authority, or bias of the source, and 3) a statement of how the source might fit into an argument.
"Note: Your sources will reflect how your research develops. Resist the impulse to select only those sources that support any opinions or judgments you may already have about your topic. Reserve judgment and see where the research leads you. There is no expectation that the sources you choose will be “balanced,” that is, so many “for” or “against” an issue, or that they have to clearly support one side or the other, but rather they should reflect a broad range of perspectives on the issue."
(From the assignment directions, Spring 2024)
Library databases are collections of information that is sorted and organized, and they often include pre-generated citations you can copy and paste into your annotated bibliography (or other assignment.) Different databases are best for different topics and research questions. The document that lists your class readings also lists potential topics that could lead to research questions. Below are some suggested databases.
All of the journals on JSTOR are academic, peer-reviewed journals. Some individual items, like book reviews or editor's notes, are not peer-reviewed, but most of the articles are.
On the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences database, be sure to use the checkboxes on the right of the screen to see Full Text and Peer Reviewed items.
This resource provides access to full-text articles covering a wide array of topics including literature, history, economics, life science and the arts. HELP SHEET | VIDEO TUTORIAL **PLEASE NOTE: The entire JSTOR collection is currently being provided to us free of charge. After 6/30/2023 San Jac libraries will only have the following sections: Arts & Science I-IV, VII and Life Sciences.
Updated daily, this database provides nearly 575 full-text publications, including 550 peer-reviewed titles. Topics include emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. VIDEO TUTORIAL
If Chat is offline, you can email questions to reference.librarian@sjcd.edu
https://www.sanjac.edu/library| Central Library: 281-476-1850 | Generation Park Campus: 281-998-6350 x8133 | North Library: 281-459-7116 | South Library: 281-998-6350 ext. 3306