Annotated Bibliography & Essay Outline:
The AB & EO are scaffolded assignments, meaning that they are designed to help you to prepare for the Research Essay and enable me to give you feedback before your final submission. You will be provided a template for both the AB & EO (see below) which you will copy into a separate document, fill out, and submit.
Please Note: The EO is meant to reflect your tentative plans – you are not required to follow the exact plan that you have outlined once it comes time to drafting your essay. Similarly, if you find a new source in the process of your research and wish to replace the source(s) you have listed in your AB, you are welcome to do so (in this case, please be sure to verify that it is an appropriate Scholarly Source).
[1] ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY INSTRUCTIONS
Find 1-2 Scholarly Sources and fill out the Template below. For each source, your AB entry will include:
A full citation, formatted according to MLA standards
A completed Scholarly Source checklist (below) verifying your source is appropriate for the assignment.
A 2-3 sentence Summary, in which you summarize the key details of the source (ex. topic, argument, scope, etc.) with emphasis on those details that are relevant to your essay.
A 1-2 sentence Evaluation, in which you explain why/how the source will be useful for your essay (i.e., how it clarifies a certain concept, includes useful analysis about your selected text, etc.)
[2] ESSAY OUTLINE (EO) INSTRUCTIONS:
After completing your initial research & thinking on the subject, fill out the template below. You are welcome to adjust the template as you see fit (for ex., you can create more rows in the table if you have more than 3 body paragraphs, though it is not advisable to have less than 3). At the very least, you are required to include:
Intro Paragraph:
Brief (1-2 sentence) summary of your primary text (Fadiman, Clare, or Ishiguro), including details like: author, title, plot/subject, style, genre, etc.
Brief explanation of “Western Biomedicine” (can be in your own words, or quoted/paraphrased from a secondary source)
A Working Thesis Statement, which articulates how (that is, the unique way) that your author/text addresses/explores to Western biomedicine’s limitations and/or consequences (i.e., From whose perspective? Using what kind of evidence? To advance what overall argument? For what goal/purpose/aim?)
Body Paragraphs:
Topics/Topic Sentences for each paragraph (what the paragraph will be about)
A few bullet points of key details and/or evidence from the texts that you will include in this paragraph in order to explain the Topic & support your Thesis
Conclusion Paragraph:
The format of your Conclusion is up to you, but if you’re stuck, some details you might consider:
Brief Summary of your Essay, connecting the dots between each Paragraph/Topic & your Thesis to see if you have adequately supported your argument (i.e. “In this essay, I have drawn on evidence from […] to support the argument that […], etc.)
The “So What?” Question – what is the broader significance of your analysis, or what connections can you draw beyond the texts/the course?
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[3] RESEARCH ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS:
After submitting your AB & EO (March 17), you can move on to the third and final stage of the assignment, which is drafting your Research Essay.
Formatting: Your essay should be formatted in 12pt Times New Roman font, double-spaced. Your writing should be in full sentences with paragraphs to distinguish between distinct topics/ideas.
Citations: Citations must be formatted according to MLA standards. You must include in-text citations, as well as an entry in your Works Cited list, for any sources you reference (paraphrase and direct quote).
You may find this guide useful:https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/
mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
ESSAY PROMPT:
Select one (1) text from the list of Eligible Primary Texts below and write a short essay (3-5 pages) advancing a thesis about how the text addresses/explores the limitations and/or consequences of Western biomedicine’s “pursuit of the biological mechanism of disease” (Kleinman 9) and, in turn, “cure.”
Please Note: In your essay, you must make reference to either Kleinman’s Illness Narratives or Brody’s Stories of Sickness, as well as find 1-2 Scholarly Secondary Sources of your own, which you will use in support of your analysis.
Eligible Primary Texts (Select One):
Anne Fadiman, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Eli Clare, Brilliant Imperfection (if you choose this text, you are welcome to consider additional chapters to those already assigned for class)
Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
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Assignment Submission Guidelines:
Click on the “Assignment Instructions & Submission Links” tab in the Course Menu
Open the folder “Annotated Bibliography & Essay Outline (10%)” or “Research Essay (20%)” to arrive at their respective Submission pages.
There, click on “Browse Local Files” beside “Attach Files” to upload the file from your computer.
When you are ready, scroll to the bottom and click “Submit.”
Late Policy and Extensions: Please review the Course Addendum for details on the late policy and extensions.
AB & EO TEMPLATES:
[1] ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY TEMPLATE
Source 1:
Full Citation in MLA Style
Scholarly Source Checklist
The Source is 5 pages or longer;
The Source contains substantial research, in-text citations or footnotes, and a Works Cited list at the end;
The Source appears in an academic publication (usually these have words like “journal,” “studies,” “review,” or “quarterly,” and/or have a university name or academic society in the title);
The author has a college or university affiliation;
The publication description mentions that it is “peer reviewed”
Source to avoid: Book reviews (usually 1-2 pages), Author interviews, magazines, newspapers, Web pages (especially without an author name or date of publication)
2-3 Sentence Summary
1-2 Sentence Evaluation
Source 2:
Full Citation in MLA Style
Scholarly Source Checklist
The Source is 5 pages or longer;
The Source contains substantial research, in-text citations or footnotes, and a Works Cited list at the end;
The Source appears in an academic publication (usually these have words like “journal,” “studies,” “review,” or “quarterly,” and/or have a university name or academic society in the title);
The author has a college or university affiliation;
The publication description mentions that it is “peer reviewed”
Source to avoid: Book reviews (usually 1-2 pages), Author interviews, magazines, newspapers, Web pages (especially without an author name or date of publication)
2-3 Sentence Summary
1-2 Sentence Evaluation
[2] ESSAY OUTLINE TEMPLATE
Intro
Brief (1-2 sentence) summary of your Primary text:
Brief explanation of Western Biomedicine:
Working Thesis Statement:
Paragraph 1
Paragraph Topic:
Supporting Points/Evidence from Primary & Secondary Sources:
Paragraph 2
Paragraph Topic:
Supporting Points/Evidence from Primary & Secondary Sources:
Paragraph 3
Paragraph Topic:
Supporting Points/Evidence from Primary & Secondary Sources:
Conclusion