Samford University
UCCA102 Kirby
Spring 2014
Topics and instructions for unit 1, Annotated Bibliography and
Synthesis essay
(NOTICE that the topic you are choosing applies to the first two units,
the Annotated Bibliography/Synthesis essay and unit 2, the
Position paper and speech)
Problem
scenario:
The
Southern Association of Religious Colleges and Universities (SARCU, a
fictional organization) is sponsoring an undergraduate research forum
on your topic of interest. College professors and administrators
from the related fields (for example, environmental ethics encompasses
natural sciences, religion, philosophy, and law) will be organizing the
conference and rating the papers that will be submitted. The
interdisciplinary nature of this forum ties in so well with Samford's
approach to a broad based education in the liberal arts that many of
Samford's administrators and trustees are asking faculty to require
their students to submit papers. In this assignment you will do
the background research for your Position Paper and Speech (Position =
arguing for or against an idea, course of action, etc.); it is
ultimately the Position Paper/Speech that targets the SARCU audience.
When considering a topic, look for ways to explore your major or
possible major
and to connect
your argument to the
university's Christian mission or your personal religious belief.
Take the opportunity to think about these issues, and remember that
without them you won't be addressing your audience.
Topic areas:
Explore the Opposing Viewpoints
database or other sources to choose three or four appropriate topics.
Requirements for Annotated
Bibliography and Synthesis essay (10%).
Prepare an annotated
bibliography of five scholarly sources relating to
your topic. Each annotation must meet the criteria for an
"evaluative" annotation as described on p. 166 in Guide to Writing--i.e., it contains
commentary from you about your response to the
quality of the source and how you might use this information and these
ideas in your paper. Do not include a "critical preface" in
your bibliography (the synthesis essay is a form of this); also, this
bibliography is for your use, so there is
no rhetorical situation in the sense mentioned above (I will of course
be grading it, so practice clarity and correctness). After
finding, summarizing, and evaluating five sources with annotations of
about 75
words, write an essay on your subject that synthesizes
ideas from two or three
representative sources. This essay, described on pages 301 and
319-322 in Guide to Writing,
should have an
introduction, appropriate paragraph transitions and flow of ideas, and
conclusion; it should give some idea of both the content and scope of
the public discussion of your topic. The body paragraphs must
show the relationship between the sources; do not simply plug in the
annotations. Since your ultimate goal is to take a
position on some issue related to your topic, your review might consist
of one source with a strong argument for the position, one against it,
and a compromise position or position that suggests this issue is not
really important enough to be so controversial. The essay should
be 1000-1200 words in length, or three to four typed, double-spaced
pages. Combine essay and
bibliography into one file named with your SU e-mail name and SYN
(mine would be rkkirbySYN.docx) and e-mail it to me when due.
As you research your topic, look primarily for
1) print and on-line books, 2) articles in academic databases, 3)
very recent in-depth news reporting and commentary from academic
databases or web
searches, and 4)
scholarly
or organizational web sites, in that order of priority.
News articles should
be over 1000 words and should cite several authoritative sources; these
articles are the only ones that can come from ".com" sources.
Content from organizational web pages (.org, .edu, and .gov) must also
have development of ideas and must cite several sources. Even
then you must be aware of
what sort of bias you may be facing.
Instructions for research log.
When you sit down to do some research, keep a record of where you are
(SU classroom or library, UAB library or public library, dorm room
etc.), what research tool you are
using (library catalog, subscription database like Academic Search Premier, or web),
your search category and terms (keyword "climate," subject "global
warming" etc.), number of hits, and your results (an abbreviated but
adequate way of identifying the book, article, or other). The log
may be handwritten or typed, whichever is best for you. This
should only take you a few minutes each time you sit down to do your
research.
(NOTE: bring Guide to Writing
and Little, Brown Handbook (LBH)
to
class every day throughout the semester)
Jan 28 Course intro.; speeches of introduction; topics for
course
assignments; research logs
Jan 30 In-class research and topic selection--bring
laptops; scan Ch. 1-3 in Guide to
Writing before coming to class; in class,
review principles
of rhetoric and argumentation, writing strategies, etc.
Feb 4 Library orientation (librarian comes to our
classroom) - bring laptops; in class,
documentation and annotation (summarization,
paraphrase, brief quotation)
Feb 6 Draft of Annotated Bibliography (three evaluative
annotations) due in class; status
reports on
research; scan Ch. 12 on the synthesis essay before coming to class
Feb 11 Research logs due; in-class, looking
ahead to Position Paper and Speech; bring Communication Arts: A Student's Guide. as
well as Guide to Writing and LBH
Feb 13 Draft of Annotated Bibliography and Synthesis Essay due
in class; peer editing, in-class conferences; further work on
documentation
Feb 18 Annotated
Bibliography and Synthesis essay due via e-mail; print out and
bring to class the "Position paper and speech" assignment from my web
site