Preparing this bibliography doesn't require you to make careful judgments about the sources listed in it, but only to ascertain that they are potentially useful to you. From this bibliography you'll begin reading and annotating sources, and during that process, you'll evaluate what you've found and decide whether to draw on it in your research report and your researched argument.
Assignment: Compile a preliminary bibliography for your research project.
The bibliography should include at least 25 plausible sources for your research. Of those, at least one must be an entry in a specialized reference source (almanac, dictionary, encyclopedia, yearbook), and at least 10 must be peer-reviewed scholarly sources. The majority of these should be in academic journals (rather than in books). Format your entries according to MLA guidelines, and arrange them in alphabetical order by author (or by title, when no author is listed). A model bibliography is on p. 234 of your handbook. When creating hanging indents, remember to use automatic formatting; in Microsoft Word, it's Format-Paragraph-Special-Hanging.
Feel free to email or IM me while you're working on this or any assignment. I try to answer IM messages immediately and email eithin 24 hours.
As class members ask questions, I'll post answers at the Feb. 15 entry on the homework calendar. Before you IM, call, or email with a question, you might find it useful to check this Q&A to see if the answer is already there.
Length: At least 25 entries.
Manuscript preparation: Follow the specifications here.
Due date: The final draft is due in electronic submission by February 17. Be sure to follow the manuscript guidelines; look at items 17 and 18 for how to prepare the file for email attachment so that I can read it.
Grading: As I grade this assignment, my primary concerns will be whether you have provided at least 25 plausible sources and whether you have followed the directions above. I don't expect precise MLA citation style, but I do expect entries that are a recognizable attempt at MLA. Editing matters; so does the manuscript presentation. If you do the assignment as requested and hand it in on time, you'll get a "C." If you do it well, you'll get a "B." If you do it exceptionally well, you'll get an "A." This assignment counts as 10% of your final course grade.
