Annotated Bibliography Assignment
UGS 303 Jerusalem
Professor Jonathan Kaplan
The first part of the research exercise for this course is an annotated bibliography, which is due on Friday, September 27, in your section meeting. This assignment is worth 7.5% of your final grade. For this part of the research exercise, you will need to select and to annotate two academic/scholarly peer-reviewed articles on a topic related to Jerusalem. Please feel free to consult with either the instructor or the teaching assistant when selecting your research topic. The citations in your annotated bibliography should follow the Chicago Manual of Style notes and bibliography documentation system. A brief introduction to this citation style is available here: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html You may also use the online citation software for undergraduates, NoodleTools (http://lib.utexas.edu/noodlebib), which will walk you through entering the information needed to produce the citations. An excellent description of what constitutes an annotated bibliography may be found here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/ You will see that there are three possible components to an annotated bibliography: Summarize, Assess, Reflect. For our assignment, we will do the first two of those: Summarize, Assess. The same website has links for additional help on those two components. Your annotations for each bibliographic item should be approximately 250–300 words in length. To find relevant articles, search the libraries’ resources as you will learn to do during the library instruction session on Friday, September 13. You should also consult the Guide for our course that was prepared by our librarian, you can find the Course Guide at: http://guides.lib.utexas.edu/ugs303kaplan and you may consult the librarian directly: Elise Nacca / elisenacca@austin.utexas.edu
Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | |
Citations | Correctly formats | Incorrectly formats | Does not provide |
Article Selection: | Both articles are | At least 1 article is an | Neither article is an |
Article Selection: Relevance | The relevance of the articles to Jerusalem is evident in the annotations. | The relevance of the articles to Jerusalem is not fully explained in the annotations. | The annotation does not describe the relevance of the articles to the course topic. |
Annotations | The annotations for both articles include a summary of the article and an assessment of its quality and usefulness to understanding the chosen research topic. | The annotation for one or both articles lacks either a summary or assessment of the article’s quality and/or usefulness to understanding the chosen research topic. | The annotations for both articles do not provide an adequate summary or assessment of the article. |
Research Assignment
Introductory Paragraph, Thesis, and Outline
UGS 303 Jerusalem
Professor Jonathan Kaplan
The second part of the research exercise for this course is Introductory Paragraph, Thesis Statement, and Outline for your final paper, which is due on Friday, October 25, in your section meeting. This assignment is worth 7.5% of your final grade. For this part of the research exercise, you will need to write an introductory paragraph to your paper, which will include a thesis statement, as well as an outline of the whole paper. Your paper will build on your annotated bibliography assignment in that your paper should compare, contrast, and evaluate two scholarly, peer-reviewed articles on a topic related to Jerusalem. In preparing your assignment, make sure to remember that the final version of your paper will be 2250–2750 words long. Your paper may incorporate language from and should draw from your annotated bibliography project. For this stage of the project, focus on crafting an introductory paragraph, thesis, and outline.
An introductory paragraph should introduce the reader to the subject to be dealt with and the issues faced in discussing the subject. In the introductory paragraph you should identify the articles you will be discussing in the paper as well as the authors of the two papers (include relevant publication information in footnotes (see http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html for the footnote format).
Your introductory paragraph should culminate in making a contestable claim (aka “a thesis”) about the two articles and how they approach (“compare and contrast”) the subject under discussion in your paper. Perhaps your thesis will argue that the articles represent two methodologically different approaches to the subject? Or that the articles employ the same evidence, yet they argue for two competing and different interpretations of the subject? Or that the articles share a common interpretation of the subject, yet they approach the subject from two different perspectives? Or something else entirely. The important point is that your thesis is clear to your reader and that your thesis is contestable, i.e., you have to employ evidence to support the claims you make in the paper.
Your outline should give the reader a sense that you understand how your argument will develop. Each section of the outline should show how your argument develops and what evidence you will employ to support each claim that you make in the paper. Your outline should include clear citations of evidence from your source material. For example, if you include a salient quote from an article in your outline, you should include a citation for the source. In addition to either meeting with the instructor or the teaching assistant to discuss your paper as you develop it, students are encouraged to make use of the resources afforded by the University Writing Center: http://uwc.utexas.edu/. Rubric for Papers (from Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence, Carnegie Mellon University)
A/A- (excellent) | B+/B/B- (good) | C+/C/C- (satisfactory) | D+/D/D-/F (passing to failed) | |
Creativity and Originality | You exceed the parameters of the assignment, with original insights or a particularly engaging style | You meet all the parameters of the assignments. | You meet most of the parameters of the assignment. | You do not meet the parameters of the assignment. |
Argument | Your central argument is clear, interesting, and demonstrable (i.e., based on evidence, not opinion). The claims made in the body of your paper clearly and obviously support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect a robust and nuanced understanding of key ideas from this course. | Your central argument is clear and demonstrable. The claims made in the body of your paper support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect a solid understanding of key ideas from this course. | Your central argument is demonstrable but not entirely clear. A few of the claims made in the body of your paper do not clearly support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect some understanding of key ideas from this course. | Your central argument is unclear, or it is not demonstrable. The claims made in the body of your paper do not support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect little understanding of key ideas from this course. |
Evidence | The evidence you use is | The evidence you | Some of the | Little of the evidence |
Structure | Your ideas are presented in a logical and coherent manner throughout the paper, with strong topic sentences to guide the reader. The reader can effortlessly follow the structure of your argument. | The reader can follow the structure of your argument with very little effort. | The reader cannot always follow the structure of your argument. | The reader cannot follow the structure of your argument. |
Clarity | Your sentences are concise and well crafted, and the vocabulary is precise; the reader can effortlessly discern your meaning. | The reader can discern your meaning with very little effort. | The reader cannot always discern your meaning. | The reader cannot discern your meaning. |
Mechanics | There are no distracting spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors, and quotations are all properly cited. | There are few distracting spelling, punctuation, and/or grammatical errors, and quotations are all properly cited. | There are some distracting spelling, punctuation, and/or grammatical errors, and/or some of the quotations are not properly cited. | There are significant and distracting spelling, punctuations, or grammatical errors, and/or the quotations are improperly cited. |
Research Assignment Final Draft
UGS 303 Jerusalem
Professor Jonathan Kaplan
The final draft of the research exercise for this course is due on Friday, November 15, in your section meeting. This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade. Your paper will build on your annotated bibliography assignment and your intro paragraph/thesis statement/outline assignment.
Your final paper should compare, contrast, and evaluate two scholarly, peer-reviewed articles on a topic related to Jerusalem. In preparing your assignment, make sure to remember that the final version of your paper will be 2250–2750 words long. Your paper may incorporate language from and should draw from your annotated bibliography assignment and your intro paragraph/thesis statement/outline assignment.
A few reminders, in the introductory paragraph you should identify the articles you will be discussing in the paper as well as the authors of the two papers (include relevant publication information in footnotes (see http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html for the footnote format). Your introductory paragraph should culminate in making a contestable claim (aka “a thesis”) about the two articles and how they approach (“compare and contrast”) the subject under discussion in your paper.
I am including a paper wrapper, which should be stapled to the front of your paper and serve as your paper’s coversheet. Please make sure to review the checklist on it before turning in the paper to make sure you have done everything you are supposed to do on this assignment.
In addition to either meeting with the instructor or the teaching assistant to discuss your paper as you develop it, students are encouraged to make use of the resources afforded by the University Writing Center: http://uwc.utexas.edu/.
Rubric for Papers (from Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence, Carnegie Mellon University)
A/A- (excellent) | B+/B/B- (good) | C+/C/C- (satisfactory) | D+/D/D-/F (passing to failed) | |
Creativity and Originality | You exceed the parameters of the assignment, with original insights or a particularly engaging style | You meet all the parameters of the assignments. | You meet most of the parameters of the assignment. | You do not meet the parameters of the assignment. |
Argument | Your central argument is clear, interesting, and demonstrable (i.e., based on evidence, not opinion). The claims made in the body of your paper clearly and obviously support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect a robust and nuanced understanding of key ideas from this course. | Your central argument is clear and demonstrable. The claims made in the body of your paper support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect a solid understanding of key ideas from this course. | Your central argument is demonstrable but not entirely clear. A few of the claims made in the body of your paper do not clearly support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect some understanding of key ideas from this course. | Your central argument is unclear, or it is not demonstrable. The claims made in the body of your paper do not support your central argument. Your arguments and claims reflect little understanding of key ideas from this course. |
Evidence | The evidence you use is | The evidence you | Some of the | Little of the evidence |
Structure | Your ideas are presented in a logical and coherent manner throughout the paper, with strong topic sentences to guide the reader. The reader can effortlessly follow the structure of your argument. | The reader can follow the structure of your argument with very little effort. | The reader cannot always follow the structure of your argument. | The reader cannot follow the structure of your argument. |
Clarity | Your sentences are concise and well crafted, and the vocabulary is precise; the reader can effortlessly discern your meaning. | The reader can discern your meaning with very little effort. | The reader cannot always discern your meaning. | The reader cannot discern your meaning. |
Mechanics | There are no distracting spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors, and quotations are all properly cited. | There are few distracting spelling, punctuation, and/or grammatical errors, and quotations are all properly cited. | There are some distracting spelling, punctuation, and/or grammatical errors, and/or some of the quotations are not properly cited. | There are significant and distracting spelling, punctuations, or grammatical errors, and/or the quotations are improperly cited. |
PAPER CHECKLIST
Adapted from Ambrose, et al., How Learning Works (Jossey-Bass, 2010), 256.
Name:
Note: Please complete this checklist and staple it to each paper you submit for this course.
____ I have addressed all parts of this assignment.
____ My paper has a clearly articulated thesis that advances a contestable claim and maps for the reader the argument I make in the paper.
____ My argument would be clear and unambiguous to any reader.
____ My paragraphs are organized logically and help advance my argument.
____ I use a variety of evidence (for example: quotes, examples, facts, illustrations) to reinforce my argument(s).
____ My conclusion summarizes my argument and explores its implications; it does not simply restate the topic paragraph.
____ I have revised my paper ___ times to improve its organization, argument, sentence structure, and style.
____ I have proofread my paper carefully, not relying on my computer to do it for me.
____ The paper is stapled.
____ The paper is double-spaced.
____ The paper has one-inch margins.
____ The font is 12-pt Times New Roman.
____ My paper is at least 2250 words long and no longer than 2750 words in length.
____ My paper has page numbers.
____ I have not used anyone else’s work, ideas, or language without citing them appropriately.
____ I understand that my work on this assignment is governed by the University of Texas at Austin Honor Code.
____ A copy of this paper checklist is stapled to the front of my paper.
