To help you prepare for Assignment 3, the literary analysis incorporating research, I am asking you to complete a brief annotated bibliography. Choose one of the texts from our reading list as the basis for your work for the next few weeks. Then conduct research on your chosen text. You might focus on biographical information about the author, literary criticism on his or her work, and/OR historical/cultural information related to the literary work. Review the types of literary criticism for more ideas on how to frame your research.

In your research:  Find three (or more) brief sources (minimum of three-five pages each) or one longer work (minimum of 15 pages) on your topic.

Assignment: To write your annotated bibliography, briefly summarize and evaluate each source (about one or two paragraphs for short sources and five or more paragraphs for a longer source). Your summary should include the author’s main ideas and supporting points, and your evaluation should assess the usefulness of this source for your research.

Include complete bibliographic information for each source, using MLA format. If necessary, please review this format using a good style manual, such as Diana Hacker’s book A Writer’s Reference.

Your bibliography will be shared with your classmates. Please send me your choice of text. Post your annotated bibliography to your research group and to me.

Use the library or internet to search for sources. The Gavilan library homepage gives you access to the library’s book catalog as well as online research sources, such as ProQuest. The Gavilan library has a reference section with several specialized volumes on literary criticism. The library also offers a helpful website on Academic Research Guidelines. To help with your research, you can find more information on Native American literature or Zora Neale Hurston by linking here to the resources on the Gavilan Library website. Both pages also have links to a website on Online Literary Criticism, for general research on literature and authors. You can see sample bibliographies on the library's bibliography webpage. Check Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) for more ideas on writing about literature.

Note: You will need a Gavilan library card to check out books or access online databases. You can apply for a card in person at the library or online.

For academic research, DO NOT use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia or commercial book publishers. Any address ending in ".com" is considered a commercial site and unsuitable for academic purposes. For more about how to evaluate academic sources see the library's Academic Research Guidelines. Bibliographies containing unreliable sources will not be accepted.

Read your sources critically, looking for main ideas and highlights. Take notes.

Please contact me if you have any questions or need assistance with research. The Gavilan reference librarians are also more than happy to help. They can be reached by visiting the library or by calling (408) 848-4806. You may also see a writing assistant in the campus Writing Center.