Skip to Main Content

LIB127: Research Project

This course is designed to give students the tools necessary to search, find, evaluate, cite, create, and publish responsible, ethical scholarship. Covers information literacy and how it applies to all aspects of their lives (profession, personal, ente

For this project you will write a research question and create an annotated bibliography of 10 sources that together provide information to answer your research question. For each source in your annotated bibliography, you will include the citation, an evaluation, and what you learned from it. You will also include a summary of what you found in these sources and explain your answer to your research question based upon what you learned. This summary will be at the beginning of the project, followed by 10 source citations and annotations. This project helps you build upon the skills that you are learning in this class each week and it helps you meet Course Outcomes 1-4. 

You will submit your final project during during Finals Week which is worth 150 points. However, in Modules 4, 6, 8, & 9 you will submit your Research Project Sources. You will add two new sources each time you turn this in - you will also make any necessary corrections to your previous sources. All 10 of your sources, 8 of which you turn in over the course of the term, are worth 20 points. In total, your Research Project is worth 150 points. 

In Module 2, you will begin to work on your Research Project. First, you will turn in your Research Project Topic (Module 2; 15 points), and the following week (Module 3; 15 points) you will turn in your Research Question. Then, in Modules 4, 6, 8, & 9 you will turn in two new sources for your research project. In addition to turning in new sources each time you are expected to MAKE CORRECTIONS TO YOUR PREVIOUS SUBMISSIONS. As you are turning in at least two sources every other week you will be nearly done with your Research Project by the end of Module 9. During Finals week you should just need to add your remaining two sources and write your summary. These sources will add up to a total of 20 points, and the overall research project is worth 150 points. 

You CAN change your research question throughout the term. This is normal. As you learn more about your topic throughout the term, it is normal that you would want to change your question.

You CAN change the sources from what you submit for your bi-weekly Research Project Draft to what you submit for your Research Project.  This is also normal that you would find better (more relevant and credible) sources as you continue researching over time.

You must upload your completed Research Project AND your final NoodleTools export.

Final Project Templates

Please use the below template for your final project. Keep in mind that you will also have to submit an exported copy of your citations from NoodleTools.

Your project should look like the template here, and pictured below. It should contain a table of contents, just as the example does. If you don't know how to do this, check out the tutorial linked below.

final project template image final project template image final project template image

Your Final Research Project must have a minimum of 10 different sources.

You are expected to have at least:

  • 1 Reference source 
  • 1 Book 
  • 1 Academic article
  • 1 News or magazine article
  • 1 Website

The other 5 source types can be that of your choosing, but they must be quality sources.

For each and every source you are required to have an accurate APA or MLA style citation and a coordinating annotation that answers the questions put forth in the Evaluation of sources section. 

  1. What is this?
    • What type of source are you looking at? Why was the source placed/published where it is? What type of document is it? Is it an article that has been published in a scholarly journal, or is it perhaps a term paper for an undergraduate student? If it is on a news website, what sort of bias does that site have? Need help determining this? Check out one of the media bias links under the "Suggested Resources" list at the bottom of this page.

    • Instead of looking at the source and wondering what information you can get out of it, ask questions such as “How is this text argued? How is the evidence (the facts, examples, etc.) used and interpreted? How does the text reach its conclusions?"
       

  2. What is my initial response to this article/website/source?
    • When researching we often have an initial feeling about an article or source. You haven't investigated the source fully, but you feel like something is not right about it, or, you feel like it is a strong source that will help support your research. Most times you can trust your gut on things, however, be sure that you're not simply suffering from a dose of confirmation bias. To do this, investigate the source further. If it's a website, what do the ads make you think? What type of site is it (.gov, .edu, etc...)? Is that a good domain, why or why not? Is it fact or opinion? If it's an opinion piece, is the opinion backed by facts? Are the sources referenced cited in some fashion (links, names, complete citations, etc...)? Can the information presented be verified through other sources? Do your findings back up your initial gut reaction? If so, how?
       
  3. Who is responsible for this article/website/source?
    • Most sources will have an author, editor, or group attached to them, are these authors, editors, or groups experts in their field(s)? If it is an individual, do they have the academic background to write on that subject? (i.e. For health information, did a doctor or nurse write it? For science information, did a scientist or researcher write it?) Who published the information? Was it a news outlet, an organization? A scholarly journal? What type of reputation do they have? Who are their constituents? You can typically find a great deal of information about publishers on the "About Us" page of their website. 
       
  4. When was this article/website/source written or published?
    • Depending on the topic that you are writing about, this question may not matter. If you are writing about literary criticism, then a source published in 1954 would be acceptable. If you are writing about social media usage amongst teenagers then you wouldn't want to use data published ten years ago, as that is a current and timely topic. 

You are required to use NoodleTools to create and maintain your citations and annotations. 

You can use either APA or MLA style citations and annotations. You MUST be consistent throughout the term with your citation style. 

For more on citation styles see:

Annotated Bibliographies

An annotated bibliography is the same as a “regular” bibliography (also known as a Works Cited or References list), with the addition of annotations (short paragraphs about each source). Two types of annotated bibliographies are the most common:

  • Descriptive: annotations describe the content of a source
  • Evaluative: annotations describe AND critically evaluate the source

What is an annotation? 

A short paragraph (50-200 words) that describes and/or evaluates each citation (source of information listed in your bibliography). An evaluative annotation judges, in your opinion, the relevance, quality, and accuracy of each citation, in addition to describing the work. Annotations usually consist of the answers to a number of questions. 

 

Do I have to read the entire book/article?

Not necessarily! Look for information in:

  • introductions/conclusions
  • abstracts
  • book reviews
  • websites
  • table of contents
  • first and last paragraphs
  • Annotations are typically 100-200 words. In this case, less is more. 
  • Abstracts are summaries of the entirety of a resource, annotations are shorter and are meant to convey the most important pieces of the larger resource they are describing. 
  • It can often be easier to annotate your sources after you have incorporated them into your papers, as you will theoretically have a better understanding of their content at this time.
  • Unless otherwise instructed by your professor, your annotated bibliography should be on its own page with the header being "Annotated Bibliography." Be sure to follow typical APA or MLA formatting for size (12-point) and font (Times New Roman).

While you are researching your topic you will compile a list of sources. Once you have your sources, create complete citations for them. After you have read through your sources think about these questions, as they relate to your research:

Questions to Answer: Examples:
What is the material? Book, chapter, scholarly article, web page
What is the work about? Topics and subjects covered
What is the purpose of the work? Introduction, update, research report
 Who is the intended audience? Scholars, general public
Who is/are the author(s)? What are their qualifications? Academic qualifications, research background
 Authority of the source? Peer-reviewed journal, reputable publisher
Are there any clear biases? Personal/corporate agenda, unbalanced discussion
What are the deficiencies or limitations of the work? Dubious research methods; information that is clearly missing
 What are the strengths of the work? Thorough discussion, extensive research, major work in field

Unless otherwise advised, make sure your Annotated Bibliography is in alphabetical order. Start each annotation with a correct citation in the required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

The specific requirements for annotated bibliographies are usually set by your instructor. However, here are some suggested guidelines for both APA & MLA formatting:

  1. References in an annotated bibliography should be in alphabetical order, the same as you would order entries in a reference list/works cited list.
  2. Each annotation should be a new paragraph below its reference entry.
  3. The annotation should be indented 0.5 in. from the left margin.
  4. Do not indent the first line of the annotation. If the annotation spans multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of subsequent paragraphs.

For more information on annotated bibliographies, check out the resources linked below. As always, if you need more help, please ask a librarian.

. Umpqua Community College Library, 1140 Umpqua College Rd., Roseburg, OR 97470, 541-440-4640
Except where otherwise noted, content in these research guides is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.