Research Guide: IDST 1301

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Research Guide

This guide will take you through the research process step by step. Whether you are having trouble finding what you need in the library, wondering what your professor means by "Scholarly Resources", or just want to make your academic research and writing easier, get it done with the guide!

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The Annotated Bibliography Assignment will give you the opportunity to flex your research muscles. Though each professor will adapt the topic and requirements of the assignment to best serve the learning outcomes and activities within your particular IDST 1301 seminar course, all students will create a list of citations from a variety of resources and use the following criteria to form annotations for each resource.

• Currency—Is this source up-to-date for the topic? 
• Relevance—Is this source relevant to your topic?  ​
• Accuracy—Is this information accurate?  Do other sources support the conclusions?
• Authority—Who is the author?  What is his/her background and/or credentials?  Is the author qualified to write this document? Does the author show any bias or make any assumptions upon which the rationale of the source rests?
• Purpose—What is the author’s purpose in writing this article or doing this research?  Is the purpose stated or implied?  What is the author’s thesis and how does it relate to your intended thesis?  What conclusions does the author draw?
• Audience information—To what audience is the author writing (scholars, teachers, general public, etc.)  Is this reflected in the author’s style of writing and presentation?
• Information source—What methods did the author use to obtain the data?  Is the article based on personal opinion, experience, interviews, library research, questionnaires, laboratory experiments, empirical observation, etc.?
• Relationship to other sources—How does this source compare with others that you cited?  Does it conflict with conventional wisdom, established scholarship, government policy, etc.?  ​

Most Annotated Bibliography assignments require at least one "primary source" to be included along with more familiar resources like books and articles. Primary source materials are first-hand, raw, unfiltered and uninterpreted items that document history, often created around the time an event occurred. More information on primary sources can be found in our History guide HERE.

These online collections and digital libraries contain thousands of primary resources such as photographs, letters, documents, film, and newspapers:

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) - This database points to primary and historical resource collections all over the United States and is one of the largest digital library projects in the world, leveraging the efforts of libraries, museums, and universities across the nation to create one comprehensive and searchable resource for American history. 

Library of Congress Digital Collections - Primary resources from the United States' national library collections, including the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspaper project. 

Smithsonian Libraries - Selected images, art, and ephemera from over 20 Smithsonian libraries and museums. 

The Portal to Texas History - Similar to DPLA, this projects brings together historical collections from all over Texas, images and other primary resources from Schreiner University Archives are included in this resource. 

UK Gazette Archive - Digital issues of the London, Edinburgh, and Belfast Gazettes going back to 1665. 

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography a guide from Cornell University Library

Annotated Bibliographies helpful tips from the OWL at Purdue 

What's an Annotated Bibliography? YouTube short video introducing the parts of this assignment

About

Reacting to the Past (RTTP) consists of elaborate games, set in the past, in which students are assigned roles informed by classic texts in the history of ideas. Class sessions are run entirely by students; instructors advise and guide students and grade their oral and written work. It seeks to draw students into the past, promote engagement with big ideas, and improve intellectual and academic skills.

Tips for Researching Your RTTP Character

• Use the "Search All..." search box to get the most online resources in your results
• Search names in "Last, First" format
• Search names as a Subject instead of Keyword
• Use the publication date limiter on the left side of your search results for contemporary  character resources
• Ask a Librarian if you are having trouble getting started

The above definition was published in 2000. The ACRL published an updated definition in 2015:

Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.

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