The Assignment
Please spend the next couple of weeks conducting research in support of your proposed paper topic and thesis. Consider a range of possible sources—scholarly articles and books, criticism published in newspapers and magazines, and interviews with artists. Start with those that seem most relevant to your topic and interests. As you find these sources and begin reading and/or skimming them, please create and then continue adding to an annotated bibliography. Librarians and I are available to help you identify appropriate sources.
What is an annotated bibliography? https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/index.html
For the purposes of this assignment, please write annotations that briefly summarize the source and identify its relevance to your project. Feel free to write casually but in complete sentences. Do not use AI to summarize any of your sources. Otherwise, you will not receive credit for your submission. Summarizing the text in your own words is an integral part of this assignment.
The Details
Minimum number of sources: 6 total (books, websites, e-books, e-journal articles, e-reference sources, etc.) annotated sources. You are certainly welcome to include additional entries that are not yet annotated in order to keep track of other sources you intend to review.
You will use the BEAM method to collect a range of sources in your annotated bibliography. Within your 6 sources you need to cover:
Background: include 1–2 sources to provide general information to explain the topic. For example, use an encyclopedia entry or textbook that outlines a relevant theme or topic.
Exhibit: include 2–3 sources of evidence or examples to analyze. For this paper, use the halftime show you are analyzing as one (in your annotation include some basic facts about the performance year, length, stars, format, etc.). For the other source(s), you might also identify a relevant interview or music video.
Argument: include 2–3 sources to engage their arguments. At least one of these texts needs to be a scholarly source engaging in an academic conversation (see below). It does not have to directly address your halftime show. For the other source, you can choose a published critical review (not a simple overview) or an additional scholarly source.
Method: include 1–2 sources that reference methods or theories that you will use in your paper. This should be a scholarly source. For this paper, you might use a source that references, for example, popular culture analysis or feminist theory.
Other Considerations:
Scholarly sources: For this paper, at least two of the above sources need to be scholarly—at least one of your argument sources and your method source. You are very welcome to include more scholarly sources. Scholarly sources include texts published in peer-reviewed journals and by academic presses. A good rule of thumb: if your source does not name a specific author(s) and include its own bibliography or list of references, it is not a scholarly source. Your text might include those elements but not be a scholarly source. Ask the professor or a librarian for help if you are unsure.
Format: You are welcome to draw on digital sources in your research and to access print materials through digital means. However, at least two of your sources should exist in print format. This might be an academic journal article or book that you access in print or online, or a critical review originally published in a print magazine or newspaper. Because different types of texts get published online and in print, this requirement helps you to gather a breadth of sources to support your research.
