INFO 6800 Archives (Winter 2013) – Annotated Bibliography Assignment | 1

INFO 6800 Archives – Annotated Bibliography

Due Date: April 1, 2013 Assignment Weight: 20% Assignment Goals:

To relate course readings to course learning objectives

To become familiar with information sources for archival research

To develop skills analyzing and interpreting literature on archives

Relevant Course Learning Objectives:

To develop an understanding of the core archival functions and how they are

practiced in contemporary Canadian archives

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and other resources.

Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph: the annotation.

The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and

quality of the source. Citations are provided and annotations are written in paragraph

form underneath the citation.

Annotations differ from abstracts because they are descriptive and critical; they

summarize the main points and features of the work and provide an evaluation of the

usefulness, quality, relationship to other works, etc.

Assignment Description:

Choose two archival functions from the following list:

o Acquisitions

o Archival appraisal

o Arrangement

o Archival description

INFO 6800 Archives (Winter 2013) – Annotated Bibliography Assignment | 2

o Preservation

o Access

o Outreach

o Management

o Digital curation

Conduct a literature review on each function. Consult the library catalogue,

online article databases, appropriate websites, etc.

o Check the Information Management Subject Guide for guidance on finding

relevant literature: http://dal.ca.libguides.com/InformationManagement

Choose four sources for each function. At least two must be articles published in

a peer-reviewed journal article

o Use the Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory to determine if a journal is peer-

reviewed:

http://util.library.dal.ca/dmsearch/click.php?product=Ulrich%27s%20period

icals%20directory&pid=16926&site=http://ezproxy.library.dal.ca/login?url=

http://www.ulrichsweb.com

Read the work and determine the key points raised by the author

Write a 200-300 word critical annotation of the work

Each annotation should:

o Give a brief summary of the main points and features of the work

o Evaluate the usefulness of the work

o Offer some analysis of the key points raised by the author(s)

Citations should be provided in APA or Chicago

When preparing your annotations, consider the following:

o The authority, background, and education of the author(s)

o The intended audience (e.g, public, practitioners, students, etc.) and skill

level or education level

o Similarities and differences between the work and other works you have

cited

o Quality and clarity of writing

o How this work explains your selected function

INFO 6800 Archives (Winter 2013) – Annotated Bibliography Assignment | 3

You are strongly encouraged to review writing and style guides on formatting citations

and writing annotated bibliographies. See the course website for suggested sources.

Handing in Your Work:

Submit your annotated bibliography using the blackboard assignment submission tool.

Assessment:

The annotated bibliography will be graded according to four criteria: expression,

comprehension, structure, and overall presentation. I will provide a breakdown of your

mark out of a possible 20 points.

Expression (5 points)

Your annotations will be assessed for grammar, punctuation, diction, spelling, clarity,

and your ability to provide concise and critical summaries of each source.

Comprehension (5 points)

Evidence of your understanding of the major concepts in each source will be assessed.

This will include your ability to provide an informed summary of the theoretical and

practical aspects of each source and your ability to analyze and interpret key points

raised by the authors.

Structure (5 points)

The structure of your annotated bibliography will be assessed in terms of its adherence

to the instructions. The structure of your annotations will be assessed in terms of the

flow and organization of your ideas. This will include sentence and paragraph structure.

The citations will be assessed in terms of their adherence to the chosen style guide.

Overall Presentation (5 points)

This component assesses the overall quality of your annotated bibliography and

aspects of your annotated bibliography otherwise unaccounted for, including font and

formatting choices, layout, and attention to detail.

INFO 6800 Archives (Winter 2013) – Annotated Bibliography Assignment | 4

Marks:

Marks will be provided in letter grades that conform to the School of Information

Management’s Grading System:

http://sim.management.dal.ca/Courses/Grading_System.php.

Please feel free to consult me if you have any questions about the grading of your work.