CULT 320: Migrant Labor in the Gulf States, with a Special Focus on Women

CULT 320 Annotated Bibliography Instructions
(NOTE—These instructions will be supplemented as you work on this)
Your major project in this class will take the form of an annotated bibliography. The bibliography will be 15 pages (title page does not count!) based on at least 10 sources, 7 of which have to be scholarly (see descriptions of sources below). Your final draft will be submitted as a paginated Word document. 
Choosing a Topic
First you have to identify a suitable topic within the general area you have been assigned to. I have to approve your topic. 
The topic you choose has to meet the following criteria: 
• It has to be global. That means it has to address a global issue, not just focus on a different country or on people of different origins. Example 1: looking at conditions of a group of migrant laborers in an American city is fine, but you have to link them to global patterns of labor and migration. Example 2: examining popular music is fine, but you have to choose something that either has global influences, or see how it is marketed to a global audience, or examine how it has spread globally in some other fashion (e.g. viral video).
• It has to have an identifiable scholarly literature. This is one of the most important aspects of the project and I have provided a description of what constitutes a scholarly source on pages 2-4. At least 7 of your sources have to be scholarly pieces of around 10 pages or more and the rest have to be what I term “substantive” sources (see below) of significant length—the average newspaper article would not be long enough
• It has to be doable. Studying human trafficking is too broad. Studying one particular instance of human trafficking is too narrow. Studying a network of human trafficking or a set of policy issues addressing the issue of human trafficking is more likely to be doable. Studying environmental dangers to rainforests or global warming is too broad. Studying particular current initiatives to curb global warming is more likely to be doable.
Your Annotated Bibliography will consist of 
1) A narrative opening section where you introduce the topic, it’s significance, key questions you are researching and introduce the bibliography.
2) The annotated bibliography. 
3) A concluding narrative section where you evaluate what you have learned from your research and consider probable/possible findings and areas for future work.
THE PROCESS
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
First, locate and record citations to scholarly materials that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. 
Then choose those works that provide a good base of information and a variety of perspectives on your topic.
Your bibliographic annotation will consist of
1) Citation for the article using the appropriate style. 
2) A sentence providing information about the publication.
3) A couple of sentences assessing the qualifications of the author(s). 
4) A concise account (aim for 150-250 words) that
• Summarizes the central theme and scope of the article; the summary should address content as well as methodology and evidence 
• Locates this work in relation to others you are citing
• If possible/relevant, comment on the intended audience
SOURCES
This project requires you to use scholarly sources and what I term “substantive” sources. Note that whatever your sources you always need to consider who is writing, for what purpose and with what audience(s) in mind.
What are scholarly sources? How are they different from other sources?
Scholarly sources are journals and academic books. An important aspect of scholarly work is that it has been reviewed by peers—other experts in the subject (almost always anonymous) have evaluated the work before it has been accepted for publication. Usually the process of review requires that the author(s) revise before final publication. 
Academic books are written by scholars, based on research, contain annotations and information about sources and are published by university or major reputable presses.
Scholarly journals are written by and for faculty, researchers or scholars and use the language of the discipline. They include full citations for sources. They are published by specialized presses—examples of major presses are Wiley, Elsevier, university presses….
“Substantive” Sources can be significant articles from reputable news outlets or organizations—The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam… These sources are usually not subjected to the same sort of pre-publication review, but they reflect research, are written by experts or at least people with some degree of specialization. Be aware that these publications are often (but not always!) likely to be published to promote a general point of view—newspapers and other publications are likely to generally subscribe to particular editorial views while NGOs, governmental and international organizations may also have specific policies they are endorsing. Opinion pieces, editorials and calls to action may be important for your purposes, but for factual and background information you need to supplement such pieces with additional, more scholarly information. 
For your annotated bibliography you will need to locate peer-reviewed articles from scholarly journals. Chapters from books are also acceptable, so long as the books you use are published by a university press (e.g. Duke University Press, Harvard University Press, etc.). 
The table below presents useful general guidelines that will help you identify what is scholarly and what is not considered scholarly (taken from the GMU library site).
Criteria 
Popular 
Scholarly 
Trade 
Purpose (Intent) 
To inform, entertain, or persuade about current events or popular opinion and to make money 
To inform, report, or make available original research, promote scholarly communication, or advance knowledge 
To provide news, trends, or practical information or examine problems or concerns in a particular field, trade, or industry 
Audience 
General public 
Scholars, researchers, and students of specific discipline or field 
Practitioners of a particular field, trade, or industry 
Creator 
Professional writers, journalists, freelance writers or creators that deal with a variety of topics regularly 
Scholars or researchers with extensive credentials and experience in the specific discipline or field and usually associated with a university or other organization 
Professionals or freelance writers or creators with experience in a particular field, trade, or industry 
Language (Tone) 
Entertaining, non‐ technical language 
Specialized terminology or jargon from the specific discipline or field 
Specialized terminology or jargon in the field or industry 
Reference 
Sources rarely cited 
Sources always cited 
Sources occasionally, but not usually cited 
Accountability 
Content not evaluated by experts in the field; often published or produced by commercial organizations 
Usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a subject expert or board of subject experts (peer review); published or produced by a scholarly organization or society (university, association, commercial enterprise, etc.) 
Content may be evaluated by experts in the field; often published or produced by a trade association 
Your sources should be 10 or more pages long—if this presents a problem you have to discuss that with me. 
I recommend that you locate these as early in the semester as possible. Remember that you will need time to read (and re-read as the case may be) each source: you will be expected to clearly articulate the main arguments, evidence, and methods in each step of the project that involves scholarly sources.  
Searching, Key Terms and Boolean Commands
Before searching the databases, make a list of key terms related to your object. The bigger this list is, the better. Generally speaking, you’ll want to use 2-3 key terms per search. Be aware that you cannot search academic databases in the same way that you might do a Google search. To yield the most accurate results, key terms should be put in quotations and separated by Boolean commands (e.g. and, or, not).