Miscellaneous Homework 6: Bibliography

Summary: In this exercise, you will create a bibliography of potential sources for your research topic.

Purposes: (1) To provide you with sources you can use to develop your research topic in more depth. (2) To give you experience using a research librarian and other library resources. (3) To remind you of the relative import of different kinds of sources.

Due: 8:15 a.m., Thursday, 22 September 2005

Background: In order to write an interesting and compelling essay (and lead a productive discussion) on your chosen topic, you will need to identify sources that can help you think about the topic and that can support the conclusions you reach. Finding sources clearly requires multiple steps. Most scholars find that its best to begin by making a bibliography of potentially useful sources. You don't find the sources themselves at this point; you simply list them. Once you've identified a large list of potential sources, you decide which you want to explore in more depth (and which you can actually get), find them, peruse them, and make a further selection. The process is also somewhat cyclic. As you read sources, you will also find more potentially useful sources.

Assignment: Create a bibliography of at least twenty-four potentially useful sources for studying your selected topic. You need not obtain all of these sources at this point, but you will find it useful to obtain some of them.

• At least three of your sources should be articles from the popular press.
• At least three of your sources should be rulings for cases that pertain to your topic.
• At least three of your sources should be articles from law journals.
• At least three of your sources should be opinion essays posted to the Web.
• At least three of your sources should be some other kind of source.

Please list your potential sources in APA format.

Where to Start

I'd strongly recommend that you make an appointment with a research librarian for help. I'd prefer that the librarian be Ms. Bonath. When you make the appointment, you should let the librarian know your topic. You should also let him or her know the details of this assignment, which is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/~rebelsky/Tutorial/2005F/Homework/misc.05.html.

You may also want to use the various techniques we discussed in class. You can also meet with me to discuss possible sources (although I will admit that I am much worse at identifying these kinds of sources than the librarians are).