TU 1 Huayou Tu Instructor Danielle Schleicher ENGL 112 15 February 2016 The economic impact of student loans A good education is one of the hallmarks of a thriving country, children get fundamental knowledge all through their childhood, and when they are old enough, they move on to universities and colleges where they get to specialize and prepare themselves for their careers. Over the last two decades, the economic conditions in the United States of America have tended to favor job seekers who have gone through a college education. Increasingly, the path to the American dream lay though varsities (Avery and Turner). As increasing numbers of young people are choosing to further their education post high school, the costs of attending four-year colleges have soared; it is becoming increasingly impossible to attend these institutions without the help of student loans. At the end of 2015 Americans owed 1.2 trillion dollars in student debt, this significant amount has the potential to affect the American economy in subtle ways. The increase in college education leads to a corresponding increase in student loans this negatively affects the economy (Akers and Chingos). Increasing numbers of economists and education stakeholders are alarmed at the rate in which the cumulative amount of student debt is growing in America. Most people in analyzing the situation, are prone to comparing the current generation of students with the generation of students in the 70' and 80,s, back then, it was possible to attend school and work part-time to afford education. The ability to go to college and not be saddled with debt afterwards affords one certain liberties, young people could afford to buy homes and have children (Brown, Haughwout and Scally). Most people observing current educational trends are worried that the increasing amounts student debt holds young people from participating in the activities of their parents. These activities include buying homes and building families. This generational change is evident throughout the United States of America where home ownership has fallen to the lowest amount in the last fifty years. In the student loan debate, three prominent positions are most pertinent. The first argument is that student loans leave many people saddled with debt long after they have graduated from college; many students face the bleak future of spending their whole lives paying back student loans. The second pertinent argument is that the massive amounts of debt that many students leave college with make them unable to advance their lives adequately because of the bad credit rating that their student loans give them. Young people cannot afford to take out loans to start businesses, buy vehicles, or even purchase homes. While these activities were typical for the generation of students that graduated before the 90's, they are not possible for the current generation of students (Rothstein and Rouse). The third argument in the ...

1. TU 1
Huayou Tu
Instructor Danielle Schleicher
ENGL 112
15 February 2016
The economic impact of student loans
A good education is one of the hallmarks of a thriving
country, children get fundamental knowledge all through their
childhood, and when they are old enough, they move on to
universities and colleges where they get to specialize and
prepare themselves for their careers. Over the last two decades,
the economic conditions in the United States of America have
tended to favor job seekers who have gone through a college
education. Increasingly, the path to the American dream lay
though varsities (Avery and Turner). As increasing numbers of
young people are choosing to further their education post high
school, the costs of attending four-year colleges have soared; it
is becoming increasingly impossible to attend these institutions
without the help of student loans. At the end of 2015 Americans
owed 1.2 trillion dollars in student debt, this significant amount
has the potential to affect the American economy in subtle
ways. The increase in college education leads to a
corresponding increase in student loans this negatively affects
the economy (Akers and Chingos).
Increasing numbers of economists and education
stakeholders are alarmed at the rate in which the cumulative
amount of student debt is growing in America. Most people in
analyzing the situation, are prone to comparing the current
generation of students with the generation of students in the 70'
and 80,s, back then, it was possible to attend school and work
part-time to afford education. The ability to go to college and
not be saddled with debt afterwards affords one certain

2. liberties, young people could afford to buy homes and have
children (Brown, Haughwout and Scally). Most people
observing current educational trends are worried that the
increasing amounts student debt holds young people from
participating in the activities of their parents. These activities
include buying homes and building families. This generational
change is evident throughout the United States of America
where home ownership has fallen to the lowest amount in the
last fifty years.
In the student loan debate, three prominent positions are
most pertinent. The first argument is that student loans leave
many people saddled with debt long after they have graduated
from college; many students face the bleak future of spending
their whole lives paying back student loans. The second
pertinent argument is that the massive amounts of debt that
many students leave college with make them unable to advance
their lives adequately because of the bad credit rating that their
student loans give them. Young people cannot afford to take out
loans to start businesses, buy vehicles, or even purchase homes.
While these activities were typical for the generation of
students that graduated before the 90's, they are not possible for
the current generation of students (Rothstein and Rouse). The
third argument in the student loan debate is that the vast
amounts of debt that students have hold them back from
participating adequately in the economy.
In the United States of America, the average amount of
student loan is $28000 per person. The average amount of
student loans for recent graduates is $34000, for most current
graduates this money takes a long time to repay (Shen and
Ziderman). Most young graduates are coming to the realization
that they will spend a significant portion of their adult life
paying student loans. Ever since the 2008 subprime mortgage
crisis, the salaries for entry-level jobs in the United States of
America have stagnated, one cannot reasonably expect to repay
quickly, their student loans.
Because, unlike their parent before them most young people

3. have to adjust their lives to account for a large amount of
student debt, the current generation of students and
undergraduate degree holders are expected to marry, buy cars,
and have children much later in life. A large amount of debt is
holding many people back from fully living their lives as they
always intended (Akers and Chingos). The realization that most
of the life goals that one has always aspired to are unattainable
due to student debt causes depression among many young
people, it also negatively affects the American economy, as
people do not have expendable income to spend on items.
Free cash flow marks a robust economy; people take loans to
start businesses and in the process create new jobs, the influx of
jobs provides people with income, which they store in banks
and buy items. The banks, in turn, lend out this money to
businesses thus completing the cycle. The breaking of this
economic cycle can lead to grave consequences for an economy.
The large amounts of student debt often leave many students
with no money left to save after paying for the bills and the
student loans; this is a shaky foundation on which to build one’s
future, without savings many people are dangerously exposed to
economic fluctuations (Rothstein and Rouse).
Because Americans owe such a large amount of money in
student loans, this issue has moved beyond the scope of
students. Everybody, from the government to the public sector
needs to put their efforts together in coming up with an
adequate solution to prevent the impending catastrophe.
Seventeen percent of people sharing the $1.2 trillion debt
burden are at serious risk of defaulting on their loans (Brown,
Haughwout and Scally). Just like the inability of many people to
repay lavish mortgages led to the 2008 financial crisis, the
failure of a vast number of people to pay back their massive
student loans may trigger a series of events that result in
another recession; this cannot be allowed to happen. All the
relevant stakeholders need to come up with a proper solution
that ensures students can get a quality education without taking
on massive amounts of debt.

4. Research on students and student debt has shown that
three types of students face the largest amount of student debt
and are at risk of defaulting. Graduate students form sixty-four
percent of students with debts of over $50000 and above. One
factor that contributes to the large amounts of student debt held
by the graduate students is that they can borrow an unlimited
sum of money from the federal government up to the cost of
attendance. Even though graduate students holds the largest
amounts of student debt, they are the group most likely to pay
back their student loans because they have a higher likelihood
of obtaining high paying jobs after graduation (Shen and
Ziderman).
The second most at-risk student groups are those who
graduate from for-profit colleges. It is significantly more
expensive to obtain an education in for-profit colleges. Most
people who graduate from these institutions have significantly
higher amounts of debt, over 10% of students who graduate
from for-profit institutes graduate with debt of over $50000.
The third most at-risk student group is college dropouts,
according to student debt statistics, 59% of people with little
student debt are college dropouts, with debts not exceeding
$10000. However, college dropouts are the groups of student
most likely to default on their debt; this is because it is much
harder for college dropouts to find a high paying job after
school.
Research conducted by the wall street journal uncovered
that the graduating class of 2015 graduated with the largest
amount of student debt ever. The average student graduating in
2015 owed over $35000 in debt. From 1993, there is an
increasing trend of students graduating with more debt. One
solution to the challenge presented by student debt is
government subsidies. President Barack Obama proposed a
solution whereby government subsidies paid for free college
education in government community colleges. The cost of
subsidies can come from higher taxes on corporation and the
one percent of earners in America (Brown, Haughwout, and

5. Scally).
In the student debt debate, there are dissenting opinions
that argue that the issue of student debt is not urgent, and there
is no need to worry, this is a faulty argument. We cannot afford
to shrug away the issue of student debt when 71% of students
are graduating with debt; this problem will affect America in
subtle but significant ways.
References
Akers and Chingos. Is a Student Loan Crisis on the Horizon?. .
Brown Center on Education Policy, Brookings Institution.,
2014.
Avery and Turner. "Student Loans: Do College Students Borrow
Too Much—Or Not Enough?. ." The Journal of Economic
Perspectives (2012): 165-192.
Brown, et al. "Measuring student debt and its performance."
Student loans and the dynamics of debt (2015): 37-52.
Rothstein and Rouse. "Constrained after college: Student loans
and early-career occupational choices." Journal of Public
Economics (2011): 149-163.
Shen and Ziderman. "Student loans repayment and recovery:
international comparisons. ." Journal Higher Education (2009):
315-333.

6. Sara Memmott
Social Work Librarian
EMU Library
[email protected]
Evaluating Sources
Why Evaluate Sources?When you use information sources in
your work, they should be credible and appropriate for your
needs.
The following criteria provide guidelines for systematically
evaluating sources.
Different criteria will be more or less important depending on
your situation or need.
Criteria for Evaluating SourcesCurrency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
The CRAAP test is adapted from the Meriam Library at
California State University Chico.

7. *
Currency:
Timeliness of InfoWhen was the information published or
posted?
Has the information been revised or updated?
Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
Web sites: are the links functional?
If there is a reference list, does it include up-to-date sources?
*
Currency
Relevance:
The Importance of the Info to Your NeedsDoes the information
relate to your topic or answer your question?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too
elementary or advanced for your needs)?

8. Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this
is one you will use?
*
Relevance
What audience might find this web site relevant?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/
Authority:
Who is the Source of the Info?Who is the
author/publisher/source/sponsor?
Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
If yes, what are they?
What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
Is there contact information, such as an address, publisher or
institution?
Web sites: does the URL reveal anything about the author or
source? examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net
(See http://scc.losrios.edu/~library/tutorials/c/URLs/TLDs/ for
an explanation.)
*

9. Authority
Accuracy:
How Reliable, Truthful, or Correct is this Info? Where does the
information come from?
Is the information supported by evidence?
Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Can you verify any of the information in another source or from
personal knowledge?
Does the language or tone seem biased or free of emotion?
Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
*
Accuracy
Is information supported by evidence?
Purpose:
Why does the information exist? What is the purpose of the
information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?

10. Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional,
or personal biases?
*
Purpose
What is the purpose of most .com websites?
Criteria for Evaluating SourcesCurrency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
The CRAAP test is adapted from the Meriam Library at
California State University Chico.
*
Practice Time!Go to these two web sites about
depression:www.depression.comwww.nimh.nih.gov/health/publi
cations/depression/complete-index.shtmlTake about 10 minutes
and evaluate both sites.Note your evaluations on the worksheet,
including:your answers to the CRAAP questionsthe evidence
that supports your evaluationFor this exercise, skip relevance,

11. since this criteria only applies when you have a particular use
for the resource.
*
Evaluating Sources—
Taking it on the RoadWhat did you learn that built upon what
you already know about evaluating sources?
How might you use some of these strategies to ensure that in the
future, you evaluate sources effectively?
*
Last Name 9
Sample of MLA Annotated Bibliography-this sample provides
students with an example of the Annotated Bibliography
content. It does not match MLA or APA format. Please consult
your assignment sheet.
Amir, Lisa H. “Social Theory and Infant Feeding.” Editorial.
International Breastfeeding Journal. BioMed Central Ltd, 2012.
Web. 5 Oct. 2012.

12. Lisa Amir’s article “Social Theory and Infant Feeding” details
just what it conveys, the overwhelming social opinion of breast-
feeding has a profound effect on its implementation. Amir
suggests using social scientist to employ the required effects to
change society’s opinion of breast-feeding from negative to a
positive and thus increase the rates of breast-feeding. By
exploring the studies of Lay knowledge (“or the meanings and
experiences influenced by the social circumstances in which
people live”) and the eating habits of different societies it is
determined how and why societies have different views about
what is normal accepted healthy practices. By understanding
why the stigma of breast-feeding occurs within a society, it then
can begin to change toward acceptance. Amir also portrays that
most women know breast-feeding is best but that knowledge
does not translate into action, breast-feedings is an ancient
practice that will forever be a part of our existence but moving
societies toward accepting and promoting its practice is yet to
come.
Amir’s editorial provides insight into a range of societies
breast-feeding practices and opinions; therefore I will use this
source to show how the controversy began, why it continues,
and possible signs of change.
“Breast-feeding.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
USA.gov, 2012. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/government-in-
action/hhs-blueprints-and-policy-statements/index.cfm>.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a
breast-feeding portion of their website that provides valuable
information regarding current statistics of breast-feeding as well
as the racial divide there seems to be concerning breast-feeding.
The CDC provides local and state intervention programs
regarding the support of a breast-feeding population and the

13. specifics required to close the racial gap concerning this issue.
When one clear choice can be made to affect the overall health
of an entire population, it would be unintelligent to employ its
effects; therefore the CDC is taking strides to improve breast-
feeding rates and subsequently lower the rate of many illnesses
and disease in this country. This website also includes when a
mother should not breast-feed as to ensure the best possible
health of her child, such as chemotherapy treatments, drug use,
HIV positive mothers and mothers with tuberculosis; the CDC is
concerned with promoting good health throughout the country
and while breast-feeding is best in most cases, there are a select
few that are better to use formula.
I will use this website to argue that encouraging the women who
are classified as healthy to breast-feed is a proved bonus to our
society and we must cross racial barriers to reach all mothers,
thus providing our society with stronger generations to come.
Gartner, Lawrence M. “Ethical Issues in Breast-Feeding
Support.” Lactation Matters. International Lactation Consultant
Association, 2012. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://lactationmatters.org/2011/09/08/ethical-issues-in-
breastfeeding-support/>.
The Lactation Matters website provides a detailed lecture from
Dr. Lawrence Gartner entitled “Ethical Issues in Breast-Feeding
Support.” This work is geared toward the medical professionals
whom may allow companies to financially sway medical
facilities or professionals to support their brand or product
when it is known otherwise. Dr. Gartner continues on into the
ethical realm of what these slides in decision making really
employ, in the case of breast-feeding we (society) should be
working toward healthier goals and as medical professionals
only the best advice for mother and child should be given and
supported. Given coercion doesn’t come into play and the

14. mother makes the ultimate decision; Dr. Gartner deters from the
scenario of mentioning the fantastic elements of breast-feeding
and then sending the patient home with an array of free items
from the formula companies; formula companies that possibly
gave a large grant in your favor. The ethical practices of the
medical world play a huge role in the success of breast-feeding;
Dr. Gartner efforts graciously called the delicate issue of ethical
support of breast-feeding to the forefront.
I will use the discussion of Dr. Gartner to communicate the
importance of acceptance, support, and promotion of breast-
feeding beginning with the medical profession and continuing
through to the government level, the ethical bounds are the
same.
Olson, Elizabeth. “Massachusetts: Court Rules for Breast-
Feeding Test-Taker.” The New York Times [New York] 2012:
n. pag. Web. 5 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com>.
Elizabeth Olson reports in a news brief the decision of the
Massachusetts Supreme Court that breast-feeding mothers
should be afforded special accommodations when taking state
medical licensing exams. This ruling brought before the
Supreme Court by a Harvard Medical School student when she
was denied access during a state issued exam to retreat a private
room to express her milk. After the verdict was ruled in her
favor the courts decided “lactation is a sex-linked distinction
that is legally protected.”

15. I will use this short news brief to employ the argument for the
need of passing legislation to protect women’s breast-feeding
rights; this ruling could be another tipping point of forging
more breast-feeding friendly legislation.
Petit, William A., Jr., and Christine Adamec. “Breast-Feeding
and Diabetes.” The Encyclopedia of Diabetes. 2nd ed. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. N. pag. facts on File. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.fofweb.com.bloomington.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allst
ate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE$*&SID=5
&iPin= ENDB0041&SingleRecord=True>.
In this work “Breast-feeding and Diabetes” by William Petit Jr.
and Christine Adamec, the benefits of breast-feeding for both
mother and child are clearly expressed through the medical
element of diabetes. Diabetes a disease plaguing our society of
adults and children alike, the studies show that breast-feeding
has a direct impact on the development of diabetes in breast-fed
children as well as medical benefits for the diabetic breast-
feeding mother. While a diabetic mother begins her delicate
balance of motherhood upon conception, breast-feeding hasn’t
always been encouraged for diabetic mothers because of the
delicate nature of the disease; however, now it is proved
diabetic mothers too will benefit and safe feeding procedures
are passed along to keep the mother’s glucose levels in range
before, during, and after feedings. The discovery of breast-milk
effects on diabetes is a big beginning step to rid societies of the
disease.
I will use Petit and Adamec’s work to argue the massive impact
on society breast-feeding can have, when improving the health
of the society as a whole the legislators should take notice of an
easy cost effective way to lower health care cost by simply
making breast-feeding a priority.

16. Pickert, Kate. “The Man Who Remade Motherhood.” Time
2012: 32-39. Print.
Kate Pickert has brought the topic of attachment parenting to
the forefront with her Time magazine cover title “Are You Mom
Enough”, showcasing her article “The Man Who Remade
Motherhood”a profile of Dr. Sears. Pickert reports the affects
of Dr.Sears popularization of attachment parenting style and the
controversy behind the movement. The article explains the
progression of a certain feminist appeal where women can
return to be the attentive mothers infants require; all the while
critics argue this attachment parenting guidelines is aimed at
returning women to the home and out of the workplace. While
few actually dispute the results of attachment parenting its
biggest controversy comes into play in the actual
implementation of the method, a method which leaves most
mothers feeling inadequate and allows no room for outside the
home engagements. While the dubbed “extreme” attachment
mothers do in fact carry out this practice, most mothers are
required to work outside the home and must settle for a lighter
approach. Breastfeeding is one of the main concepts of Dr.
Sears attachment parenting guidelines, not just the receiving of
breast-milk but receiving of the milk from the breast;
additionally this practice is continued into the toddler stage and
beyond. Pickert continues on to develop Dr. Sears reasoning
while deciphering through years of his research and
development of the topic, this allows for the long-term effects
of breastfeeding (from the breast) to be highlighted and while a
controversial method the medical evidence of receiving breast-
milk is rarely disputed.
This article by Pickert will allow me to effectively weigh the
many elements in the controversy of breastfeeding, with this
current spark of debate raging on we must understand while
attachment parenting is an extreme form of parenting; the
realization that true feminism rights must allow for women to

17. be mothers and CEOs alike, the door to the home for a mother is
constantly revolving.
Turkington, Carol, and Karen Krag. “Breast-Feeding and
Cancer.” The Encyclopedia of Breast Cancer. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N.
pag. Facts on File. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.fofweb.com.bloomington.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allst
ate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE48&SID=5
&iPin= EBC0098&SingleRecord=True>.
Breast-feeding and Cancer written by Carol Turkington and
Karen Krag exposes us to the medical statistics that women who
breast-feed lower their risk for breast cancer. While the studies
for age of breast feeding and pre-menopausal versus post-
menopausal are still developing, the direct results of breast-
feeding reducing the breast cancer risk is considerable.
Turkington and Krag include the comparison of high developed
countries and developing countries, and that within developing
countries mothers are forced out of means to breast-feed and
breast-feed for a longer period of time as a result the occurrence
of breast cancer is considerably lower than that of women in
highly developed countries. This work continues to describe
breast-feeding recommendations as well as the length of breast
feeding, studies show women that breast feed longer (combining
times the breast-feeding of multiple children) for periods of 6
years or more drastically reduce their risk of breast cancer.
This work of Turkington and Krag will allow me to argue the
positive effects of breast-feeding not only from the baby’s
health perspective, but now also the mother’s health
perspective.
Wang, Shirley S. “A New Tactic to Encourage Mothers to
Breast-feed.” Wall Street Journal [New York] 1 May 2011: D1.
ProQuest LLC. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
<http://search.proquest.com.bloomington.libproxy.ivytech.edu.a

18. llstate.libproxyaccountid=41070>.
In the Wall Street Journal article, Shirley Wang reports
breastfeeding rates are well below the public health goals of the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Therefore, hospitals
are being encouraged to change their practices to better
introduce mother and baby to solid breastfeeding habits,
beginning immediately after birth. Now hospitals are
understanding the importance of skin to skin bonding
immediately after birth between baby and mother, with the first
breast feeding occurring within a half hour of birth; a few
simple changes in delivery room procedure allows for this
crucial time to be spent between mother and baby before the
weighing and clean up begins. These seemingly small efforts
can ultimately decide the success or failure of continued
breastfeeding efforts. Wang continues to describe breast-
feeding habits that are developed early on in the hospital during
the first moments of life allow for more positive results
medically and socially, this form of nutrition requires much
more open information and discussion to become the common
practice of the majority of mothers.
I will use this article to develop the idea of society shifting its
opinion of breast-feeding due to informative beginning at the
hospital; if breast-feeding becomes the new normal the stigma
associated with it will decline.
“Womens Health Breast-Feeding.” Womens Health.gov. Ed.
Office of Womens Health. US Department of Health and Human
Services, n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/government-in-
action/hhs-blueprints-and-policy-statements/index.cfm>.
The government website for women’s health has an extensive
amount of information concerning breastfeeding issues. This

19. website contains information on workplace breast-feeding
programs as well as the massive importance of encouraging and
supporting breast-feeding our children for the betterment of
society. Additionally this site provides the Surgeon General’s
call to action regarding breast-feeding which lists the details of
the “Affordable Care Act” signed on March 23, 2010 which is a
part of the Fair Labor Standards act; this act states that any
employer must allow any nursing employee to take a break to
express breast-milk and also provide a private area (other than
the bathroom) for the employee to perform the act. The overall
content of this source, while government funded, is relatively
neutral in providing factual information surrounding the issues
of breast-feeding from tips and tricks to the extent of handling
breast-feeding in public or society as a whole. Again the
question of breast-feedings health advantages are not the issue,
on this most can agree however, the introduction of society’s
opinion make this issue an ever growing current topic.
I will use this website as a primary or secondary source to
solidify an argument for breast-feeding with additional
information from this credible source.

22. Annotated Bibliography #1Before beginning your Annotated
Bibliography #1 assignment, you must choose a topic for the
upcoming Classical Argument paper. In addition, the issue
selected for this assignment will be used for each of the
following assignments:· Annotated Bibliography #1· Annotated
Bibliography #2· Classical Argument Essay· Toulmin Argument
Essay· Rogerian Argument Essay
The following is a list of topics that students cannot use in this
class:

23. Abortion
Capital Punishment
Censorship
Cell phone use while driving
Child Abuse
Eating disorders
Euthanasia
Evolution
Gun Control
Legalizing Marijuana
Smoking
Stem Cell Research
One of the best places to start looking for a topic is the Ivy
Tech Community College library. You can access the library by
logging into Blackboard and clicking the LIBRARY tab at the
top of the page. On the next page, choose your home campus
location. Then, on the next page, click SEARCH & FIND, then
click ARTICLES. Scroll down until you see OPPOSING
VIEWPOINTS IN CONTEXT (part of GALE databases), and
click the link. In the menu bar, look on the right side for
BROWSE ISSUES. Scroll through the list to locate a topic of
interest. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS is a great database filled
with articles on issues from multiple viewpoints. The database
can generate ideas and provide excellent material to argue
various positions. The Annotated Bibliography is an excellent
opportunity to explore various ideas and positions on the issue
in preparation for research. Selecting sources is a good first
step in research, but annotating the sources forces researchers to
read critically instead of just collecting information from a
source. Writing an annotated bibliography will help you learn
more about your topic. To write about the “heart of the
argument” in a given source, you have to fully understand the
argument presented. Writing an annotated bibliography will
also help you identify your thesis or claim for your later

24. argument papers. Evaluating multiple sources helps you gain
perspective about the issue and understand fully what the
argument is and who argues for or against the issue. Annotated
bibliographies are useful to other researchers. Select articles
and references carefully and be cautious when deciding what
articles and websites are appropriate for the issue. In an
argument, you must show both sides of the issue and therefore,
you will need sources to show how multiple sides views the
issue. Topic: Locate a minimum of five sources for your
annotated bibliography about the issue selected. Issues ideas
can be found in the news, in the community, on the job, in the
classroom, and so forth. Keep in mind that these sources may
or may not be the sources you ultimately use for your papers.
Make sure the sources have been selected from a variety of
source types (printed articles not available online, articles from
the Web [be cautious about using these as ANYONE can put
ANYTHING online and call it fact (do not use Wikipedia or
encyclopedias], websites, books, magazines, academic journals
[excellent source – check the PEER REVIEWED search criteria
for Virtual Library databases to limit the search to Professional
and Academic journals]), and so forth. At least three different
source types should be used (i.e. newspaper, journal, magazine,
organization, book, and so forth).
After deciding on the five sources read and analyze them and
take extensive notes. For long articles or books, use skimming
techniques to extract the important sections. Use the table of
contents, chapter headings, and the index or bibliography in the
book (or article) to help narrow the focus. Read carefully the
parts that are relevant to the position and that clearly show the
problem or a solution to the issue.
Arrange the sources alphabetically, using MLA or APA style as
specified by your instructor, and then write a five-to-ten
sentence blurb (short description) summarizing each source.
Identify the author's claim in the short summary. Indicate in a
sentence how the source might be used in the up-coming

25. argument paper. The following are examples using MLA and
APA.
MLA sample:
Pitts, Leonard. "Parents' Influence is Limited." The Dallas
Morning News 2 Feb. 2002: 27A. Print.
In this editorial, Pitts first claims that people are too quick to
blame a child's parents if the child does something wrong. In
fact, he says, parents might even enjoy pointing the finger at
other parents who have a child in trouble. However, Pitts tells
us, once he had his own children, he became more humble and
realized that no matter how "good" parents are children still do
things that are "bad" and against the "rules" that guided how
they were raised. This leads him to an example: a song by
Margin Gaye, suggesting that parents should stop trying to mold
children "like their own piece of clay." Finally, Pitts argues
that parents should keep offering wisdom, guidance, and love,
but stop thinking that they are the ultimate influence on their
children's lives.
I will use Pitts’ article to support my position that when a child
does something bad, the blame is too easily placed on the
parents.
Note how the researcher named the author, Pitts, throughout the
summary. Be specific and name the author. If the entry begins
with an article title, name the article title in the summary.
Development: The Annotated Bibliography should contain the
following items. Organize your sources alphabetically and
provide complete bibliographical data following MLA or APA
style of documentation rules as specified by your instructor.1.
Write, in your own words, a summary of your source. What is
the author’s position and how is it supported? You may include

26. a few short quotes, but for the most part, this should be a
summary. Name the author in your summary. 2. Write an
evaluation of the validity and appropriateness of the text to your
project. Does the text support/contradict/complicate your
attitude toward your subject? Relate it to other texts, raise
questions, and so on. Format: Format and document the
Annotated Bibliography using MLA or APA style as specified
by your instructor. Organize the data for each source following
MLA or APA rules for documentation. This Annotated
Bibliography is part 1 of 2.