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Overview: Students will write an annotated bibliography on ONE artist or ONE work or art that we
have addressed in the class. Students will select three inter-related articles or book chapters to write
their annotated bibliographies on. All sources must be peer-reviewed. Students will then write a total
of 4 pages (double-spaced): 3 x one-page annotated bibliography entries AND a one-page
response to the chosen sources.
Step 1: Choose a topic. This must be on an artist or a single work or art that we have addressed in
the class.
Step 2: Research
Find as many scholarly sources as you can about this work of art. You should have a minimum of
three substantive sources. Sources include scholarly books, book chapters, essays in edited volumes,
and articles in scholarly journals. If you find a book of essays specifically on your topic, you may use
one or two essays from the book as separate sources. Try to choose sources that bring a variety of
perspectives and different approaches to the study of your topic. You can also use relevant primary
sources. Do not use textbooks, book reviews, novels or fictional accounts, overly general ‘coffee
table’-type books, or websites.
Tip: Consult the most recent sources first and look at the author’s bibliography to find
more sources on the topic.
Step 3: Reading and Analysis
Read the sources that you’ve found. Ask who the author is—what are the author’s credentials and
area of specialization? This information isn’t always in the book but can usually be found by doing a
quick Google search. If you can’t find this info, then include a note saying so.
Then ask: What is the author’s approach / methodology? What is the author’s main argument?
Be attentive to the types of primary sources the author uses as evidence to back up this argument. A
primary source can be an artwork, or writings by artists, patrons, viewers, biographers, critics,
writers, etc. of the time period. It could also be archival sources like letters, wills, inventories or other
types of documents. Have a look at the footnotes for specific references.
What types of secondary sources (the writings of other scholars) does the author draw on? How does
the author use these sources and how does s/he depart from them? How does the author define her/his
contribution in relation to these secondary sources?
Tip: Pay special attention to introductions and conclusions as this is often where the
author highlights the contribution and summarizes the main argument.
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Step 4: Writing the annotations
Write a response of your analysis of each source (about 1 page, double spaced for each one). Arrange
the sources in chronological order. At the top of the page, include a full citation of the source in
proper bibliography style. Use The MLA Manual of Style to format the citations. A key component of
the assignment is proper citation of bibliographic sources, so be sure to follow the manual quite
carefully: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_introduction.html
Each annotation should include a full bibliographic reference followed by these 4 points:
1. The author’s thesis, i.e., “This paper argues that…”
2. Response of the author’s main evidence
3. How this article contributes the broader discourse on Indigenous art/decolonial theory, i.e.,
“This article builds on the work of…” / “This article challenges previous…”
4. Criticism or questions raised by the reading
Do not just list these points but demonstrate that you understand how the author is building the
argument and what the contribution is.
Step 5: Response
Write a brief response (max. 1 page, double spaced) that connects the different approaches to your
work of art. Ask yourself how the readings relate to one another and what this says about the state of
the discourse that you have entered. Do they agree or disagree? Do they rely on some of the same
sources? What kind of evidence do they rely on? What aspects of the painting or its authorship do
they focus on? This paragraph should help the reader understand why you selected the three articles
to begin with and how they contribute to our current understanding of the painting and its artist.