Annotated Bibliography Overview
Gangs and Society
Fall 2015
Purpose:
The objective of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to conduct research on a
topic associated with street gangs. In order for a potential topic to qualify there must be at
least 8-10 relevant research articles published on the topic in the past 10 years in the peer
reviewed journals. The body of the document that you will produce will include a list of
citations for articles that have been written on the topic that you choose. Each of these
will be followed by a brief paragraph that provides the reader with a succinct, but critical
summary about the article and its contribution to the discipline.
Requirements:
The manuscript must be typed, double-spaced, written in 12-point Times New Roman
font and conform to the guidelines for manuscript submission outlined by the American
Sociological Association (ASA). Although the length of the paper is secondary to the
content, undergraduates will be expected to submit an 8-10 page manuscript; graduate
students will be expected to submit a manuscript in the 12-15 page range. A complete
manuscript will include the following:
1. Introduction (10 Points): In the first section you will introduce the topic that
your research examines and make an argument for why there is merit in
devoting attention to study it.
2. Article Citations and Annotations (60 Points): For each of the articles in the
review, you will need to provide two pieces of information. First, the
complete article citation in ASA Style. Second, a succinct, but critical
summary of the article and its contribution the discipline.
3. Theoretical perspective (20 Points): Which theory or combination of theories
is most useful in attempting to make sense of the salient factors influencing
the topic your review is based on? Make an argument for which theoretically
derived predictors are most closely associated with information uncovered in
the review of research articles.
4. Current State of the Literature and Predictions for Future Research (10
Points): In the final section of the paper discuss your thoughts on what is
known about the topic in the current research and future research that the
evidence from your review suggests will be forthcoming.
In Class Presentation (25 Points):
Each student will prepare and deliver a well-rehearsed and polished presentation of
between 12-15 minutes that covers each of the four sections outlined above.
Grades:
Grades will be primarily based on how comprehensively you have addresses each of the
items listed in the requirements section above. Writing, organization, and grammar will
also be evaluated. The expectation is that the submitted draft will be technically and
grammatically sound.