Using one of the possible topics listed below (see, Topics), you will prepare an annotated bibliography.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

· A bibliography is a list of books, articles, and documents. (CCJS bibliographies must be written in the American Psychological Association (APA) format

· The annotation is a brief (usually about 150 words) paragraph that provides some descriptive and evaluative information about each book, article, etc. (See the four  elements that are requied in your annotation narrative under item 5. below.)

1. Your Annotated Bibliography must contain four (4) outside (not instructional material for this course) sources, at least two of which must come from the UMUC Library data base.

2. Locate books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. You may conduct your research with the assistance of a UMUC librarian, reviewing your own personal materials on the topic, using the Internet, visiting an actual library, etc. and review the available items. Then, choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

a. Note: You can connect to Library Services by using the Library link under Resources in the Classroom Task bar; or,

b. Link directly to the UMUC Library Guide to Criminal Justice Resources link in Content

3. Type the reference “citation” information for the book, article, or document using the American Psychological Association (APA) formatting standards. (There are links to APA format standards under Library Services.)

4. Each reference is to be followed by the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Creating an annotated bibliography calls for a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

5. Write a concise annotation (150 words) for each reference that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book, article, or document.  This must include one or more sentences that,

a) evaluates the authority or background of the author (Why should we be impressed with what they wrote?);

b) comments on the intended audience;

c) compares or contrasts the work with at lease one other article in your biography; and

d) explains how this work helped you better understand your bibliography topic.

NOTE: Annotations vs. Abstracts : Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author’s point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority. Abstracts will not be accepted for this project.

Topics

Select ONE of the following topics for all four (4) of your resources.

       (Note: Other topics may be submitted to your instructor for prior approval.)

• Arrest on Probable Cause
• Pre-trial Release (Bail, Release on Recognizance, etc.)
• The role of the Criminal Grand Jury
• The Exclusionary Rule
• Plea Bargaining
• The role of the Prosecutor
• The role of the Defense Attorney
• The American Jury Trial
• The “CSI” effect
• “Dueling” Expert Witnesses
• The Victim’s Rights