Social Dynamics & Communication Skills

Annotated References

Communications 112: Professional Writing I

Assignment #4:        Annotated References

Worth:                        20% of final grade

Length:                      approx. 4-6 pages

Format:                      memo; single-spaced; 12 point font; see below

Draft Review:           Tuesday, March 24

Due Date:                  Thursday, March 26

This assignment requires you to do research on a topic chosen from one of the two articles summarized in Assignment #1 or #2.  You will then use this research in the Final Essay assignment. When you get to writing the Final Essay, your research will be complete.

To even start this assignment, you must choose a topic.  We will discuss how to choose topics in class, and I will gladly meet with you individually to discuss finding a topic.

The Annotated References is an assignment where each student seeks sources on a topic, puts them into a References list, and adds a summary of what the source discusses.  Whereas a Reference page contains a list of sources, the Annotated Reference lists the sources and provides a brief summary of the source.  In addition to the summary paragraph, you also must write an evaluation paragraph, where you evaluate the source to be valid for post-secondary (university) research.

1. You will start by choosing one of the articles you have summarized for either Assignment #1 or #2. You will choose a topic from one of those articles.
2. You will then find three (3) more sources, which discuss your chosen topic, for a total of four (4) sources.
3. For all four sources (including #1 or #2 article) you will provide:
4. APA reference of source, as found on a References page
5. Paragraph 1: Summary of the source
6. Paragraph 2: Evaluation of the credibility of the source

• Paragraph 1 is a summary of the source. Make sure you relay the central argument of the source in your summary. If you’re using a single aspect of the source (a sub-point), you should direct the reader’s attention by emphasizing that sub-point. Ensure that you provide enough explanation that your reader will understand what the source says about the topic.
• Paragraph 2 will evaluate the source as being valid for the audience and situation. That is, for a post-secondary reader and post-secondary context.

This research will be used in the Final Essay. For the Essay, you’ll use these four sources, or more if you wish. As such, all of your research will have been completed by the time you start to think about writing the Essay.

Please note that you have already written a summary of one of the four sources (summary #1 or #2). For this assignment, you will have to revise that summary to make it shorter.  That is, you will summarize your summary.

Lastly, you must use a range of sources.  If you must use a website (that is valid for university!), limit yourself to only one website.  Typically, articles are more developed and have information is more valid. I suggest trade magazines first as they are more accessible (Forbes, Inc., The Economist, Harvard Business Review…), and academic journals.  Remember, the sources have to be valid for your audience.

Here is an example of one annotated reference, written by a former CMNS 112 student.

Schlag, C.  (2015).   The NLRB’s social media guidelines a lose-lose: Why the NLRB’s           stance on social media fails to fully address employer’s concerns and dilutes    employee protections. Labor & Employment Law Forum.  5(1), 89-118.

This article discusses the legalities concerning employer and employee rights as far as monitoring or using a company’s social media profile. In the US, the National Labor Relations Board’s failure to create concise guidelines regarding social media use in the work place is the topic of the article. It is very difficult for an employer to formulate a policy that doesn’t conflict with the Acting General Council (AGC) of the NLRB, and only 4 of 20 company policies looked at by the council were found to be lawful (Schlag, 2013). Under current Federal laws nothing is stated that disallows employers from making employment related decisions based on an employee’s social media presence unless it’s deemed discrimination. Although they are working on improving the guidelines, they don’t currently balance employer and employee interests and many employees feel they aren’t properly protected with regards to their privacy rights (Schlag, 2013).  This is a noteworthy topic in discussing whether or not the Fortune 500 companies are adapting their social media policies to match the growing usage of online tools in business.

“The NLRB’S social media guidelines a lose-lose” is published by American University, Washington College of Law/Labor & Employment Law Forum, and contains recent data/information related to the research topic. Labor and Employment Law Forum is a peer reviewed academic journal dealing with matters of law, ethics, and labor relations. It is an independent publication run by the American University.