ENGL 500: Stock Your Toolbox Assignment

There are two parts to this assignment.

  1. Make a list of tools.
  2. Add a brief annotation describing the value of the tool.

The List

List at least X tools you will use to find primary and secondary sources in your chosen area. (If you haven’t settled on an area, pick one for the purposes of this assignment. It makes sense to focus on something you are studying in another course this term.) They can be digital or print. [X is the number of tools, and may change from year to year, depending on the overall workload of the course.]

At least one must help you find primary sources.

At least one must help you find secondary sources.

There’s no limit to the number of items you can include on your list. It’s mainly for your benefit! If the tools are digital, bookmark them in your browser and collect the bookmarks into a folder (i.e., your “toolbox”).

The Annotation

For X of the tools, write a brief annotation (no more than 50 words). What does the tool help you find? What is the scope of the tool and what does it contain?

To assess digital tools, answer the questions in the first section of this prompt. To describe what a database, catalogue, finding aid, index, bibliography, or other tool does, use my list of verbs.