One of the Week 4 deliverables for this module was a Critical Bibliography. I needed to select at least 5 key texts from my research so far, providing a paragraph on each, covering their importance, relevance and significance for my work.
As I had already collated several texts related to my topic as part of my research so far, and had taken notes on the requirements, this task required me to select the correct texts and format the paragraphs correctly.
A Critical Bibliography is a recognised piece of academic writing, and as such has a specific format. My lecturer kindly provided a template to follow, and I sought some examples online to increase my understanding of how the paragraphs needed to be structured.
From here, the task was to select and craft a paragraph for the chosen texts. I found this challenging at first, but once I had completed the first two and reviewed them, I found a format that worked for me and was able to complete the remaining work.
Here is a downloadable copy of my critical bibliography:
Peter McAlernon_Critical Bibliography - Final.docx
Completing a Critical Bibliography was a new experience for me, and it introduced me to a requirement of academic writing. It did take me some time and online research to understand the requirements and how my reflections on each selected paper should be formatted. The provided template was a huge help; it meant that I didn’t forget any key items from the bibliography. I would have appreciated more guidance in class about conducting a bibliography, but given the time constraints, I understand why this was not possible. I did enjoy the process overall; it made me assess what I was reading in a different, more structured way. I have gained a new skill that will help me should I ever need to write academically in the future.