Discuss your understanding of the aims, purposes and structure of an annotated bibliography. Use the following resources to help you compare differing thoughts on an annotated bibliography; https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/annotated/home https://libguides.lmu.edu/c.php?g=323184&p=2165607 Merkle, B. G. (2022). Writing Science: Leveraging the Annotated Bibliography as a Writing Tool. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 103(1), 1-5. doi:10.1002/bes2.1936
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Understanding the Aims, Purposes, and Structure of an Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a crucial aspect of academic research, serving multiple purposes that contribute significantly to the quality and depth of a study. This essay aims to discuss the aims, purposes, and structure of an annotated bibliography by drawing insights from various reputable sources including the James Cook University Library Guide and Loyola Marymount University Library Guide. Additionally, the perspectives shared by Merkle (2022) in his article “Writing Science: Leveraging the Annotated Bibliography as a Writing Tool” will be incorporated to provide a comprehensive understanding.
Aims and Purposes of an Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography serves several key aims in the realm of academic research. Firstly, it provides a concise summary and evaluation of each source cited in a research project, giving readers a quick overview of the relevance and quality of the sources. According to the James Cook University Library Guide, annotations can include a summary of the content, its relevance to the research topic, and an assessment of its credibility and reliability.
Moreover, an annotated bibliography helps researchers critically assess the literature available on a specific topic. It allows scholars to identify gaps in existing research, potential biases, or conflicting viewpoints among different sources. By analyzing and synthesizing information from various perspectives, researchers can develop a more nuanced understanding of their subject matter.
Structure of an Annotated Bibliography
The structure of an annotated bibliography typically consists of two main components: the citation of the source following a specific referencing style (e.g., APA, MLA) and the annotation itself. As outlined in the Loyola Marymount University Library Guide, annotations are usually brief, ranging from a few sentences to a paragraph in length. They should succinctly summarize the key points of the source, evaluate its reliability and credibility, and discuss its relevance to the research topic.
Merkle (2022) emphasizes the importance of leveraging the annotated bibliography as a writing tool. He suggests that annotations can serve as a roadmap for organizing thoughts and ideas during the research process. By engaging with the sources through annotations, researchers can clarify their own arguments, identify connections between different sources, and refine their research questions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an annotated bibliography plays a vital role in academic research by helping researchers assess, analyze, and synthesize existing literature on a given topic. By summarizing, evaluating, and reflecting on various sources, scholars can enhance the quality and depth of their research projects. The structure of an annotated bibliography, consisting of citations and annotations, provides a framework for organizing and critically engaging with sources. As highlighted by Merkle (2022), the annotated bibliography is not just a list of references but a valuable writing tool that can guide researchers through the complexities of scholarly inquiry.
Through an understanding of the aims, purposes, and structure of an annotated bibliography, researchers can effectively navigate the vast landscape of academic literature and contribute meaningfully to their respective fields of study.
