Other assignment types

The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to provide an expanded reference list of important sources for a particular topic. Annotated bibliographies are longer than conventional bibliographies, in that each bibliographic entry is followed by a summary and critique of the source.

Annotations can be done in a number of different ways, but all annotations have the following in common:

• The full citation, in accordance to style guidelines chosen for the course;
• An original summary (or annotation) of the article. A summary is not the same as an abstract!
• A sentence or two that provides a discussion of the article’s methodology, utility and/or merits.

Annotations are seldom longer than 100 words, and may be as short as 50 words, not including the citation itself. Annotations can be placed under the citation, or directly following. Your instructor should indicate which they prefer. (If you’re not sure, just ask!)

Example A (Chicago-Scientific):

Garshelis, D., Gibeau, M., and S. Herrero. 2005. Grizzly bear demographics in and around Banff National Park. Journal of Wildlife Management 69 (1): 277-297. Garshelis et al examine demographic change among grizzly bears in Banff National Park, where human-induced pressures from inside and outside of the park have impacted reproduction and population growth rates. The authors radio-collared 69 grizzlies, tracking bear movements, type and rate of mortality, number of offspring, and overall survival rates. Garshelis et al report declining grizzly reproduction, but stable survival rates, both of which require “an attentive management program” (294) in hopes of preventing mortality due to human causation.

Example B (Chicago-Humanities):

Low, Setha. On the Plaza: The politics of public space and culture. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2000. Using participant-observation, mapping, literature, interviews, and historical investigation, Low provides an investigation into the use of public space in San Jose, Costa Rica. Low considers how the meanings of public spaces can be contested over time, particularly in Latin America, where colonial and indigenous histories often overlap. Her treatment is a valuable contribution to the discussion of how the design of public spaces influences use, and how (sub-)cultures appropriate public spaces for celebratory, commercial, counter-cultural, and illegal purposes.

---

Field notes are important for geography research as they form the permanent record of observations made on field trips or when conducting research activities.

Many geography courses involve field trips that require the students to record information discussed in the field and to make their own observations and then produce a field report based on those records.

The key to a successful field report is good field notes. Some suggested guidelines for keeping field notes are given below.

• Use a small ring-bound notebook or preferably a ‘Rite-in-the-Rain’ notebook available in the UFV Bookstore for field notes. This will allow you to use the notebook even in the rain. Keep a zip lock bag handy for use with a traditional notebook. Don’t use a clipboard with loose-leaf paper in the field.
• Use ink with regular notebooks as pencil fades when wet. Pencil works best with the rainproof notebooks. Bring plenty of pens and pencils as they tend to get lost.
• At the start of the field trip, record the date, planned itinerary (if known), weather conditions and any other general information (e.g., course number).
• At each stop, record the stop number and detailed location information including (in physical geography courses) UTM coordinate if provided. (Otherwise, you can find this later.)
• When recording information provided by the instructor, do not try and write down everything that is said verbatim. Use short-hand and key phrases instead of complete sentences; clarify points with the instructor as necessary. Include hand-drawn sketches of key features (especially if the instructor is drawing something in the field). Make sure your notes contain enough information for you to use later when compiling a field report.
• If you miss a point—ask for clarification. It’s easier to repeat or expand on a point in the field rather than trying to do so at a later date.
• When making personal observations, keep detailed notes of the physical setting of the site, measurements taken, etc.
• If you are also taking photographs, record the shot number with a short description of the photo in your notebook. This will avoid confusion later when you have 100 photos and no idea where the photos were taken.
• Read through your field notes as soon as you return from the field and add extra information as required while the details are still fresh in your mind. Ask for clarification from the instructor as necessary.
• Sort out your photos as soon as you return from the field. Ask the instructor for clarification if required.

 

---

Oral presentations are often assigned as course components. Many students feel uncomfortable in such settings, but many career choices require some public speaking skills, and in our department you are among friends anyway.

The most important thing to remember is that ‘practice makes perfect’ and good oral presentations result from careful planning and lots of rehearsing.

Below is a list of general tips for putting together successful oral presentations followed by some specific notes for using overheads and PowerPoint.

Tips for good oral presentations

• Maintain eye contact with your audience.
• Speak clearly and slowly.
• Know your material. It is difficult to successfully give an oral presentation when you are not familiar with the subject material.
• Avoid the tendency to write out your presentation word for word. This often results in you simply reading your presentation from a script. Instead include key phrases, keywords and other useful reminders to jog your memory of the important information.
• Practice, practice, practice!!!!
• Do not go over your allocated time and remember to leave some free time for set-up and questions.
• Know ahead of time what, if any, your visual aid needs are. Visual aids can be very important when giving an oral presentation. They may be PowerPoint or other digital presentations, posters, or use of whiteboard.

  Make sure that your visuals can be seen throughout the classroom (see below). Your visuals should support your presentation but should not be a verbatim record of the talk. Clearly discuss any pictures or other visual aids included in your presentation.

Presentation structure

1. Title page – title of talk, authors, course
2. Introduction – purpose of presentation, what you will be discussing
3. Key information – including diagrams, photos etc
4. Closing remarks

It is important to reference any photos, maps, direct quotes, etc. that you may be using in your presentation. Include a short reference (author date) next to the citation in question. You should also reference your own photos as ‘photo by author’. A detailed reference slide is not needed but full references should be available if required by the instructor.

Use of PowerPoint

Presentations are not designed to be a PowerPoint competition, and unless the assignment calls for it, you do not have to use it. Lots of excellent presentations were created before the advent of PowerPoint and more are still to come.

• Do not use too many slides. For a 15-minute presentation, you should have about 5-7 slides plus photos or diagrams.
• Remember to discuss any diagrams or pictures that you show as part of your presentation.
• Use a minimum 16-font size for text (larger for titles).
• Use the custom animation tools in PowerPoint to reveal your information as individual points.
• Only include key headings or phrases on your slides. Do not write out all of your presentation here, and do not read directly from your presentation slides.
• You can also use PowerPoint to create movie presentations with voice-over and sound.

---