Signature Assignment Part I: Health Issue Annotated Bibliography (Individual Submission)
An annotated bibliography requires you to find a source of evidence-based information (journal article, book or public health document) and write a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (annotation). Upon identification of your team health issue or topic, each team member will INDIVIDUALLY be responsible for development of three annotations.
This assignment works much like a puzzle in that your team gathers the puzzle pieces and then, through group communication, you discuss how those pieces fit together to reveal the whole picture, or in this case, how an evaluation of the information and your own opinions frame an evidence-based recommended course of action related to your health topic. As you develop your proposed course of action (solutions) you will need to include how social determinants of health affect this issue and include your proposals for solution.
The intent is to inform and highlight one particular topic, such as area of a health disparity, or other issue pertaining to population health. As you conduct your research, think about how social determinants of health affect this issue and what might be your proposals for solution. (You will revisit these considerations later in the semester during the “Rebounding in Life” learning activities.)
This assignment requires that you apply your intellectual skills: concise description of the material as it relates to your health issue, succinct analysis, and informed library research. (Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative, and Teamwork Skills.)
In public health, the questions asked often include the following aspects:
- WHAT is the health issue or topic? (i.e., condition or disease or issue)
- WHY is it important?
- WHO does the health issue affect? People/population/problem (What are the characteristics of the population?
- Comparisons (What is the alternative to the intervention? How is this health issue addressed? What measures are in place to PREVENT worsening of the health issue?)
- Outcomes (What are the relevant outcomes of this health issue? i.e., morbidity, death, complications)
- HOW will your proposed solution make a difference?
Due date: Annotated Bibliography is due Sun., Sept. 29 by 11;59 p.m. CST
Assignment Instructions
- Select a Topic: As a team, choose a public health issue or topic, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) List of Diseases and Conditions for a list of topics: https://www.cdc.gov/DiseasesConditions/ (Links to an external site.)
- Assess Sources: Begin the process of gathering your sources by first searching for your topic in Google Scholar or using databases available through the UTA Libraries such as PubMed. Locate and record citations to articles, books and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items, selecting your final sources. Then read the article and summarize the author’s main points. Be sure you pay special attention to how this particular source fits into the larger, ongoing public health conversation about the topic. Conduct a brief search on the author to determine his/her expertise, reputation, and credibility. Look at citations, articles, and books by this author to find information about who the author is, what his/her credentials are, and what occupation or position he/she holds. Similar to your author search, examine the publication or source to determine the publication’s reputation, credibility and target reader/researcher. Is the text specialized or general? Is the target audience clinicians (i.e., physicians, research scientists) or another audience such as public health professionals, university students or persons in the community? (Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative, and Teamwork Skills.
- Develop Three Written Annotations: Now that you have reviewed your sources, choosing three that are relevant to your health issue or topic, you will individually write three annotations that are between 150-200 words, summarizing the central theme and scope of the article. The annotation must be written in APA style. A sample annotated bibliography is shown below.
- Submit the Assignment: When your annotations are complete (and you have proofread for errors and checked your plagiarism index!), post the annotations to the assignment portal by the due date listed in the course calendar. Each group member must upload their own three annotations.
