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Annotated Bibliography

Will Professional Careers Begin to Accept Tattoos and Piercings?

Taylor Lindsay
Professor Malcolm Campbell
English 1101
October 10, 2016

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Annotated Bibliography
Dundes, Lauren and Antonia Francis Inking and Thinking: Honors Students and Tattoos.
College Student Journal 50.2:219-223 Academic Search Complete. 2016. Web. 10 Oct.
2016.
This academic article explains and conducts research on young adults who are viewed as
successful honor students, and how they view tattoos differently from regular students.
The authors introduce their research by explaining how tattoos have become a way to
express ourselves, but it can result in consequences. The background information
presented on tattoos is straightforward and quick. It takes little time for the authors to
answer the main research question. They explain from research gathered that students
with higher GPAs are less likely to get a tattoo due to the judgement they may receive in
their professional careers. The authors include how honors students are not easily
influenced by their peers and dont easily give in to peer pressure. The authors use
various statistics to back up their information and they sum up the discussion by saying
honors students think longer about the consequences than regular students. They
contemplate getting a tattoo for at least a year. The only background information that was
included about the authors on the website was the college they attended. When I searched
their names, many academic journals they have written popped up proving they had
experience writing academic journals. Although the journal doesnt go into great detail
about its facts, there is a great amount of statistics to back up the information. The
authors included several graphs as a visual to help the reader better understand and
compare the results of the research. Unlike most of my sources, this source doesnt take
one side or the other, or give possible solutions for the problem. I will use this source

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because it provides so many statistics. It doesnt effectively answer my question, but it

can be used as background information.
Lewis, Michael. Tattoos and Piercings in the Workplace-Is it Okay? Money Crashers. N.D.
Web. 10 Oct. 2016
The source skips straight to the point by saying no to tattoos and piercings in the
workplace. It defends employers and their right to say no to individuals with tattoos or
piercings. This act is not discrimination and there are no rules saying otherwise. The
author continues by listing jobs that will accept tattoos and piercings, but the careers he
lists are mostly in the arts and not considered professional jobs. The article then lists
every negative factor of a tattoo (ex. The pain and cost). It suggests that individuals
should contemplate the size and location of their tattoos and consider covering it up while
they are in the workplace. The author is a retired corporate executive and entrepreneur.
He is also a part of a large management consultant firm and has published many books.
Michael Lewis is a trustworthy author with a lot of experience. I believe his information
is reliable due to his experience, but it is still based off of opinion. The article is intended
to warn people entering the work field the consequences of having tattoos and piercings.
He is preparing his readers for the results of their actions. This source is different from
my others because it has a differing opinion and seems harsh. I would use this source to
have a perspective of an employer.
Lynn, Monty. Workplace Tattoo Taboos Fading. USA Today. 11 Sept. 2014 Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
This article is a news source from the well-known USA Today website. The author starts
out by providing information about individuals with many tattoos that are successful in
their professional careers. He provides pictures of the people and their personal story.

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After the introduction, he tells the background of tattoos and piercings and how they have
become very common. The successful individuals go on to explain that they have never
had problems with their tattoos because it is becoming more accepted. The article
continues by stating that certain careers are more tolerant than others of body art. I find it
interesting how the article ends because the author talks about tattoo removal, but not
because it has a negative effect in the workplace. He refers to tattoo removal simply
because the individuals just dont like their ink anymore. Lynn Monty is part of the Free
Press, which means his article has no government censorship. Although he brings good
facts to the table it could be wrong or misleading. There is a picture of the young author
provided and his arms are covered in tattoos. He has a successful career and with his
tattoos it makes sense that he would try to convince his readers that it is possible to obtain
a job with ink. Hes his own proof. Therefore, the article is biased. The article was written
to get the attention and inspire young adults, and Monty can relate to his readers. This
source didnt state the consequences of tattoos and piercings like the other ones I have
come across did. I wouldnt use this source because it has the same statistics I have found
on many other websites and is more opinionated than factual.
Schultz, Megan, Diane M. Harvey, and Susan M. Boscoe. "Tattoos and Body Piercings in the
Workplace." Proceedings for the Northeast Region Decision Sciences Institute (NEDSI):
1-10. Business Source Complete. 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2016
The authors introduce the idea and explain the legal issues with tattoos and piercings in
the workplace. They go in great depth about the prejudices and stereotypes when
individuals are hired based off of their appearances. Court cases and corporate policies
are provided. The authors then list several large organizations that have strict policies

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with appearance: Starbucks, Walt Disney, Universal Orlando. The authors finish off their
work by explaining how employers have lost out on many qualified workers due to quick
judgement of the workers tattoos and piercings. Several of my sources have brought up
this point, but this particular source went into greater detail. The authors are not biased,
and simply want to provide situations that make you think and justify your own opinions.
Their information is trustworthy, professional, and part of an organization. All the
information they include is relevant and they provided small details that play a big part in
the whole topic. I would use this source in my paper because it makes me consider
factors I didnt before. I feel this source can fill in some of the gaps in my work.