The Body as Personal Property, Annotated Bibliography Example

Ashcroft, J. D., Ashcroft, J. E., & Ashcroft, J. D. (1992). Law for business. Cincinnati,            OH: College Division, South-Western Pub. Co.

This publication is a textbook that summarizes business law. This pertains to the funeral industry because this practice is related to both business and mortuary law. This source is high quality and useful because it was written by experienced lawyers for the use of both students and professionals. Furthermore, it was written in a neutral voice, so it is unbiased.

Dead Bodies – Dead Bodies. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://deadbodies.uslegal.com

This source summarizes the rights of corpses as they pertain to ownership. Before burial, they are considered to be the property of family and afterwards they belong to the state. The website itself doesn’t appear to be reliable, but it cites two laws that confirm many of the facts mentioned. No author opinions are present in the article, which serves as a good starting point for research related to mortuary law.

Gilligan, T., &Stueve, T. (2011). Mortuary law (11th rev. ed.). Cincinnati, Ohio:           Cincinnati Foundation for Mortuary Education.

This is a comprehensive collection of the laws the individuals in the funeral industry will need to be aware of to remain successful. It focuses on risk prevention. This book is a reliable source because it is a textbook that was written by professionals in the field. It is widely used by both students and professionals for instruction and reference. The author wrote this book with a neutral voice and this is a high quality source.

Michael B Sauter, J. O. (2011, January 17). topstockanalysts. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from topstockanalysts.com: http://www.topstockanalysts.com/index.php/2011/01/17/10-companies-that-control-the-15-billion-death-industry-in-america

This article focuses on economic factors related to the funeral industry. While many funeral parlors are privately owned, the industry itself controlled by the same corporations. The purchase of flowers, tombstones, and other related necessities are the cause for this. This article comes from a semi-reliable source because it is from an internet newspaper. It is clear that the authors are biased and demonstrate their own opinions throughout the writing.

New trial granted in fraudulent suppression involving funeral home. (n.d.). Retrieved   October 11, 2013, from Lanier Ford: http://www.lanierford.com/news/fradulent-suppression.html

This article demonstrates that it is not legal for an individual without an embalming license to perform this task, even if they have been trained to do so. In the court of law, the living family members of the individual who was illegally embalmed can be awarded compensatory damages. This article appears to be unreliable because it was reported without opinion. However, it is posted on the website of a law firm that is likely to receive financial gain from similar cases. Therefore, it is possible that the article is phrased specifically to attract new clients.

West’s Encyclopedia of American Law. (2005). Corpse. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Corpse.aspx

The author summarizes the property and possession, burial, and disinterment rights held by the surviving family members over a corpse. The article also indicates the punishments by law that can be issued to a criminal for violating these rights. The author defines each right and punishment in detail. The full article was utilized. This article is not peer-reviewed because it was found as a part of an online encyclopedia. However, it is trustworthy because encyclopedia.com is a well-known source. There is no biased involved because article is written without a point of view.