2.

Annotated Bibliography

Objectives: In this session the students will be familiarized with:

• the purpose of writing an annotated bibliography

• the structure of an annotated bibliography

• the language structures required for writing an annotated

bibliography

• the skills employed when writing an annotated

bibliography

Annotated Bibliography • An annotated bibliography is a commentary that follows an outside

source to help students and researchers evaluate their sources of information before and while using them.

• Its overall purpose is to support your study by providing a collection of article summaries that will make re-reading of articles unnecessary.

• An annotated bibliographical entry includes two main parts: descriptive (a summary of the source to be used) and evaluative (a critique of the outside source in question).

• The evaluative part of the annotated bibliographical entry may also include quotes from the source, and questions related to the source’s credibility, accuracy, and relevance.

• Annotated bibliographies should be concise and follow APA style meticulously.

3

Where do I start?

• Begin by critically reading the article. View the reading as an interactive process in which your interpretation of author’s words is influenced by your own knowledge and experiences.

• Critical readers attempt to dialogue with the text by asking tough questions on the article’s purpose, audience, language and content.

As discussed earlier, these questions can be very helpful to ask about an article

• Who is the author, his/her credentials, and biases?

• Where is the article published? What type of source is it? Who is it published for?

• What do I know about the topic? Am I open to new ideas?

• Why was the article written? What is its purpose?

• What is the author’s thesis? The major supporting points or assertions?

• Did the author support his/her thesis?

• Did the article achieve its purpose?

• Is the article organized?

• Are the supporting sources credible?

• Did the article change my viewpoint on the topic?

• Is the article convincing? What do I accept or reject?

Elements of the annotated bibliography

1. Full publication details = a reference entry according to APA7

2. One paragraph (150-250 words) including a. A summary of the article b. Your evaluation of the article

3. Optionally: a. a list of interesting/meaningful quotes b. questions connecting the article and your

knowledge/experience

Creating a reference entry (APA7)

Nguyen, T., Carnevale, J. J., Scholer, A. A., Miele, D. B., & Fujita, K. (2019). Meta-

motivational knowledge of the role of high-level and low-level construal in

goal-relevant task performance. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 117(5), 879-899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000166

Articles in Periodicals

Creating a reference entry (APA7)

Nguyen, T., Carnevale, J. J., Scholer, A. A., Miele, D. B., & Fujita, K. (2019). Meta-

motivational knowledge of the role of high-level and low-level construal in

goal-relevant task performance. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 117(5), 879-899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000166

Articles in PeriodicalsList by last names and initials;

commas separate author

names, while the last author

name is preceded again by

ampersand

When citing an article in an electronic

journal, include a DOI if one is associated

with the article. DOIs may not always be

available. In these cases, use a URL.

The periodical

title is italicized

and has words

capitalized. It is

followed by the

volume number

which is also

italicized.

Capitalize the first

word of the article title

and subtitle. Also

capitalize proper

nouns. Do not italicize

or underline anything.

Do not use quotation

marks.

Provide pages for the

full article.

Creating a reference entry (APA7)

Iftikhar, N. (2019, March 15). CGRP migraine treatment: Could it be

right for you? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine/cgrp-

migraine?utm_source=ReadNext

Articles from websites

Creating a reference entry (APA7)

Iftikhar, N. (2019, March 15). CGRP migraine treatment: Could it be

right for you? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine/cgrp-

migraine?utm_source=ReadNext

Articles from websites

Provide a specific

date of publication.

The title of the specific

page is italicized.

The name of the

website is not.

Creating a reference entry (APA7)

Check APA Guidelines for AUM students on Moodle

to see other models of references

(e.g. articles published by organizations with no

date or author provided, or traditional books)

The Summary Part

• Briefly state the article’s focus and purpose

• Describe the contents (thesis, major points, how they are supported, conclusion/final observations)

• Provide the background and define the credibility of the author

• Possibly indicate the possible audience for the article

• Limit the length to 5-6 sentences

The Evaluation Part • Describe your reaction to the article as a whole

• Describe the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the source and its conclusions (keep your research topic in mind and the potential usefulness of the source)

• Point to any weaknesses or limitations of the article

• Document your response to the author’s ideas, argument, writing style or any other unique features of the article

• Limit the length to 5-6 sentences

Annotated Bibliography – Example 1

Lamott, A. (1995). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. London, UK: Anchor Books.

Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are ironic and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic. In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.

Annotated Bibliography – Example 2

Battle, K. (2007). Child poverty: The evolution and impact of child benefits. In Covell, K., & Howe, R. B.

(Eds), A question of commitment: Children's rights in Canada (pp. 21-44). Waterloo, ON:

Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

Ken Battle draws on his research as an extensively-published policy analyst, and a close

study of government documents, to explain child benefits in Canada. He points at fundamental

assumptions supporting the belief that all society members should contribute to the upbringing of

children. His comparison of Canadian child poverty rates to those in other countries provides a useful

wake-up to anyone assuming Canadian society is doing a good job of protecting children. He pays

particular attention to the National Child Benefit (NCB), arguing that it did not deserve the criticism it

received from politicians and journalists. He outlines the NCB’s development, costs, and assistances,

including its dollar contribution to a typical recipient’s income. He laments that the Conservative

government scaled back the program in favor of the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), and

clearly explains why it is inferior. However, Battle relies too heavily on his own work; he is the author of

almost half the sources in his bibliography. He could make this work stronger by drawing from the

perspectives of others' analyses. However, Battle does offer a valuable source for this essay, because

the chapter provides a concise overview of government-funded assistance currently available to

parents. This offers context for analyzing the scope and financial reality of child poverty in Canada.

Annotation explained

Jim Rasenberger, an author and journalist for the New York Times, asserts that the

events as described by Gansberg in “38 Who Saw Murder” could not have

happened the way Gansberg described them. Rasenberger’s assumes his audience

is familiar with Gansberg’s famous and widely published article. Rasenberger states

that although 38 people may have heard or seen the initial attack, Genovese was

attacked three times. The most serious attack occurred in the back foyer of her

apartment building and could have been witnessed by five or six people at most. He

concludes his article by saying that if Gansberg’s account had been accurate,

countless articles and books would never have been written about the incident and

Americans’ apathy would not have been studied as thoroughly. He seems pleased

that the initial and most famous account was flawed. Rasenberger’s article is

interesting, but it contains a few facts and little research to support his assertions. The

article is helpful as a starting point for a critical view of Gansberg’s account of

events.

background & credibility of author usefulness to my research

possible audience main idea contents

Watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQwPMnNgvh4