Writing an Annotated Bibliography

1. Writing an Annotated Bibliography

2. What is an Annotated Bibliography? First, what is an annotation? • An annotation is more than just a brief summary (250 words) of an article, book, Web site etc... It combines summary with evaluation (what you think!) and should give enough information for your reader to decide if your resource was relevant or useful.

3. What is a Bibliography: • A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, newspapers, etc.) that are used for researching a topic. • "References" or "Works Cited" • includes the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.). So, an annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources ( books, articles, journal, web sites, etc…) with a paragraph that describes, explains, evaluates and justifies each entry in terms of quality and relevance.

4. What do I get out of writing an Annotated Bibliography? • Good prep for research project • Learn about your topic • Become a critical reader • Develop your main argument

5. Why should I write an annotated bibliography? • To learn about your topic: • Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. • To find, organize and incorporate useful sources • It is extremely important that you keep track of all of your information for your research project….It stinks when you find a great source and then forget what/where it was.

6. Becoming a Critical Reader • Instead of just collecting information you will begin to read critically, think about it and decide if the source is relevant. • Forming an argument • The purpose of your research is to create an argument. So a very important part of research is using your information to support an argument.

7. What else? • Shows your reader that your sources are informative, relevant, and credible. • Makes it easier for you to see if numerous sources are saying the same thing • Can help you determine whether or not you want to use a particular source in your research

8. What is the difference between an annotated bibliography and regular research? • Traditional research- outcome is just to find information. • Annotated Bibliographies provide an evaluation/reason for why the information is relevant to the research topic. You are required to think about your research and be critical of it. This makes your research and final product stronger.

9. Where to start Find your sources before writing your annotated bibliography, by conducting research. Review the sources and choose those that provide a wide variety of information and perspectives on your topic. Write the citation and annotation When writing your annotation, the complete citation should always come first and the annotation follows. You will want to include: • A summary of the source • Its relevance to the topic • Any special or unique information from the source • The strengths, weaknesses or biases in the source

10. What do you write? • Citation • The bibliographic information of the source (the title, author, publisher, date, etc.) • You will need at least 3 • Must be in MLA format • Annotation • Summarizes the content, assess the quality and relevancy of the source to your project, and reflects on the big ideas from the source. • 1 paragraph, 250 words/annotation • Annotated bibliographies should be arranged alphabetically

11. As you write your annotation you will…. • Summarize • What are the main arguments • What is the point of the book/article • What topics are covered • paraphrase

12. Assess/Evaluate • Is this a useful source • Is it reliable • Is it biased or objective • Did I review CARRDSS

13. Reflect • How does this source fit into your research? • Was this source helpful, or not? • How does it help your argument? • How can you use this in your research? • Has it changed how you think about your topic?

14. What should I write in my annotation? • Use the third person • Do not use I, me, or my Sentence starters: “This article discusses…” “This book gives a detailed view on…” “In this article, the author supports…” “This article describes…”

16. Examples of Annotations Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print. 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 wry 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.

17. “Automatically Record Everything They Do Online! Spector Pro 5.0 FAQ’s.” Netbus.org. Netbus.org, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2006. Spector Pro is a type of Internet surveillance program. This Web page, sponsored by the manufacturer of the product, explains the functionality of the software and describes its features. It can be installed on a variety of computers and can be installed in “Stealth” mode so that the user cannot detect the software on his or her computer. The program can also monitor all computer use ranging from Word documents to Web sites. This source supports my other sources by illustrating the ease with which this kind of software can be installed as well as the extensive amount of information it can gather for employers.

18. Waite, Linda J., Frances KobrinGoldscheider, and Christina Witsberger. "Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review 51.4 (1986): 541-554. Print. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families.