Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Basics

1. Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Basics Amber Cook Walden University Online Writing Center

2. Housekeeping • Muting • Questions • Tech trouble? http://support.citrixonline.com/en_US/GoToTraining • Recording: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

3. An Overview

4. Alternative Names Shorthand 1. annotated bib = annotated bibliography 2. annotation = part of annotated bibliography 3. lit review = literature review

5. 1. The Annotated Bibliography

6. Annotated Bibliography Annotate: “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment” Bibliography: “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications” (Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, 2012)

7. Annotated Bibliography

8. Annotations at Walden • KAM Depth section • Course assignments • Prewriting for large projects (optional)

9. Annotated Bibliography • The format of an annotated bibliography varies by assignment • Typical format is an alphabetized list, with reference entries followed by annotations. • Alphabetized by author • No headings • Brief • Be sure to ask your instructor about any alternative expectations for your specific assignment.

10. Annotated Bibliography APA Common Reference Examples Remember to use APA format for reference entries, just like in a typical reference list.

11. Annotated Bibliography: Example

12. Annotated Bibliography • An annotation (usually) has three components: • Each component normally appears as its own • paragraph within the annotation.

13. 1. Summary Paragraph You will want to answer some or all of the following questions: • What is the topic and purpose of the study? • What actions did the researcher perform and why? • What were the methods? • What was the theoretical basis? • What were the conclusions?

14. 1. Summary Paragraph • Take careful factual notes while reading • Use the past tense • Smith and Jones found… • Use your own words (not the abstract of the article) • Focus on purpose, methods and findings. Remember, you don’t have to include everything.

15. 1. Summary Paragraph Thompson, Kirk, and Brown conducted a study to determine how burnout and emotional exhaustion of female police officers affect their family environment based upon role ambiguity and role overload. Thompson et al. mailed out surveys to 1,081 female police officers employed by the Australian State Police; however, only 421 surveys were useable. The researchers predicted that supervisor support would reduce role stressors and emotional exhaustion and improve family cohesion and conflict. They found a relationship between supervisor support and reduced role stressors, family functioning, and emotional exhaustion, but did not find a correlation between coworker support and work stress. Thompson et al. suggested that further research is needed on how emotional exhaustion affects family stressors in policewoman.

16. 2. Critique/Analysis Paragraph You will want to answer some or all the following questions: • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the article? • Methodology, language, organization, detail • What, if any, information is missing? • Is researcher bias present? • Is the article scholarly or generalizable? Why or why not?

17. 2. Critique/Analysis Paragraph • Take questioning notes while reading. • Break it up: Focus first on strengths and then on weaknesses. • Start with your overall view and then get more specific as you go through the paragraph. • Do not feel the need to be “nice.”

18. 2. Critique/Analysis Paragraph Although Masterson et al. made a significant contribution to the field of police research, the article had several limitations. First, the researchers chose a small and specialized sample that did not include policewomen or other minorities. Second, the researchers potentially influenced results by asking leading questions in the interviews and focus group meetings. Therefore, further research is needed with a wider demographic range and completely impartial interviewers.

19. 3. Application Paragraph You will want to answer some or all of the following questions: • Does this article fill a gap in literature? • How does the study apply to your KAM? • Is the article universal? • How does it inform your professional field?

20. 3. Application Paragraph • Jot down three things you’ve learned from reading the article. Use these to write about the overall value. • Ask yourself • How the source is different than others in the same field or on the same topic. • How the source informs your future research.

21. 3. Application Paragraph This study was valuable to understanding the relationship between employees’ views of change and the coping mechanisms used. Based on the results, the business sector should reinforce positive emotions to reduce withdrawal and increase commitment to the change. This implication aligns with Kotter’s 8-step change model emphasizing the positive and reinforcing employees for their efforts. This study, as well as Kotter’s model, will serve as the basis for the Business Change Strategy of my Application.

22. All Together Now!

23. Annotated Bibliography vs. Literature Review Annotated bibliography = precursor to a literature review Literature review = foundation for one’s research

24. 2. The Literature Review

25. Literature Review A literature review: • overviews your chosen topic or field • demonstrates your depth of knowledge • supports/guides future research

26. Literature Review What is not a literature review? • A collection of source summaries or abstracts • A copy/paste of annotations • A discussion of your opinions on a topic Instead, your job as the writer is to synthesize the literature to create that foundation for your research or argument.

27. Literature Review What is synthesis? • Identifying patterns among the sources • Critically discussing strengths/weaknesses of the sources or in the field • Comparing and contrasting the authors’ findings • Interpreting what is known in your field and what is missing

28. Literature Review Remember: • No required formatting • An introduction and conclusion • Avoid overreliance on quotes/ paraphrases

29. Literature Review Organize… • …by theme (good) • Allows for a unique organization • Can have the authors “talk to each other” • Demonstrates the writer’s analysis of the literature • …by author (bad) • Limits a paragraph to one source • Does not allow for direct comparison • Tends to come across as a series of “book reports”

30. Literature Review When organized by theme, writers can also use headings and comparative terms within the text. • Headings • Cue your reader to organization and changing topics • Note subtopics of themes • Comparative terms • Demonstrate where authors agree or disagree • Highlight your interpretation of the authors’ findings

31. Literature Review Example Synthesis As Stragalas (2010) argued, sharing specific details about the change will help to eliminate any difficulties. Steele-Johnson et al. (2010) echoed these sentiments when they reported that revealing all of the details about a change process can help those involved better understand and support the change. Steele-Johnson et al. also asserted that a high level of transparency during the change can help those involved prepare for and welcome the change. Similarly, Nahata et al. (2010) showed that transparency through excessive communication can allow for a wider range of acceptance of the change.

32. Literature Review Helpful tools

33. Literature Review Literature Review Matrices Matrices are documents that allow you to compile details about your sources and begin to note similarities among the authors. • Theoretical framework • Methodology • Conclusions • Implications or need for future research

34. Literature Review Example Matrix Example matrices on Writing Center website: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/50.htm

35. Literature Review Zotero Reference Manager While a matrix can help you make connections between your sources, the software Zotero can help you store and organize your references. Library website and Zotero information: http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/zotero

36. Literature Review Help • Library Resources • Guide to Literature Reviews • Literature Review Appointments • Writing Center Lit Review page • Writing a Lit Review Course

37. Recap • Annotated Bibliographies • Summary, analysis, and application • See assignment details for particulars • Literature Reviews • Synthesis, not summary • Themes, not authors

38. References Merriam-Webster. (2012). Annotate [Dictionary definition]. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annotate Merriam-Webster. (2012). Bibliography [Dictionary definition]. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bibliography (He just checked out our Common Reference List Examplespage.) →

39. Thanks for joining us! Questions? writingsupport@waldenu.edu