An annotated bibliography gives an account of the research that has been done on a given topic. Like any bibliography, an annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources. In addition to bibliographic data, an annotated bibliography provides a concise summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance. Depending on your assignment, an annotated bibliography may be one stage in a larger research project, or it may be an independent project standing on its own. Show
Selecting the sources:The quality and usefulness of your bibliography will depend on your selection of sources. Define the scope of your research carefully so that you can make good judgments about what to include and exclude. Your research should attempt to be reasonably comprehensive within well-defined boundaries. Consider these questions to help you find appropriate limits for your research:
Summarizing the argument of a source:An annotation briefly restates the main argument of a source. An annotation of an academic source, for example, typically identifies its thesis (or research question, or hypothesis), its major methods of investigation, and its main conclusions. Keep in mind that identifying the argument of a source is a different task than describing or listing its contents. Rather than listing contents (see Example 1 below), an annotation should account for why the contents are there (see Example 2 below). Example 1: Only lists contents:
Example 2: Identifies the argument:
The following reading strategies can help you identify the argument of your source:
Assessing the relevance and value of sources:Your annotation should now go on to briefly assess the value of the source to an investigation of your research question or problem. If your bibliography is part of a research project, briefly identify how you intend to use the source and why. If your bibliography is an independent project, try to assess the source’s contribution to the research on your topic.
In order to determine how you will use the source or define its contribution, you will need to assess the quality of the argument: why is it of value? what are its limitations? how well defined is its research problem? how effective is its method of investigation? how good is the evidence? would you draw the same conclusions from the evidence? Keep the context of your project in mind. How is material assessed in your course or discipline? What models for assessing arguments are available in course materials? Various kinds of annotated bibliographies:Annotated bibliographies do come in many variations. Pay close attention to the requirements of your assignment. Here are some possible variations:
Some language for talking about texts and arguments:It is sometimes challenging to find the vocabulary in which to summarize and discuss a text. Here is a list of some verbs for referring to texts and ideas that you might find useful:
To learn more on referring to texts and ideas, visit our file on reporting verbs. Do you put a conclusion on annotated bibliography?Summarizing annotations in general have a couple of defining features: They sum up the content of the source, as a book report might. They give an overview of the arguments and proofs/evidence addressed in the work and note the resulting conclusion. They do not judge the work they are discussing.
How do you write a summary for an annotated bibliography?Contents of an annotated bibliography. Provide the full bibliographic citation.. Indicate the background of the author(s).. Indicate the content or scope of the text.. Outline the main argument.. Indicate the intended audience.. Identify the research methods if applicable.. Identify any conclusions made by the author/s.. What are the 3 parts of an annotated bibliography?The three different parts of an annotated bibliography include the title, annotation, and citation. The title and citation format will vary based on the style you use. The annotation can include a summary, evaluation, or reflection.
What are the 4 parts of an annotated bibliography?The annotated bibliography is written in paragraph form and composed of 4 parts: the citation, the summary of the content, an evaluation of the source, and a reflection on its use. Follow these steps. 1. Citation - Create a standard MLA citation for the source.
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