What is an Annotated Bibliography and What should be Included? Cal State University (Lynn Lampert) Indiana University Writing Center Purdue OWL

What is an annotated bibliography An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 250 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

Abstract –v- Annotation Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority

The Process Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research. First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

Cont. The Process Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style. For our purposes, MLA style. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

Critically appraising the book, article, or document For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, think about the following questions:

Questions to Consider What are the author's credentials? What is their institutional affiliation? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? (respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars)  When was the source published? Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic? Is this a first edition? If the source is published by a university press, it is likely to be scholarly Is this a popular magazine or scholarly journal? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience?

Additional Questions to Consider Is there a bibliography? Is the information covered fact, opinion, or propaganda? Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence? Are the ideas and arguments advanced more or less in line with other works you have read on the same topic? Does the source extensively or marginally cover your topic? Is the material primary or secondary in nature? Locate critical reviews in a reviewing source, such as Book Review Index, Book Review Digest, OR Periodical Abstracts

MLA Citation Style MLA Citation Style is available in our classroom (handbook) or at the Library. MLA Citation style is also available online.

Example of MLA Citation Style for a Journal article Flynn, Richard. “The Kindergarten of New Consciousness Gwendolyn Brooks and the Social Construction of Childhood ” African American Review 34, no. 3 (2000 Fall): 483-99.

Annotation Five or six sentences describing the article: Information about the author of the article; The point of view of the author/scholar; School of thought; What kind of article is it…literary criticism, historical piece, biographical, etc…

What an annotation should include: Complete bibliographic information. Some or all of the following: Information to explain the authority and/or qualifications of the author. For example: Dr. William Smith, a history professor at XYZ University, based his book on twenty years of research. Scope and main purpose of the work. Any biases that you detect. Intended audience and level of reading difficulty. The relationship, if any, to other works in the area of study. A summary comment, e.g., "A popular account directed at educated adults." The annotation should be about 125 to 250 words (one full paragraph).

Book Example Goulart, R. (1989). The Great Comic Book Artists, Volume 2. New York: St Martin's Press. Print. The alphabetically arranged entries include one page each for the artist biography and black-and-white reprinted art. The subjective choices for inclusion reflect a pronounced American, corporate bias. This slant and the blurry comic-book reproductions render the title a cut below Goulart's usual high standards.

Another Example Larkin, C. (Ed.). (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. London: Guinness. Print. Very comprehensive reference book of 3,296 pages (more than 10,000 entries) encompassing all styles of popular music, including jazz. Primarily biographical, but does contain record label histories. Entries from 150 to 3,000 words, though some important artists have longer entries. Most artists from UK and US, though additionally many reggae, Latin, and Afro-pop artists from outside these countries. Most entries include discography.

For other examples … Remember: Do not include anything from sources like Shmoop, GradeSaver, Wikipedia, or the like. These are not considered scholarly sources, and will count against you if you choose to use them.

Sample MLA Annotated Bib Your Name Instructor’s Name Course Number Date Topic: What are some lightning safety tips? Thesis statement: The health and safety issues related to lightning strikes are complicated, and can involve addressing structures, water, and people.   Annotated Bibliography Cooper, Mary Ann. Lightning Injury Research Program. University of Illinois at Chicago, lightninginjury.lab.uic.edu/. This is an educational site with research information, tables, and charts. The links on the left side lead you to related links and to research articles. Some of the research articles have been previously published in medical journals. Some of the articles contain bibliographies. The dates of the material on the site range from 1995 through 2003. The author is an MD employed by the University of Illinois at Chicago. I found no grammatical or spelling errors. The source seems credible, reliable, and objective. The layout of the site is uncluttered. There were no pop up ads or advertisements. There is a Contact Us option with an address, e-mail, and phone number. Hill, David. "Preventing Lightning Strikes." American School & University, vol. 71, no. 11, July 1999, p. 55. Academic Search Complete. This is an article in an educational journal. It is written by David Hill, Director of Facilities and Operations, Blue Valley School District in Kansas. Hill appears knowledgeable about developing a lightning safety plan for educational institutions. This is a concise article that concludes with a link to another comprehensive site on lightning safety for institutions. This article seems reliable and objective and is from a reputable periodical in the education field. It was written in July 1999. Holle, Ronald L., et al. "Deaths, Injuries, and Damages from Lightning in the United States in the 1890s in Comparison with the 1990s." Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 44, no. 10, Oct. 2005, pp. 1563-73. Academic Search Complete. This is a scholarly journal article with graphs and illustrations. The lead author has been a research meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration since the 1960s. Because of the author's credentials and the fact that the article is published in a scholarly journal, it seems credible and reliable. The date of the article does not detract from the information presented. Mullen, Leslie. "Human Voltage: What Happens When People and Lightning Converge." NASA Science: Science News, 18 June 1999, science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1999/essd18jun99_1/. This federal government Web page is from NASA Space Science News, a website that includes articles about NASA related research. The article includes statistics, and quotes experts from the National Severe Storms Laboratory, the National Weather Service, and the National Lightning Safety Institute. The graphics, pictures and occasional sounds of thunder made the site interesting. The site layout is clean and easy to navigate, and adds to the usability of the site. No dead links were found. The sources seem credible and reliable, and there is a bibliography. The article was written June 18, 1999. “Lightning Safety.” National Weather Service. United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, 2009, www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/safety.shtml. This is a government site on the topic of lightning safety. The site is comprehensive and covers topics such as the science of lightning, indoor and outdoor safety, and the medical care of lightning victims. Photos, video clips and other graphics make the site interesting and easy to understand. No spelling or grammatical errors were found. All articles appear to be credible and objective. There is no update information on this page. This was the most comprehensive site on all aspects of lightning safety and included extensive links to other sites. There were no dead links found. There is an address provided along with links for Comments .