How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography CLN4U

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? List of citations for books, articles, and documents Each source is listed in correct bibliographic form Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150-200 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? A review of the literature on a particular subject The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited Illustrates the quality of research done and encourages critical thinking about the content of the works used

WHY SHOULD I WRITE AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? To learn about your topic in preparation for a research project To develop a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current To review the literature and determine where your own research fits into the issues To read and respond to a variety of sources on a topic, developing a unique viewpoint through careful and critical reading

READING STRATEGIES Identify the author's thesis (central claim or purpose) or research question. Both the introduction and the conclusion can help you with this task. Look for repetition of key terms or ideas. Follow them through the text and see what the author does with them. Note especially the key terms that occur in the thesis or research question that governs the text. Pay attention to the opening sentence(s) of each paragraph, where authors often state concisely their main point in the paragraph. Look for paragraphs that summarize the argument. A section may sometimes begin or conclude with such a paragraph

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 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 Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic?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?

*WHAT INFORMATION TO INCLUDE A sentence or two on the general topic or research question that the work addresses A sentence or two on the thesis or argument of the work A sentence on the author's methodology: What kinds of sources are used? Is it a case study or an overview of scholarship on the subject? How is the book/article organized? Compare or contrast this work with another you have cited A sentence on how this source is relevant to your paper topic or how it will be helpful to your research and analysis

Summarize Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.

Assess After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?

Reflect Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

EXAMPLE #1 In this article, Nicholson explores the controversial question of whether, and to what extent, women participated in armed conflict during the Third Crusade [This sentence identifies the central question of the article]. After reviewing different historians' views on the issue, she examines the widely different depictions of women's participation in the crusade given in Muslim and Christian accounts [This sentence explains the sources that she used]. Nicholson exposes the biases within both Muslim and Christian accounts to examine how Muslim sources tended to exaggerate women's participation in armed conflict while Christian sources tended to conceal women's roles. Ultimately, she argues that while women played many important support roles during the Crusades, their participation in armed conflict was limited to extremely dire battles [The previous two sentences explain the thesis of the article]. This article provides an excellent overview of the primary and secondary sources associated with the debate over the participation of women in armed conflict during the Crusades; it will help to support my argument that, while they were essential to the Crusades, women were limited in the roles that they could play within them due to social stigma [This sentence explains how the article will be relevant to your essay].

EXAMPLE #2 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 sex 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. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

EXAMPLE #3 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. 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. Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.

EXAMPLE #4 Analysis of data gathered by the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods indicates that although racial and socioeconomic inequalities are relevant factors, they are not the singular or primary influences on neighborhood crime. Findings suggest that neighborhood violence is predicted by measures of informal social control, social cohesion and trust, and perceptions of violence. Consistent with the social organization model, collective efficacy is shown to mediate the influence of residential stability in predicting neighborhood violence.