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

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Fulfilling expectations An Overview Purpose Formatting/ Organization Fulfilling expectations

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

1. The Annotated Bibliography

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)

Annotated Bibliography Teaches about a particular topic Demonstrates a source’s value Shows depth/breadth of research

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

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.

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

Annotated Bibliography: Example

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

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? Let’s start with the summary element. After reading a source and determining how it would fit into your research or topic, your natural instinct is to, typically, summarize the source. When creating a summary paragraph for an annotation, some questions to answer and include within your summary paragraph could be: What is the topic and purpose of the study? What actions did the author perform within the study and why? What were the methods? What was the theoretical basis? What were the conclusions of the study? These questions hit at all key elements of a study and give your reader a high-level view of that source.

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. Some strategies to creating a summary paragraph are to jot down notes on the facts of the article—the who, why, and what—while reading it. This makes beginning your summary easier, because you already have the key points down. The phrasing of the summary should be in the past tense per APA, so use phrases like “Smith and Jones found…” or “stated.” Do note, though, that a summary paragraph should not be the exact abstract of the article. Avoid the temptation to copy/paste the abstract information into an annotation and instead summarize the source in your own words. It’s also tempting to include a ton of details because the article is so fascinating or because you don’t want to leave anything out. If you limit your paragraph to just the purpose, methods, and findings, you will be including the essential information without overloading the reader.

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. Let’s take a look at this sample summary paragraph from actual student work. I won’t read this entire paragraph to you, but I’ll quickly highlight what the author is doing here. [CLICK] First, this opening line of the annotation immediately discusses the purpose of the article. The reader does not have to dig through a lot of background information to get to the “meat” of the summary. [CLICK] Also, this writer briefly refers to the methods—a survey—before heading into the findings [CLICK].

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? The next element is the critique or analysis portion. This aspect is often neglected by students, but it is really the most important to you as the future researcher and to your reader. To help create this paragraph, try answering the following questions: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the article? These could relate to the methodology, the author’s language choices, organization, level of detail What, if any, information is missing? Is researcher bias present? Is the article scholarly or generalizable? Why or why not?

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.” The best way to ensure you don’t forget to include analysis is to ask yourself questions while reading the article. Afterward, jot down all of the strengths you identified and all of the weaknesses. As you begin to write, give a general overall critique. Overall, did you think the article was successful or unsuccessful? After that general view get more specific by providing details and examples; that way, you “prove” to the reader that your assessment is a solid one. Students sometimes feel the need to be “nice” to the author in the analysis paragraph just because the article has been peer reviewed or published. Remember, though, that the majority of published authors in the social science field were once students, and there is always room for revision or areas for improvement. If you wished that the author had place more emphasis on a particular result or included more tables in the article to aid readability, feel free to refer to these missing elements and explain how they could have improved the source. Your reader will know that you not only engaged with the topic of the article but also the method and mode of the written aspect.

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. In this student example, the author gives his overall critique of the article up front, in the topic sentence. [Click] He notes that Masterson et al. did contribute to research but made a few potential mistakes. [Click] Next, the student gives specific examples of two of those weaknesses. He finishes the paragraph with a call for further research that would be more reliable.

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? The final element to an annotation is the application paragraph, which is also sometimes referred to as the value paragraph. This element can be just as tricky as analysis, as it requires you the writer to view a source not just by methods or written quality but as a piece of literature in the broader field of research. To do so, you will want to answer these types of 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? Don’t feel any pressure to “get it right,” though. Remember this annotation is your interpretation of the applicability of a source, so as long as you have support to back up your claims, your reader will understand your rationale.

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. Before creating the application paragraph, which is often the shortest paragraph in an annotation, list three things you’ve learned from the article. These things can help you understand the overall value of the article, both to you as a scholar, but also to your field. You might also want to focus on how this source is unique—what does it bring to the profession that others do not? Think also about how the source contributes to your future research. Will you adjust anything about your application based on what you’ve learned from this article? For instance, do you need a wider audience, a different type of survey, or a more specific research question?

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. In this sample paragraph, the writer begins with why the study is valuable [CLICK], followed by what the professional field should do with the information provided. [CLICK] Additionally, the writer explains that the study will be the model for her KAM Application project. [CLICK]

All Together Now!

Annotated Bibliography vs. Literature Review Annotated bibliography = precursor to a literature review Literature review = foundation for one’s research An annotated is often a precursor to a literature review, as it allows an author to collect sources and determine their value to a particular topic or area of research. In a literature review, the author uses the sources to create a foundation for his/her research.

2. The Literature Review

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

Literature review matrices Zotero Helpful tools

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

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

Zotero Reference Manager 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

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

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

References (He just checked out our Common Reference 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 Examples page.) →

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