Annotated Bibliographies PEGS’ Graduate Writing Institute for Excellence (GWIE) California State University, Dominquez Hills (CSUDH) (310) gwie4grads.org

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Review: Four Levels of Close Reading 1) Annotate (take notes, make predictions, respond to the source’s argument, question the text, write down ideas for research topics) 2) Paraphrase (put the author’s ideas in your words; explain the author’s claims in terms that are easy for you to understand) 3) Analyze (ask lots of questions, dig beneath the surface of the text, find connections to other sources) 4) Evaluate (assess the text’s usefulness for your argument)

Why Annotate a Source?  Helps to extract relevant pieces of information  Helps to organize details  Allows readers to determine whether a source is useful for their research

How to Annotate a Source  Read the source carefully & critically  Take notes, ask questions, make comments, make predictions, respond to the source’s argument, question the text, jot down main ideas  Label the content of each paragraph or section  Summarize the main points of the source’s text  Create a clear picture of what is presented in the source  Write down ideas for research topics based on the content of the source

Annotation Strategies  Use underlines, wavy lines, multiple colors, and highlighting to identify important concepts, to differentiate between ideas, and to note important details, dates, patterns, etc.  Use icons such as circles, asterisks, triangles to distinguish information  Define unfamiliar words or esoteric jargon  Write down questions prior to reading; answer during reading  After Reading:  Examine patterns/repetitions  Draw conclusions/Make inferences  Note any connections to other sources

Summarizing

Why Summarize a Source?  To extract main ideas and ignore irrelevant ones  To focus on key terms and phrases  To take a large body of work and condense it to areas of relevance  To monitor understanding of material

What is Summarizing?  A report of an author’s main ideas  A condensed version of the original text, highlighting key points, important concepts, and main ideas  Writing down the main ideas, themes, theories, arguments, methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations for further research

How to Summarize a Source  Review your annotations  Note the source’s main ideas and supporting details  Avoid adding irrelevant or unnecessary information  Write sentences in your own words to capture the source’s main ideas and supporting details  Use transitional words as necessary to maintain the flow of thought

Paraphrasing

Summarizing vs. Paraphrasing Summary  Identifies author’s main ideas  Simplifies complex arguments  Uses original words (i.e., synonyms) in an original way (i.e., syntax )  Shorter than the original Paraphrase  Uses author’s words and ideas without plagiarizing  Uses author’s words and ideas indirectly (i.e., without quoting directly)  Uses original words (i.e., synonyms ) in an original way (i.e., syntax )  Same length, sometimes longer, than the original

Why Paraphrase?  To show that the reading was understood (i.e., comprehension)  To confirm your memory of what was understood (i.e. retention)  To give a more detailed summary of relevant info  To give VOICE (your own unique voice!) to the ideas & info of others  Thus expressing your source’s ideas in your own words & in your own way (i.e., originality!)

How to Paraphrase  Read the selection until the meaning is clearly understood  Cover the selection and restate the main ideas using your own words ( synonyms ) in your won word order or sentence structure ( syntax )  Always cite your sources! (whether quoting directly or indirectly (remember: indirect quotes = paraphrases)  Compare your indirect quote with the direct quote to ensure accuracy and authority (i.e., originality)  Do not editorialize (i.e., DON’T include personal comments or perspectives in the paraphrase)

Paraphrasing Exercise Original quote: “An essential component of meaningful learning is the integration of new or target concepts into the learner’s framework of relevant concepts” (Ausubel, 2015, p. 30). ► Instructions: Paraphrase

“Mosaic” or “Patchwork” Plagiarism  Mosaic Plagiarism involves simply changing a few words or slightly reworking sentences or paragraphs  Patchwork Plagiarism involves directly copying passages from several sources, only changing a few words and perhaps the word order, then blending it all together without citing the borrowed info

Plagiarism (example) Source Quote: “The artist employed myriad colors to illustrate the transformation from the dream world to reality”(Brock, 2000, p. 123) Plagiarism: The painter used many colors to show the change from the imaginary world to actuality (Brock, 2000, p. 123).

Paraphrase (example) Source quote: “ “The artist employed myriad colors to illustrate the transformation from the dream world to reality” (Brock, 2000, p.123) Paraphrase: Color can be a way to show transitions, and in this case, the painter uses it to show where fiction ends and the real world begins (Brock, 2000, p. 123).

A Successful Paraphrase Source Quote: “An essential component of meaningful learning is the integration of new or target concepts into the learner’s framework of relevant concepts” (Ausubel, 2015, p. 30). Paraphrase: As Ausubel attests, students best learn new material by making connections between what they are studying and related ideas that they have learned in the past. That is, meaningful learning occurs when students apply what they do know to what they do not know (Ausubel, 2015, p. 30).

What is an Annotated Bibliography?  An Annotated Bibliography summarizes the main ideas, themes, topics, methodologies, arguments, results, conclusions, and recommendations of a number of sources  The Annotated Bibliography informs the researcher of the relevant information in a source and whether any of that information is useful for his/her research purposes  The Annotated Bibliography assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of the author’s argument, methodologies, and conclusions, particularly as these relate to your research goals

Why Create an Annotated Bibliography? A thorough annotation gives the researcher the full details and important information of a source so the researcher will not have to refer back to the article unless he/she needs a direct quotation

How to Create an Annotated Bibliography  Summarize and paraphrase the source:  What are the main topics and themes covered?  What is(are) the main argument(s)?  What methodologies does the source employ?  What is the point or purpose of this source?  If someone asked what this article/book were about, what would you say?

How to Create an Annotated Bibliography  Assess and evaluate the source’s utility or helpfulness:  How is this source useful in terms of your research question(s)/hypothesis(es)?  Is the source internally reliable? Are its conclusions valid? Why?  What is the goal or purpose of this source?  How does this source compare or relate to other sources in your bibliography?

How to Create an Annotated Bibliography  Critically Reflect on the source:  Was this source helpful to you? Why or why not?  How does the source help shape your argument?  How can you use this source in your research project?  Has the source changed the way you think about your project?

References Porter, O’Donnell (2004). Beyond the yellow highlighter: Teaching annotation skills to improve reading comprehension. English Journal 93(5), Purdue OWL: The Writing Lab