Annotated Bibliography

As stated by the University of Purdue OWL: “A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following” (Purdue OWL, 2017). An annotated bibliography is frequently how researchers start to compile and digest large amounts of research in anticipation of using it for a research publication, such as a journal article, book, or research poster.

Annotations can do the following:

• 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? (Purdue OWL, 2017).

Assignment Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to help you analyze literature that you will use to frame your research project over the course of this term. You will use the articles from this annotation assignment in the next two papers you write in this class, the literature review and the in-depth article critique.

For this paper students will specifically work towards developing their voice as an academic and as a scientist. The paper should be written from a professional, rather than a personal perspective, which means, it will:

a. Be written from a third person, not first- person perspective.
b. Does not use slang.
c. Avoids use of direct quotes.
d. Avoids the use of first- person pronouns (I) and most second person pronouns (we, you).
Not use personal stories or merely anecdotal evidence, but rather, uses research and scientific evidence to argue and defend claims

Assignment Steps

Step 1: Provide a rough statement of your research focus for this term.

Step 2: Find 10 of the very best articles you can using the CRAAP method to identify that the resources are, to the best of your ability:

1. Peer-reviewed
2. Published within the last five years.
3. Meet basic muster for scientific rigor (reputable journal, credentialed authors…etc.)
4. Directly support your identified research statement or question.

Step 3: Narrow your 10 identified resources to the best 5. You will use these articles to write your annotated bibliography.

Step 4: Read each of the articles for your annotated bibliography closely with a critical eye. Remember that they must help answer your overarching research statement or question, avoid articles that are too general.

Step 5: Write your annotated bibliography using the following steps.

1. Set up your paper to be in APA format with a cover page, running head, and all other required structure. See the Online Writing Lab if you have questions: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
2. Place your defined research statement or question on the top of the first page of the paper body after the title.
3. Start each annotation with an APA citation of the article. Your citations should be listed in alphabetical order. Do not number them.
4. Briefly discuss the author’s qualifications- how are they able to discuss this topic in a way that ensures that they are experts?
5. Provide an overview, IN YOUR OWN WORDS, that includes the type of research study that was conducted, study participants, research methods that were used, and the study findings. Do not use the exact language that is provided in the article- use this time to distill important information into a framework you can use to write your literature review paper.
6. Discuss how effective you feel the article was in addressing their research question or topic.
7. Discuss how this article has strengths in answering your research question or statement.
8. The weaknesses of the study as applied to your research question or statement.

See the example paper on Canvas if you would like additional help and ideas on how you might write your own paper.

Assignment #1: APA Annotated Bibliography Assignment Rubric

APA Formatting and Quality
Annotated bibliography follows APA referencing format. /5
Overall, the paper is well-written, high quality, and follows all assignment instructions closely. /5
Bibliography
Each of the five articles are cited, in alphabetical order by author’s last name, and in APA format. /6
Authors qualifications and expertise is discussed. /6
Provides an overview of the research study, study participants, research methods, and study findings in the student’s own words. /10
Overall effectiveness and accuracy of the article in addressing the author’s research goals is discussed. /6
Strengths of the article in addressing the student’s research statement or question are discussed. /6
Weaknesses of the article in relationship to the student’s research statement or question are discussed. /6
Total /50

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