How can i write an annotated bibliography

It is important that you read your instructions carefully. In instances where you are asked to reflect on how useful the source is for your own research, you will usually write a sentence or two stating whether or not the source will be helpful, and a brief explanation of why or why not. For example:. This article assisted me in understanding the relationship between medieval religious spaces and the performance of religious ritual.

Although it did not examine French convents, which is the focus of my essay, the methodology used by the author might be applied to my own study. This study will be useful for my assignment as it presents a detailed overview of similar literature, and contributes to the overall discussion on the role of chocolate in human wellbeing.

This tutorial has covered the essential components of an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography will usually include a reference in some units this is referred to as a citation and an annotation. However, it is important to read the specific instructions you have been given, as what needs to be included, and how you will structure the information, differs between units. Home Courses Library Donate.

Previous menu Toggle navigation. Why is academic integrity important? What is academic integrity? How can I study with integrity? Test your understanding Test your understanding Find out more Find out more Case note assignment Case note assignment Case note assignment Understanding case notes and marker expectations Understanding case notes and marker expectations Identifying the elements of a case note Identifying the elements of a case note Finding materials Finding materials Analysing materials Analysing materials Better writing Better writing Summary Summary Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Health Sciences case report Health Sciences case report Reflective writing and critical incidents Reflective writing and critical incidents Writing the comparative report Writing the comparative report Writing in Psychological Medicine Writing in Psychological Medicine Writing in Psychological Medicine 1.

Case history 1. Case history 2. Mental state examination 2. Mental state examination 3. Physical examination 3. Physical examination 4. Summary and diagnosis 4. Summary and diagnosis 5. Formulation 5. Formulation 6. 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. 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.

For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, see How to Critically Analyze Information Sources. For information on the author's background and views, ask at the reference desk for help finding appropriate biographical reference materials and book review sources. Define the scope of your research carefully so that you can make good judgments about what to include and exclude. Your research should attempt to be reasonably comprehensive within well-defined boundaries.

Consider these questions to help you find appropriate limits for your research:. An annotation briefly restates the main argument of a source. An annotation of an academic source, for example, typically identifies its thesis or research question, or hypothesis , its major methods of investigation, and its main conclusions. Keep in mind that identifying the argument of a source is a different task than describing or listing its contents.

Rather than listing contents see Example 1 below , an annotation should account for why the contents are there see Example 2 below. Critically analyzing all these different areas helps you evaluate if a source is credible , helpful to your project or research, and works to answer your thesis. Therefore, there are different ways you can create them, depending on your intent. You might choose to use descriptive, summary, or evaluation in your annotations or a combination of all three.

Just remember to always include what your instructor asks for. Descriptive or indicative annotations do just what they say. They describe the source. Indicative annotations give you a quick summary of the source and argument and describe the main points and even chapters within the source. See how this indicative annotation example in MLA works. Zachs, Mitch. This book covers a wide variety of strategies used in the stock market throughout the years to improve performance. Summary annotations simply provide a summary of your different sources.

Within them, you describe the main arguments or points along with the various topics covered. This is where you show why this source was essential and made it to your list. See an example of informative annotations at play. Doerr, John. This book is written by Doerr, who is the chair of a venture capitalist group. These are first-person, behind-the-scenes case studies narrated by leaders like Bill Gates. This book helps guide understanding of the business management strategies that drive the success of large companies.

Your annotations might stop at summarizing, or you could take it a step further by evaluating the source. To do this, you want to compare and contrast it. Why did this one make the cut? Explain the overarching goal of the source and why it fits into your paper so well. Additionally, you want to look at the reliability of the information and any bias it might have. Dig deep into your source like in this example. Wilson, John Philip.