What is an annotated bibliography?
For those of you who are new to this activity, an annotated bibliography is a partial list of sources on your topic that include each source's full MLA citation, as well as a summary of the resource's content. This short of activity allows us the opportunity to practice breaking down an article into it key elements (topic, evidence, argument, etc), and shows us how different resources might engage in an intellectual conversation. It also allows us to support our classmates and other researchers who are seeking answers to similar questions.
Click HERE to learn more about Annotated Bibliographies from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
Click HERE to learn more about Annotated Bibliographies from The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina.
Click HERE to learn more about Annotated Bibliographies from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
Click HERE to learn more about Annotated Bibliographies from The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina.
Step #1 - Choose a focus area.
As part of our unit on The Power of Relationships, your annotated bibliography should focus on one of the following areas:
- Inter-generational Relationships
- The Loneliness Epidemic
- Aging in America
- Reminiscence Therapy
Step #2 - Develop a potential research question.
What question, related to the topic above, are you seeking to answer. For an unrelated example, a student exploring the topic of "Teacher Empathy" might attempt to answer the question, "can simulation learning increase teacher empathy?" Use both the topic as well as you research question as you search for resources.
Step #3 - Conduct research
Using resources available through our Media Center and through the Internet, select five (5) academically-appropriate articles that deepen your understanding of your selected topic. At least two (2) of your resources must be accessed through INFOhio.
Step #4 - Build the annotated bibliography.
For each article you choose, you are to begin with the full MLA citation (much like you would include on a Works Cited page. The annotation will immediately follow the citation. For the sake of this assignment, you are doing a summary annotation, which according to The Writing Lab at the University of North Carolina is defined by the following elements:
Click HERE, HERE or HERE to see a sample annotated bibliography.
- They sum up the content of the source, as a book report might.
- They give an overview of the arguments and proofs/evidence addressed in the work and note the resulting conclusion.
- They do not judge the work they are discussing. Leave that to the critical/evaluative annotations.
- When appropriate, they describe the author’s methodology or approach to material. For instance, you might mention if the source is an ethnography or if the author employs a particular kind of theory.
Click HERE, HERE or HERE to see a sample annotated bibliography.
Step #5 - Edit, revise and submit your annotated bibliography.
As with any academic or professional work you engage in, please make time to edit and revise so that you share the most polished, effective communications possible. You might consider asking a classmate to proofread for grammatical/spelling errors, or asking parent or sibling to read for content and clarity.