Checklist (RTF File)

Overview

An annotated bibliography is, as the title suggests, a bibliography of sources with "annotations," or evaluative notes, for each source.

Annotated bibliographies can serve several different purposes, including:

• helping you sort and organize information (which often proves useful when you need to do more research or locate more details on a particularfor topic).
• providing others with an effective starting point for understanding a topic and/or pursuing additional research.
• helping other readers assess the quality and scope of your research.
• exposing the biases in your research

Content

For each work listed, include the complete bibliographic citation, in the appropriate format, followed by a one-paragraph annotation (typically ~250 words).

Common Bibliographic Formats:

APA | MLA

Although some annotated bibliographies present only non-judgemental abstracts for each entry, more often the annotation is essentially an "abstract plus." That is, it briefly summarizes the content of the article (usually in a sentence or two), then evaluates the source, including information such as:

• The qualifications of the authors
• The intended audience
• The usefulness of the source
• Any evident biases
• Any limitations or weaknesses (e.g. areas not covered, reading difficulty, lack of supporting evidence, etc.)
• Comparisons to other sources

Writing Tips

In addition to the writing tips for abstracts, which should help you write the basic summary, use the following questions to help you evaluate each source:

• Authority: What do you know about the author(s)? Does the article or the periodical provide any biographical information (either at the end of the article or in a section on Contributors)? Are they experts in their field? What credentials do they have?
• Audience/Readability: Who do you think the article is written for? What background knowledge does it assume? How much jargon or insider information does it rely on? Can a lay person understand it, or does it require a certain level of expertise in the field?
• Usefulness: How does the source fit into your project? What kind or category of information does it provide? Does it offer new information, or is it simply a rehash of material you found elsewhere? How easy is it read?
• Biases: Do the authors seem to be arguing from a particular point of view? Are they "for" or "against" the topic at hand? Carefully consider what impression you have after reading the document - are you persuaded in any way?
• Limitations: What information does the article leave out? What does it not clearly explain? Where does it fail to support its claims?
• Comparisons: How does this article "stack up" against the other material you've found? Is it more useful? Does it fill a gap? Is it too difficult or dense? Does it repeat other information in simpler (or more complex) terms?

Examples of Evaluative Annotated Bibliographies:

The Skeptic Annotated Bibliography on Astrology

Annotated bibliography of the Apollo Space Program

Cyberculture: An Annotated Bibliography

Herbs and Herb Gardening: An Annotated Bibliography ("Books" section)

Annotated Bibliography of Articles for the Statistics User

 

Executive Summaries-->