Annotated
Bibliographies
By:
Karen Hornberger
Library Media Specialist
Palisades High School
What is an annotated
bibliography?
An annotated bibliography goes beyond a
traditional Works Cited page.
In addition to properly citing your sources in the
citation format preferred by your teacher, a
150-200 word paragraph follows.
In that paragraph, you summarize the source
and justify your selection of this source by
evaluating its relevance and authority and
unique value to your research.
When do you create your
annotated bibliography?
It is preferred that you annotate your
bibliography when you are initiating your
research since this will help you become
more familiar with the purpose of each of
your sources to you provide focus during
research.
What will it look like?
We had a contest one day in class and named a winner! Here is his annotated
bibliography:
NCSA Athletic Recruiting. National Collegiate Scouting Association, n.d. Web. 1
Mar. 2013. <http://www.ncsasports.org/how-do-you-get-recruited>.
The steps to learning how to be recruited, recruiting do's and don'ts, scholarship
statistics, and coach communications are all different topics that can be found
on this website. The National Collegiate Scouting Association website is very
beneficial compared to other websites because it does not just inform the reader
on one topic. It supplies copious amounts of information compared to other
websites in which only usually touch on one topic of the college recruiting
process. The authors of each page on the website are professionals and work for
the NCAA and NCSA. Therefore, all the information is well-researched and
extremely accurate. These authors are very knowledgeable in what
they're saying, due to the fact that college sports is their life. They are
well acquainted with college sports and all the aspects of recruiting, making this
website a reliable source of information.
An Idea…and a warning
Search for more examples on the web!
There are great examples out there!!!!
DO NOT only summarize your source – there
must be more to your annotation than a
summarization. Also, DO NOT copy an
abstract/summary provided – that is
considered plagiarism.
Your research skills are developing
…you have stopped using the first book you find on
your subject and begin to systematically search
multiple locations for the very best sources.
Print
books
eBook
collections
Article and scholarly
journal databases
Inter-library
loans
Trending sources of
information such as Twitter or
Google Sites
You seek to balance your sources
How will each source that you select add unique value to your research?
Image from:
Winnifredxoxo. "Balance scale." Flickr. N.p., 23 May 2011. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/61056899@N06/5751301741/>.
Your source may add balance in terms of the author’s
perspective:
an important cultural perspective
a differing political perspective
a religious perspective
If you have selected a source which provides a unique and
important perspective, you will want to mention that in the
annotation.
If you feel it is biased, yet still useful, be sure to mention that
in your annotation and discuss how it is a limitation but how
you will balance the bias with an additional resource and
which resource it is that will provide that balance.
Your source may add balance in terms of
source type:
Primary sources will give you a unique, first-hand,
perspective.
A quality Secondary source may provide more thorough
analytical perspectives.
A scholarly journal is a secondary source which often
communicates research findings within a particular field of
study.
If the type of source that you have selected is especially pertinent to its value to your
research, you will want to mention that in the annotation.
For instance, you will not just state that your source is a secondary source, but you might
elaborate by mentioning that it was highly useful in its evaluation of the impact of the
event/topic through the years, framing its legacy.
Another way your source may add balance
in terms of source type:
Is your source an extremely quantitative
(providing statistics or other data) source
which provides a numeric framework to your
reader?
If you have selected a heavily quantitative
source, you will want to make mention of it’s
quantitative value as a resource.
Your source may add balance to your
outline:
Is your source especially useful to one sub-topic
within your outline?
Was it a source that you used heavily to support
one area within your research?
You will want to make mention, through the
annotation, if your source was especially useful
in supporting one specific area of your research.
Quality & Reliability of source
Can you prove that you have consulted quality sources?
Has your source been printed in a highly respected journal?
Was your source part of a nationally renowned study or
survey?
Is your source authored by a respected professional in your
field of study or a respected association?
Be certain to make mention of the credibility and reliability of
the source within the annotation.
Copyright of Source
The copyright is a really easy way for a teacher or professor to make a
quick judgment about your research.
Are your copyright dates current (ideally within the last five years but
no older than the last 10)?
Do you need to justify the inclusion of an older copyright date?
Is this a classic work which enlightens your reader on the origin of your
topic (not the history, but the origin of intellectual recognition of your
topic)?
Be aware of your copyright dates and be sure to be able to
proactively defend each older copyright date through your annotated
bibliography.
Comparison/Contrast
If you were to essentially “lay your sources all
out on a table” how does is your source unique
in comparison to the others you are consulting?
You may compare/contrast to other resources
within your bibliography.
For example, “This study performed by Stephens
analyzes high school dropouts’ socioeconomic
status while the study that will be referenced
authored by Hardin analyzes the effects of
blended learning on student achievement and
attrition.”
You must JUSTIFY your selection of each source.
age from:
oi Media Group. "I am Special." Flickr. N.p., 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/quoimedia/5480429032/>.
By justifying the importance of
each source, you are:
 Letting
your teacher know that you are
not a haphazard researcher
 Letting
your teacher know that you are
intentionally and systematically
conducted your research.
Reminders and suggestions
Suggestion: There are really good resources on YouTube
describing how to create an annotated bibliography.
Reminders:
1.
For the citation portion of the annotated bibliography,
follow the citation format designated by your instructor
2.
For the annotation portion include a quick summary and
follow with mention of the unique qualities of your source.
Be sure to mention the source’s validity in addition to its
unique value.
3.
Your annotation should be about 150-200 words – your
goal is to be concise while including the elements of
summary, unique value to your research (including
strengths and limitations), and validity/authority.
GOOD LUCK!
You can do it!
…and you can
do it WELL 