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Behavioral Science Research Methods

The Annotated Bibliograph: An Overview

An annotated bibliography is a list of references, similar to a works cited page, that also includes a brief paragraph describing and evaluating each source (book, article, document, video, etc.).

The annotated bibliography should provide:

  • BOTH a summary and evaluation of each source
  • What are the main points or argument (thesis) made by the author(s)?
  • What research methods were used and evidence presented?
  • What conclusions does the author(s) make?
  • What is the author's expertise in this area?
  • Does the author(s) present a particular point of view or opinion?
  • Is the information presented reliable and well-researched?  
  • Why is this a useful source for your topic or research?
  • How does the information presented compare with other sources about your topic?
  • Does this source add new information or update what other sources have presented? 

An annotated bibliography may be a stand-alone project or a first step in writing a research paper. 

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

The Cornell University Library has defined an annotated bibliography as:
 
a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
In other words you are creating a paragraph that others may read to get a general idea of what your sources are about. The hardest part is being concise with your information. Annotations take practice but once you get the hang of it they are easy. Here are the steps to follow:
A: Talk about the author. (1 sentence)
Is this a professor? Maybe this is a professional in the field? Or is this person a hobbyist? Tell the audience about the author in the first part of the annotation.
B: Explain what the article is about. (1-3 sentences)
Tell the audience what is in the article. This is the most difficult part of the annotation because it requires you to be very succinct. Don’t rewrite the article; just write the base facts and important notes about the article here.
C: Explain how this article illuminates your bibliography topic. (1-2 sentences)
What about this article makes it relevant to your topic? Why did you select it? What pertinent bit of information makes this article stand out among the others?
D: Compare or contrast this work with another you have cited. (1-2 sentences)
How does this specific article relate to another article in your annotated bibliography? Do they agree or not? Why not? What makes them unique?

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