Assignment: The Annotated Bibliography
Objective: Assess sources for your research paper (for credibility, reliability and relevance) and list references in proper APA format.
Instructions: The Research Project/Paper for this class is divided into three major Assignments, 1) annotated bibliography, 2) abstract, and 3) final paper. The first part is the annotated bibliography. An annotation* (see note on annotations vs. abstracts below) is a is a summary and/or evaluation, and your annotated bibliography will include a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources (or references) you will use for your paper.
Your paper must include a minimum of three sources and these are to be included in this assignment, i.e. you are to write an annotation for each source. However you must use five or more sources in your final paper.
The reason the annotated bibliography is included as part of the research paper is because writing an annotated bibliography is important in that it provides excellent preparation for the final paper. One of the issues regarding any type of research, especially in the biosciences, medical, health/nutrition and exercise/fitness fields, is the credibility of the sources used, particularly those obtained from various websites. By forcing you to carefully evaluate each of your potential sources, the annotated bibliography helps you determine if in fact the source you chose is credible and also helps you determine how relevant it is to your topic and understand the topic better which will help you write your paper.
For this project, your annotated bibliography will include: 1) a complete citation for each source, 2) a summary of each source, 3) an assessment/evaluation of each source, and 4) a critique of each source. Three sources are required.
1. Citation:
Written in APA format. For more help with formatting, see APA handout.
1. Summary:
What is purpose of the source, review article, original research? What topics are covered? This is generally 1 -3 sentences that summarize the author's main point. For more help, see this link on paraphrasingsources.
1. Assessment:
After summarizing the article (or research paper or book) it is necessary to evaluate it and also where you found it - its source (e.g. journal, website, etc). Briefly answer the following questions:
What is the format or type of source. How reliable is the information in the article and how credible is the source and the author(s)? Is this article biased or objective?
For more help, see this handout on evaluating resources.
1. Critique:
Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Why is this source relevant to your research paper and how can you use this source in your research project? What are the strengths and weaknesses? It is biased in any way? Compare the source with other sources in your bibliography.
*Annotations vs. Abstracts
Annotations in an annotated bibliography perform three functions: specify the source, evaluate the source, and critique the source. The annotation is a concise description of a particular source. It enables the researcher to establish the relevance of a specific journal article, book, research report, or government document, etc. Abstracts, on the other hand, are descriptive summaries that precede scholarly journal articles or can be found standing alone in periodical databases and are more detailed in this respect. Later in the course, Assignment 3 will specifically cover the abstract.
Additional Resources:
• SampleAnnotated Bibliography
• Also please see the resources below at The Owl at Purdue site for more information on how to write an annotated bibliography as well as other pages on the site to assist you with the other parts of the research paper.