How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography

http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/print/3187

olinuris.library.cornell.edu Published on olinuris.library.cornell.edu (http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu)
Home > Printer-friendly

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
Versión española: Cómo Preparar una Bibliografía Anotada WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS THE PROCESS CRITICALLY APPRAISING THE BOOK, ARTICLE, OR DOCUMENT CHOOSING THE CORRECT FORMAT FOR THE CITATIONS SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? An annotated bibliography is 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. ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author 's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority. Return to the top THE PROCESS Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research. First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the

1 of 3

03-Apr-11 5:33 PM

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography

http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/print/3187

actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article.

Citations: Check with your instructor to find out which style is preferred for your class. Online citation guides for both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles are linked from the Library 's Citation Management page. SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE The following example uses the APA format for the journal citation. Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51 (4), 541-554. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living. This example uses the MLA format for the journal citation. NOTE: Standard MLA practice requires double spacing within citations. 2 of 3 03-Apr-11 5:33 PM How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/print/3187 Waite, Linda J., Frances Kobrin Goldscheider, and Christina Witsberger. "Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review 51.4 (1986): 541-554. Print. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living. Return to the top Go to Library Research: A Hypertext Guide Last revised 1 April 2011 [MOE] Michael Engle, Amy Blumenthal, and Tony Cosgrave Olin Reference, Research & Learning Services Conditions for the use of this Web page Section: services_research_guides Page Contact: moe1 services_research_guides Source URL: http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm Subject Guides 3 of 3 03-Apr-11 5:33 PM