What is an Annotated Bibliography



Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is an overview of evidence selected for a specific topic. This list of evidence provides details related to the focus you have determined as essential for your topic. Generally, the details provide a critical review of evidence. The format includes the reference information followed by a paragraph or more of discussion; depending on the depth of the review you determine necessary to reflect the context of the evidence. Add important notes at the end related to other sources of evidence or future searches.

An annotated bibliography provides an opportunity for you to acquaint yourself with the relevant research for your topic. You can structure or present your evidence a number of ways:

• organized by theme

• organize chronologically to demonstrate how the research has changed or advanced over the years

• organize a section relevant to your conceptual or theoretical framework

• organize by similarities in findings or framework

How to get started?

When you begin you may just group all the sources together. As themes or similarities emerge, you can then group them into a specific area of focus.

Use headings to designate clusters of articles to keep them organized.

You may find that creating a not used section useful to list the articles you reviewed but decided were not on focus. One you will not spend time reviewing articles a second or third time and you may find you want to use the article later.

Each section may have a different focus (keep in mind what you are presenting and why).

Create a digital folder system to store the pdf of the article for future reference.

Formatting

Use APA formatting for the reference information. This will facilitate proper citing of sources and completion of the reference list.

You will present the reference followed by a critical and informative review you can then use as a primary source for examining the literature you have selected.

This would provide for efficiency in managing the sources you select as most important.

The What of an Annotated Bibliography

You can find a number of approaches for an annotated bibliography online using any search engine. As the expert in your study, you need to establish the critical elements that reflect the focus of the inquiry. The annotated bibliography may include but not limited to the following criteria:

• the full reference

• describe the aim or focus of the study

• describe when and where the study was conducted

• identify the stakeholders or audience for the study

• provide depth on the central focus of the study, include criteria and conceptual framework for the study

• provide relevant information related to the research methods

• present the findings or important implications for practice or research

• highlights strengths, weaknesses, or limitations relevant to your focus

• establish similarities or differences to other studies (be specific)

• Identify how the evidence relates to your study

Sample Entry

First, provide the reference using APA formatting. Second, review important criteria relevant to your focus.

In the sample which follows is a foundation for the start of an annotated bibliography.

(1) Smith, J.L., Jones, R. & Anderson, M. (2010). How to present your evidence using an annotated bibliography. Journal on Writing, 10(2),99-105. (Reminder use APA Format)

(2.) Smith et al. (2010) provide insights into the presentation of evidence relevant to advanced inquiry. They examined 200 reviews at a respected Division I University in the Mid-West. The population and where the study takes place are important. (3) The research was designed to determine how and when an annotated bibliography is most useful during the inquiry process. Identify any frameworks used in the study. The completion rate for the surveys and documents was 45%. (4) There were three significant findings. Describe the findings, highlight which are most important. They suggest the use of an annotated bibliography early in the inquiry process. (5) The strength was they provided samples of the best annotated bibliographies for others to review. (6) Similarly, Ford (2011) found the use of an annotated bibliography early on enhanced efficiency in the search process. (7) This research serves as a foundation to understanding the benefits to using an annotated bibliography.

Key

(1) Reference (2) Who, when, and where (3) Context and important notes on Research methods (4) Findings and implications for practice or research (5) Provide Strengths, Weaknesses and Limitations (6) Similarities and differences to the work of others (7) Articulate how the evidence informs your focus or inquiry.

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