Each student will submit an annotated bibliography of 8-10 scholarly sources related to the research question he or she has proposed. Use the UTPB Dunagan Library resources for this assignment. Do no
How t o Write an Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography is a list of sources that you have found in the preliminary research you ha ve done about your research question. You add annotations , or brief notes about the list items, as you find the item s. The annotated bibliography serves a number of purposes for student researchers.  It helps you increase your efficiency. Quality research takes time; an ann otated bibliography assignment is often given early in the term to help you get started.  It helps you divide up your research question into manageable pieces .  It helps you to see what has been said about your research question and what has not yet been said; in other words, it helps you see gaps in our knowledge that you might be able to fill .  It helps you keep track of the source material you have found and reduces the frustration of fumblin g through the research . It is better to use sources you have not already used in previous assignments , since the goal of the annotated bibliography is to gather and critique new information. You may use familiar sources , such a s textbook chapters, for your paper draft, but using them in the annotated bibliography only make s your research more difficult in the long run. Parts of an Annotation Each annotation should contain three parts: 1. Proper citation of the source , according to the assigned style guide (A PA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and so on) 2. Brief summary of key points; paraphrased and quoted passages cited correctly 3. Analysis of the source’s credibility an d authority, and of the way you plan to use the source in your own work Summary Write a brief paragraph that summarize s material that you foresee using in your paper (such material would include quotes, paraphrased passages , and in -text citations).  Do not summarize absolutely everything the author says in the work.  Do include a focused summation of what you like or dislike about the article and what information in the article is relevant to your topic.  Do note items that you disagree with, as they wil l be effective in discussing opposing viewpoints and making a counter -argument.  Do use quotation marks around directly quoted words, phrases, or passages that you include.  Do cite paraphrased and quoted passages correctly using in-text citations ; include page numbers . Source Analysis Write a brief paragraph in which you analyze the reliability of each source by considering the following issues .  Is the article timely and/or current?  Is the author an authority on the issue? If so, descri be what makes the author an authority. If not, describe why the author’s view should or should not be accepted by a reader.  Is the source of the article (where it was published) reliable? What makes it reliable?  Is there a bias toward any particular viewp oint or does the author seem objective?  Does the information seem well researched and supported? How so?  To what audience does the author seem to be writing? Annotated Bibliography Page 2 Source Materials Annotated bibliographies can include any reliable source materials, including the following .  Books – Find academic publications in the library online catalog and the ebook database . – Searc h at other research libraries or the Library of Congress . – Use the Interlibrary Loan service to locate books that our library does not own.  Academic journals – Use the library ’s academic databases: EBSCO, WilsonWeb, ERIC, etc. – Remember that our library subscribes to some print journals. – Avoid listing art icles based on just an abstract; use book revie ws sparingly.  Magazine and newspaper articles – Find magaz ine and newspaper articles in the Reader’s Guide to Periodic Literature – Use our periodical databases, including FirstSearch , Lexis -Nexis 1 or other indexes – Ask at the Library Reference Desk for help  Web pages – Be careful! Evaluate the credibility and validi ty of individual web pages. – Avoid this type of source unless it is central to your resear ch question . You may choose to use websites for professional organizations or organizations that are widely recognized in the profession. – Use Zotero or another online too l to keep track of these sources and automatically enter them into your personal database . – Evaluate blogs carefully and be aware of the drawbacks of wikis.  Other sources – Brochures – Information pamphlets – White papers (documents produced by g overnment agencies and local organizations) – Interviews 1 The UTPB Dunagan Library does not currently subscribe to Lexis -Nexis, but other libraries do.