An Annotated Bibliography is a documented collection of published research on a topic with concise summaries and evaluations of each source. That is to say, when you write an annotated bibliography, you are doing three things: (1) documenting your sources and listing them in alphabetical order by authors last name (or title if there is no author), (2) summarizing each source, and (3) evaluating each source by describing how the source might be useful to your project. Creating such a bibliography calls for the application of several important skills: informed library research, the ability to distinguish between different types of sources, an understanding of different research methodologies, close reading, and concise exposition and analysis. Annotated Bibliographies are also a great way for researchers to enter the academic conversation on their topic. They are often shared among scholars in various fields because they indicate the scope of a topic, organize research on a topic area, demonstrate the quality of sources, and prepare the way for future writing. Indeed, your sources and annotations from this assignment will make you an expert in your topic area and will become part of the next two papers this semester.
Task
Create an Annotated Bibliography with eight (8) published sources reflecting a diversity of perspectives in your topic area. At least five (5) of these sources must be scholarly, peer-reviewed sources. The other sources can be scholarly or popular. List sources alphabetically and cite them properly using the citation style your instructor has explained (MLA or APA). Beneath each citation, provide an accurate, concise, and informative annotation, in paragraph form, that addresses all of the following:
Author name(s), credentials, and background (briefly).
Type of source (report, study, peer-reviewed journal article, website, book, podcast episode, blog post, newspaper article, museum exhibition, etc.) and the main topic it addresses.
Summary of the sources methodology: authors use primary research (empirical; qualitative or quantitative); or, authors refer to secondary research and offer a meta-analysis; or, authors write an interpretive essay or article in which they draw on other authors and their ideas or concepts.
The main thesis and/or the conclusions most pertinent to your research questions or project goals. Avoid quotationsparaphrase instead, providing correct in-text parenthetical citations. Use author tags (such as According to X or As X suggests) in every sentence of your summary to attribute these details to the author(s) of the source.
Any limitations or biases in the source; consider the set-up of the primary research, or the study sample, or the scope of the research. Often, researchers will address some limitations themselves in their article.
Evaluation of how you might use the source in your upcoming essays. Use first-person metacommentary (such as I intend or I plan) in every sentence of your evaluation to attribute these details to yourself, and not the author(s) of your source.