Write PERFECT Annotations for Your Annotated Bibliography

Summary

This video teaches how to create stellar annotations for annotated bibliographies. It explains that an annotated bibliography includes notes on references, broken down into three parts: summarizing the source, evaluating its credibility, and explaining its relevance to your research. The video walks through examples, showing how to effectively summarize by focusing on purpose, methodology, and conclusions, evaluate the source's strengths and weaknesses, and highlight its usefulness. Following these steps helps build a well-structured bibliography that strengthens the foundation of your research.

Takeaways

• 📚 An annotated bibliography involves adding notes to your references, focusing on a summary, evaluation, and relevance.
• 📝 To summarize a source, provide a brief overview of the key points relevant to your research, such as the purpose, methods, and conclusion.
• 🔍 When evaluating a source, assess its credibility by analyzing factors like study size, scope, and potential biases.
• ⚖️ Also consider what the research does not cover, such as limitations or alternative perspectives that aren't included.
• 📊 The summary should address the purpose of the research, how it was conducted, and the main conclusions.
• 🔑 The evaluation section should state what the source contains (credibility) and what it lacks (limitations or bias).
• 💡 Relevance is key: explain how the source is useful to your research and how it contributes to the overall picture.
• 👥 Use the source to support different aspects of your research, such as setting a foundation or backing up claims.
• 🧩 Annotated bibliographies help organize research material, making it easier to integrate into literature reviews later on.
• 📈 Following a consistent formula of summary, evaluation, and relevance simplifies the process of writing annotations.

Q & A

What is an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a list of references with added notes that summarize, evaluate, and explain the relevance of each source to your research.

What are the three main components of an annotation?

The three main components of an annotation are: a summary of the source, an evaluation of the source, and an explanation of its relevance to the research.

How should you summarize a source in an annotated bibliography?

To summarize a source, provide a brief overview by paraphrasing the information that is most relevant to your research, such as the purpose, research method, or conclusion of the study.

What is an example of a source summary on the topic of social media’s impact on teenage mental health?

An example summary might be: 'K. Wom Lee focuses on the increasing rates of anxiety disorders among teenagers and attributes this rise to social media use. The article presents findings from a study involving 500 teenagers over four years, showing a 67% increase in anxiety disorders among daily social media users.'

How do you evaluate the credibility of a source?

To evaluate credibility, assess whether the source contains reliable, high-quality research, such as peer-reviewed studies, and consider aspects like the size, scope, and time frame of the research. Additionally, look for any limitations or biases in the perspective of the author.

What is an example of an evaluation of a source’s credibility?

An example evaluation could be: 'The study is methodologically sound and peer-reviewed, which adds to its credibility. However, it does not consider other factors like academic pressure or family issues that might contribute to rising anxiety levels.'

Why is it important to assess what a source does not contain?

Assessing what a source does not contain helps identify potential biases or limitations in the research, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the topic and revealing areas where further research might be needed.

How do you determine a source’s relevance to your research?

To determine relevance, explain how the source contributes to your overall research, highlighting its importance to specific sections or arguments in your work.

What is an example of explaining a source’s relevance?

An example of explaining relevance might be: 'This source is particularly relevant for discussing the impact of social media on teenagers, a demographic that is highly active online and experiencing mental health issues. It will be useful for a section on age-specific impacts.'

What is the purpose of the relevance section in an annotation?

The relevance section helps organize research by explaining how each source contributes to the overall argument or framework of the paper, making it easier to integrate sources when writing later sections, like a literature review.