Skip to Main Content

SOCW 4362 Social Research

This guide is intended to help students learn basic research skills for the SOCW 4362 Social Research Course.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

A annotated bibliography is a list of citations/references used in your research paper that include annotated notes that are descriptive evaluation of the resource. These descriptive evaluations usually are 150 - 200 words and should not be confused with abstracts from the resource you are annotating. Abstracts are descriptive summaries of the article and do not include a critical analysis of the article.

Annotated bibliographies are helpful when you need to reference back to the resource you are citing. If done correctly the annotated bibliography can serve as your reference point and reminders of the information you thought important about the resource.

Examples of how to structure your annotated bibliography based on your courses citation source can be found at OWL Purdue - Annotated Bibliography Examples.

What is an Annotated Bibliography? (2020) by OWL Purdue.

Structuring Your Annotated Bib

So, you have all your resources ready and in the proper format following the citation source your professor wants you to use, huh? Now what? It is time to start your annotated bibliography (bib).

Here is what you will need to include in your annotated bib:

CITATION/REFERENCE (full citation based on the citation source for your course)

Annotation notes: This section should be indented.

Your annotated notes should include a summary of the literature capturing the theme and scope of the article, the authority of background on the author(s), compare and contrast this article with other articles you have cited, and connect how this article relates to your overall bibliography topic and the research question you are answering with your references.

Remember to be critical and descriptive so you get the most out of your annotations.

 

If you need help structuring your annotated bibliography or do not know how to start, contact a librarian through chat, or schedule an appointment through this link: Make an Appointment