Overview
Goal: The goal of an annotated bibliography is to help you think about your sources and their value. The Online Writing Lab at Purdue sums it up nicely (emphasis added):
Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you’re forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information…To help you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you’ll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you’ll then be able to develop your own point of view (Purdue OWL).
We’ve talked this semester about the importance of creating knowledge, rather than just repeating/transcribing other people’s knowledge. In order to know where/when/how you can add original ideas, it is important to know what has been said before you. The annotated bibliography will help with that.
“Purdue OWL.” Purdue OWL: Annotated Bibliographies. OWL at Purdue, n.d. Web. 29 May 2017.
Annotated Bibliography Instructions Pt 1
Nuts and Bolts: For each of your 8 (minimum) sources (Six Scholarly, Two Non-scholarly), please provide 150-200 word (minimum) annotations which describe, briefly:
the relevant content of the source
what it contributes to the conversation/discourse of your topic
in what way it is valuable or useful for you in your project.
Additionally, you should discuss what makes this source, in your eyes, credible (and, for your scholarly sources, how you know it is scholarly).
Generally, there are 3 types of annotations used – summative (this is what it says), evaluative (this is how useful it is), and reflective (this is what I used it for). Your annotations for this assignment should focus on a combination of summative and reflective.
You may use either MLA or APA citation style (pick one and be consistent). The format should be as follows: A complete bibliographical citation followed by a single-spaced and thorough annotation.
Annotated Bibliography Instructions Pt 2 — Synthesis
Please make sure to submit both in one document. Following the Annotated Bibliography, you will compose a brief synthesis document which utilizes a minimum of 5 of your sources.
The goal of this document is to identify important and relevant moments of OVERLAP and GAP amongst the research sources you’ve read.
You should use synthesis (using what is known information from 2 or more sources and combining it to conclude something new) to:
identify what are questions/answers that seem consistent across the discourse, as well as what are some unanswered/unasked questions in the discourse
attempt to find an “entry point” into the conversation — what can YOU contribute, having now caught yourself up on he scholarly conversation.
put multiple sources in conversation with one another (at least two per paragraph)
discuss similarities (overlap) and divergences in findings/perspectives/opinions/methodologies etc between related sources
draw conclusions about what is know and what needs to be further researched in the field/unknown
This document should be:
double-spaced
12 pt font
1 inch margins
In-text citations should be utilized and should refer back to the full citations of the Annotated Bibliography
a response of 500 words or more here is appropriate.
What Does “Scholarly” Mean?
We might have a preconceived notion about what the term “Scholarly” means in terms of “Scholarly Sources.” Let us clear up the definition for our own uses in this course.
In order for a source to be considered “Scholarly” we should be able to identify some or all of the following:
Does this source have well-documented research and citations?
Scholarly sources should make clear who and what they are citing — reputable and well-documented citations are a good sign
Is it published in a reputable place?
Look for authoritative sounding publishers/journals like “The International Journal of Business” rather than “Bob’s Bizzness Blog”
Is it written BY A SCHOLAR (This is a big one!)
Scholarly work is written BY SCHOLARS (experts writing within their own field of expertise)
Is it written FOR OTHER SCHOLARS
Note that Textbooks and news sources are NOT scholarly. They are written for students and general audiences respectively, not other scholars.
Is it written to EXPAND or extend the scholarly discourse (discourse here means a kind of academic “conversation” between experts)
This may be the biggest marker — scholarly sources are written to create new knowledge and expand the current conversation in the discipline/field. Textbooks don’t extend the conversation, they catch students up on what we already know.
Has it been Peer-Reviewed?
Typically scholarly work has been vetted or evaluated by fellow experts
The CRAAP Test
CRAAP* is an acronym for remembering criteria you need to use when evaluating information.
Currency: When was the information published or last updated?
Relevance: Does the information answer your research questions appropriately? How does it help you? Who is the intended audience?
Authority: Who are the authors and what are their credentials?
Accuracy: Was the piece reviewed by editors or scholars? Is there supporting evidence? Can you verify the accuracy of the information? Is there a bibliography or list of cited sources?
Purpose: Is the author’s purpose to sell, persuade, entertain, or inform? Is the information or author biased? Do the authors make their intentions clear?
*CRAAP acronym and descriptions created by the Meriam Library at CSU, Chico. (http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/evalsites.html)
Synthesis
What is Synthesis?
When researching, you will likely find more than a single source or voice discussing any given topic.
How you, the reader/writer takes multiple voices, evidences, perspectives, etc and uses them as a basis for drawing conclusions is called Synthesis.
Synthesis means making your sources talk
How?:
taking different sources considering their ideas, findings, data, etc
using that as the basis for forming new ideas, findings, conclusions, etc of your own.
Why Synthesize?
Research is a conversation, one that has been going on for a very long time amongst many speakers.
Synthesis is a way for writers and researchers to enter into the conversation itself by using the many voices (sources) as a platform for formulating new ideas.
Synthesis is how the conversation continues into new directions.
Characteristics for Popular, Scholarly, and Trade Sources
These are general rules of thumb to follow when determining if a source is popular, scholarly, or trade:
Criteria
Popular
Scholarly
Trade
Purpose (Intent)
To inform, entertain, or persuade about current events or popular opinion and to make money
To inform, report, or make available original research, promote scholarly communication, or advance knowledge
To provide news, trends, or practical information or examine problems or concerns in a particular field, trade, or industry
Audience
General public
Scholars, researchers, and students of specific discipline or field
Practitioners of a particular field, trade, or industry
Creator
Professional writers, journalists, freelance writers or creators that deal with a variety of topics regularly
Scholars or researchers with extensive credentials and experience in the specific discipline or field and usually associated with a university or other organization
Professionals or freelance writers or creators with experience in a particular field, trade, or industry
Language (Tone)
Entertaining, non-technical language
Specialized terminology or jargon from the specific discipline or field
Specialized terminology or jargon in the field or industry
Reference
Sources rarely cited
Sources always cited
Sources occasionally, but not usually cited
Accountability
Content not evaluated by experts in the field; often published or produced by commercial organizations
Usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a subject expert or a board of subject experts (peer review); published or produced by a scholarly organization or society (university, association, commercial enterprise, etc.)
Content may be evaluated by experts in the field; often published or produced by a trade association
