An annotated bibliography is a formal document that provides a brief note usually no more than two or three sentences about each of the sources you’ve listed, in addition to its complete citation information.
When you evaluate, you should address/include the following issues:
1. MLA citation
2. Genre (i.e. trade journal, scholarly article, periodical, web publication, gov’t doc., etc.)
3. Relevance
4. Evidence
5. Author/publisher credibility
6. Timeliness
7. Annotation
1. MLA citation. Include an MLA citation for each source.
2. Genre is the document type. Genre can help you understand a great deal about its intended readers, the kinds of appeals and evidence it is likely to use, and the kind of argument it is likely to make. For example, a blog entry is more likely to rely on personal observation and reflection thereby employing a more sensational approach to presenting an argument. A scholarly article, on the other hand, will adopt certain conventions that reflect the needs and purposes of people who work in that area. By understanding the conventions of a genre, you can determine whether a source is a good representative of that kind of document, and whether the information found in it will be useful.
3. Relevance is the extent to which a source provides usable information for your argument.
Ask yourself:What is/are the author’s significant arguments and findings?
Is this source relevant to my argument? How?
4. Evidence is the information offered to support a claim.
Ask yourself:What evidence does the author provide to back up his claim?
Is there enough evidence offered?
Is the evidence appropriate to the points being made? Many sources rely far too heavily on a single type, such as personal experience.
Is the evidence being used ethically? If quotations are used to support a point, try to determine whether they are used appropriately. If statistics are used, ask yourself if they are interpreted fairly or presented quickly.
5. Author credibility obviously varies source to source.
Ask yourself:Who is the author and what are his qualifications/expertise/biases? Look for a description of the author in the source. If none is provided, the source might give a URL for the author’s home page, and you can check out his credentials there.
What is the author’s affiliation? Knowing the institution, agency, or organization that employs the author can help you evaluate the assumptions that inform a source.
Do the author/publisher’s biases affect the information, ideas, and arguments in the source? As you evaluate a source consider the extent to which an author’s bias affects how he presents information, ideas, and arguments. To uncover an author’s biases, you need to learn more about his affiliations.
6. Timeliness– when a source was published. If your research would benefit from sources that have recently been published, then evaluate recent sources more favorably than dated ones.
7. Brief annotation of the article (i.e. summary)
See sample…
SAMPLE 1
Pelchat, Marcia Levin. “Food Addiction in Humans 1-3.” The Journal of Nutrition 139.3 (2009): 620-22. ProQuest. Web. 02 Oct. 2011.
Genre: Scholarly journal
Relevance- The report by Dr. Pelchat reveals the many scientific similarities between the effects of drugs and food in the human body. Source can be used to support claim that food is addictive.
Evidence- Dr. Pelchat cites many studies done by scientist and herself alike, revealing recent evidence in the link between food and addiction. She specializes in the field of addiction and human cravings.
Author/Qualification- Dr. Pelchat is a physiological psychology professor at the University Pennsylvania. She is also an associate at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Publisher- The Journal of Nutrition
Timeliness- Article is recent, first published online in 2009.
Annotation- Dr. Pelchat discusses the neurochemistry and neuroanatomical effects that drugs have on humans and then compares the effects of food on humans. She concludes that drugs and food have a very similar effect on the brain reward system. She also cites a study done by her which concludes that humans can crave something without necessarily liking it. This is sometimes the case with drug users and overeaters.
Works cited
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“5 Reasons Technology Should Be Allowed In The Classroom”. EdTech 2017. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
Ashurst, C. Benefits Realization From Information Technology. 1st ed. [Place of publication not identified]: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Print.
“Benefits Of Technology In Business.” Chron 2017. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
“Benefits Of Technology In The Classroom.” TeachHUB. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
Ramey, Karehka. “Modern Technology Advantages And Disadvantages – Use Of Technology.” Use of Technology. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
Soete, Luc. “Technological dependency: a critical view.” Dependency Theory: A Critical Reassessment, London, Frances Pinter (1981): 181-206.
Smith, Alan D., and Joseph Correa. “Value-added benefits of technology: E-procurement and e- commerce related to the health care industry.” International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance 18.6 (2005): 458-473.
“What Are The Benefits Of Technology?”. Reference. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.