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FS 10: Annotated Bibliography: How to Annotate

Some questions to guide you in writing your annotated bibliography. Includes prompts about the source, about you, and how you are connecting with your source.

Your Assignment:

An annotation is a brief evaluative summary of a book, article, or other publication. A bibliography is a list of resources cited in a consistent style format (such as MLA). An annotated bibliography, then, is a list of cited sources with brief explanations centering around one topic or research question. The purpose is to help your reader understand how each source is useful and how it relates to other sources in your list.

You will compile sources on the same topic for this annotated bibliography and cite them in any format you choose (pick one and be consistent). When writing your annotations, be sure to compare and contrast each source with the others you include. Discuss how this source relates to your topic and what perspective it provides.

To Evaluate your sources

You can use the RADAR framework (Reason for writing, Authority, Date, Appearance, and Relevance) to help evaluate your sources.

Reason for Writing:

Consider why the source was written. What is the author’s purpose? Are they trying to inform, persuade, or sell something? It’s important to recognize bias, but also to understand that all writing has some level of bias. Sometimes, bias can even be useful, especially if you’re comparing perspectives from different sides of a conflict or debate. Just make sure you identify any biases and consider how they affect the information presented.

Authority:

Research the author of the source. What are their credentials? Do they have expertise in the subject area? Even sources that may seem less authoritative, like Wikipedia or blogs, can sometimes provide useful overviews or lead you to more reliable sources. Just be sure to check the background and reliability of the information.

Date:

Is the publication date important to your topic? Depending on what you are researching, it may be essential to use the most current information, or older sources might be just as relevant. Get in the habit of checking the date of publication for everything you read.

Appearance:

Pay attention to how the source looks. Sometimes, the visual presentation can offer clues about the quality. For example, sources that use large fonts or bright, flashy designs might be aimed at children or casual readers. In contrast, academic publications typically have a professional appearance, including a structured layout, abstract, and citations. Learn to recognize these signs to help you judge whether a source is scholarly.

Relevance:

Focus on how the source is relevant to your topic. Think carefully about this – it’s easy to collect a lot of sources that might not be truly relevant. Explain how this source adds to your research and contributes to your understanding of the topic.

Reflection Prompts

As you engage with the sources for your annotated bibliography, it’s important not just to summarize the content, but to think critically about what the source is saying and how it relates to your research. The prompts below are designed to help guide your reflections by encouraging you to observe the source’s key ideas, connect it to your own thoughts, and develop your response.

You don’t need to answer every single prompt—think of them as starting points. Choose the ones that resonate with you or seem most relevant to the source. These questions are meant to help you explore your ideas and build your confidence in analyzing and engaging with the material.

Observations:

  • What is the main argument or purpose of this source?
  • What key points or themes stand out to you?
  • How does the author support their argument? Are there specific examples or evidence that seem particularly strong or weak?

Ideas:

  • How does this source connect to what you already know or have learned in this class?
  • What new ideas or perspectives does this source introduce to you?
  • How might the concepts in this source apply to other areas of study or real-life situations?

Response:

  • How did this source make you feel? Did it change your thinking in any way?
  • Did you find anything confusing or unclear? What questions did it raise for you?
  • Do you agree or disagree with the author’s viewpoint? Why?
  • What questions would you ask the author if you had the chance to discuss this work with them?
  • How might this source influence your own thinking or future research on the topic?
  • Did anything in the source surprise you? Why or why not?

Connection:

  • How does this source connect to what you’ve learned in other classes or from other readings? Does it build on those ideas, or does it differ?
  • Can you identify gaps or things missing from the source’s argument? What would make it stronger or more complete?

Critical Thinking:

  • If you were to take the opposite viewpoint of the author, what arguments would you make?
  • Does this source agree or disagree with the other sources you’ve read? How might these differences affect your understanding of the topic?