Annotated BibliographyWriting an Annotated Bibliography? It Probably Means You Have a Smart Teacher.
Your smart teacher is asking for an annotated bibliography because s/he wants to help you learn the fastest and easiest way to write a research paper. It's the fastest way, but that doesn't mean it's lazy. Efficiency is not the same as laziness.
The annotated bibliography is the key to writing a great paper fast, and this article explains the key to writing a great annotated bibliography. A research article is just something somebody wrote about something she did. An annotated bibliography is a bibliography that includes some sentences about this basic information for each paragraph. Spend two minutes reading this article, and you'll be ready to write an annotated bibliography faster than anyone else in the class.
Don't Waste Time Writing the Bibliography Entry!
The first rule for saving time while writing a great annotated bibliography is to use a resource that generates your bibliography for you in one click. And I'm not talking about one of those stupid citation helper programs that require you to enter every piece of information so it can format in correct MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, etc. I'm talking about a database of articles, such as Questia, that actually lets you add an article to your project and click “create bibliography” so it instantly pastes one into a word document for you.
If you have trouble finding a resource like that, you can contact us and we'll send you in the right direction. There is no need for brilliant students to spend time formatting bibliography entries when they could spend their time learning something useful.
Grab Those Abstracts, and Paraphrase Them
If you search Google for the name of an article, you will probably find a page that offers (free or paid) access to the article. Even if I does not show the full text, it will usually include an abstract. An abstract is a very concise paragraph that tells the most important ideas of an article, how the author arrived at those ideas, and the implications/importance. The abstract is what happens when someone squeezes the whole article into one paragraph.
Well, the annotations for your assignment are exactly the same as an abstract! So grab an abstract and PARAPHRASE it. Most annotated bibliography assignments only require the student to write a few sentences or a paragraph of 100 words for each entry.
To get a sense of how easy it is to write 100 words, just imagine four sentences just like this one you are reading now.
That sentence (above) has 25 words. If your assignment only requires approximately one paragraph (100 words) for each entry, you can write it like this:
1. A sentence about the main idea of the article.
2. A sentence about the research method that was used to come up with the main idea.
3. A sentence to tell whether the article seems convincing / credible or if it seems like a weak argument.
4. A sentence about how the article will help you express the idea you want to express in your paper.
Note: Even if you think an article makes a weak argument, it can still be useful in your paper. Include reference to articles that support the argument you are making and explain why they are strong articles, or include reference to arguments that contradict the argument you are making and explain why they are weak articles. Both are great ways to strengthen your own presentation.
If You Have to Write the Kind of Annotated Bibliography That Requires Three Sections...
Some assignments require you to dig a little deeper and write THREE paragraphs for each entry.
The first section expresses the MAIN IDEA of the article (see numbers 1 and 2 above, because the main idea of the article can consist of the research question, the research methods used, and the conclusion. It's easy!).
The second section can EVALUATE the article (see numbers 3 and 4 above) based on how logical it is, the reputation of the author or associated institution, the reputation of the professional journal or institution with which it's associated, and how it compares with other articles you are reading about your topic.
The third section is your chance to REFLECT on the important truth suggested by the article and what it teaches you about the topic you are researching. Just use common sense; the process of academic research is free exploration, and you can do it in a way that is based on your unique ideas. You have a unique perspective on the research topic, and your ideas about it will be sculpted by articles like this one.
If you have to write an annotated bibliography with three sections, like “main idea”, “evaluate”, and “reflect” described above, each entry will consist of three paragraphs (one double-spaced page). It's still fast and easy.
The annotated bibliography is a way to do one thing at a time. Just focus on one article. You don't have to read the whole article, just the introduction and conclusion. They will summarize all that you need to know: The purpose & research questions, what methods the author used, what conclusion the author reached... and when you have written a great annotated bibliography, it's easy to write a research paper using the sources you found.
When I finish writing an annotated bibliography, I feel like I have already written the whole research paper, because I just need to put the annotations in a logical sequence and revise slightly so they all flow together in a way that supports some main idea. After that, I write an introduction and a conclusion that express the main idea I'll use for my research paper, and I'm done.