Human Growth and Development Resource Guides: Mrs. Wright's Honors HGD Project

Annotated Bibliography Handout 

DEFINITIONS 

bibliography: a list of sources (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. Also called "references" or "works cited" 

annotation: summary and/or evaluation 

annotated bibliography: bibliography that includes the source information, a summary, an evaluation and a reflection of each source 

FOR EVERY SOURCE, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING: 

Bibliographic information:  This information varies depending on your source, but generally it should look like this: 

Author name (Last, First). “Article name.” Publication name. Publication volume.  

Publication date. Type of publication. 

Summary: What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is. 

Assessment/Evaluation: What is this source's purpose?  Is the author biased in some way?  Is there any other information I should consider when planning where to use this source in my paper? 

Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic? 

From Purdue OWL (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/) 

Annotated Bibliography Example 

Bibliographic Information: 

Galpin, Shannon.   "A Talisman for the Women Around the World." The Huffington 

 Post.  6 March 2011. Web.  

Summary: 

The author, president of a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women in Afghanistan, is writing with the purpose of raising awareness for her organization’s most recent fundraiser.  The organization, called Mountain2Mountain, is selling talismans which feature inspirational quotations and proverbs.  The author speaks about the power of words and briefly touches on the plight of women in Afghanistan. 

Assessment/Evaluation:  

This article serves two purposes: to inform the reader of the existence of Mountain2Mountain, and to persuade the reader to contribute to the fundraiser.  Galpin’s writing is strongly biased in favor of women’s rights and U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, and vehemently opposes to the Taliban.  She provides a vivid, first-hand account of the situation for women in Afghanistan, and uses loaded language as she attempts to make an emotional appeal. 

Reflection: 

Since I am writing about gender roles in Afghanistan, this article is a valuable first-hand source for the section of my paper which describes the current role of women.   It is not very useful in terms of factual information, but Galpin’s emotional language and touching anecdotes will provide me with some excellent quotations as I write about how some women are currently struggling for equal rights.