1. Developing Social Problems into Research Problems
Melanie Brown, PhD
Dissertation Editor
Walden University Writing Center
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Writing Center’s presentation of Annotated Bibliography Basics. My name is Hillary Wentworth, and I will be your presenter for this evening. This presentation will be about 30 – 45 minutes in length. During the presentation, feel free to use the Q and A box on the right hand side of the screen to type questions as you think of them. I will also answer these questions at the end. Do know that this presentation will be recorded, so you can always watch it again if you need to. The slides will also be available for you to download and keep for your records.

2. Session Objectives
Identify the difference between social and research problems
Recognize how research problems connect to work in your graduate program
Practice using a model for developing research problems
In this webinar, we’ll be discussing the annotated bibliography section of your KAM’s Depth, including its purpose, format, and organization. I’ll also provide some strategies for approaching this section and ensuring expectations are met. Finally, together, we’ll review some example writing to determine what the annotated bibliography looks like and what the author is doing well. Hopefully you’ll be able to then use these as models while writing your own.

3. Differences between problems
Social problem
An undesirable situation in your community
May not require much research to solve
Social problem: County water supply is low
Solution: Enforce a water-use ban to replenish supply
Research problem
A topic you study to understand
Study can lead to options for resolution
Research problem: Teacher turnover rate in local district is high.
Solution: Analyze and resolve teachers’ reasons for leaving.
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

4. Research problems: Courses to capstone
Course papers: Main point = thesis; research supports thesis
Rakka’s (2011) theory of participatory leadership is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.
Capstone proposals: Main point = research problem; research contributes to discipline
This qualitative study was designed to explore small business owners’ perceptions of how to increase their online sales while construction adversely affects sales onsite.
Before we get into how to create an annotated bibliography, we need to understand the purpose of the assignment. Overall, there can be many functions. [CLICK] As a writer, creating an annotated bibliography allows you to demonstrate your knowledge on a current topic. It also requires you to think critically about a source’s value (or lack of value) to help inform future researchers. Specifically in your KAM, the annotated bibliography appears at the beginning of the Depth section, so it can be seen as a stepping stone to the literature review. Essentially, through the annotated bibliography, you are gathering your sources—and your thoughts on those sources.

5. Connecting problem to paper
Background (social problem)  Thesis (research problem) Support and analysis Conclusion
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

6. Connecting problem to proposal
Background (social problem)  Problem statement (research problem) Questions/hypotheses Method Data collection and analysis
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

7. Research problems: Read the literature
Learn debates (“sides” of the issue)
Learn history (major studies, breakthroughs, changes over time)
Learn context (aspects of the issue studied by other researchers)
Identify gaps
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

8. Research problems: Gaps
Emerge from a gap
PhD dissertation: Gap in literature
Researchers have explored high turnover rates among novice teachers but not among midcareer teachers
DBA/EdD doctoral study: Gap in practice
Weak mentoring programs in school or workplace could be contributing to high turnover rates
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

9. Problem matrix Study it as a research problem to identify solutions
Identify a social problem in community
Study it as a research problem to identify solutions
Apply solutions to resolve problem in community
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

10. Problem statement: Proposal
Quantitative studies
Problem includes at least two variables (e.g., demographic—age, socioeconomic status, gender, etc.)
Problem statement describes conjectured relationship between variables (hypotheses)
Qualitative studies
Problem includes issue or phenomenon that needs understanding
Problem statement describes exploration of perceptions (no hypotheses)
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

11. Research problem: Practice
1. Topic: I am studying
2. Question: because I want to find out what/why/how
3. Significance: in order to help my reader understand
Source: Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (1995). The craft of research.
Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p. 56
Let’s begin with the term annotated bibliography. We at the Writing Center often receive questions from students on what this term means, so let’s break it down: According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the verb “annotate” means “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment.” The words to pick out of this definition are “critical, explanatory, and notes.” As for “bibliography,” this term is defined as “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications.” So, if we are to combine these terms together, we can see that an annotated bibliography is a collection of explanatory, critical notes on a list of sources. You could also envision this as a reference list with a chunk of text below each entry describing the nature of that source.

12. Research problem: Practice
I am studying the role of nurses in hospitals because I want to find out why students who study nursing at this college move to other cities rather than pursue jobs here in order to help my reader understand the advantages of developing strong relationships between hospitals and college nursing programs.
Practice only; do not use this informal formatting in your paper or proposal.
Anthropomorphism is giving human traits to inanimate objects. Because it can be confusing, APA says to avoid this structure in your sentences. An example of anthropomorphism would be the article stated… or The study found. Because an article cannot really say anything and a study itself cannot find, these should not be in your annotations—or any scholarly writing, for that matter. [CLICK] A good revision is to identify the authors—either through their actual names or “the authors” and “the researchers.” In the critique section I tend to see many general opinion-based statements like “The researchers did an excellent job.” I read this and ask “Why were the researchers excellent? What about the article was so good?” I am looking for specific examples to justify that assessment. As a reader, I want to believe your critique—but I need more information to be able to believe.
Example: Example: The researchers effectively described the study procedures by listing them chronologically, in a logical format.

13. Research problem: Practice
I am studying leadership styles because I want to find out how leadership actions of project managers who display introvert characteristics differ from those who display extrovert characteristics in order to help my reader understand the importance of diverse ways of interacting among leaders and employees in the workplace.
Practice only; do not use this informal formatting in your paper or proposal.
Anthropomorphism is giving human traits to inanimate objects. Because it can be confusing, APA says to avoid this structure in your sentences. An example of anthropomorphism would be the article stated… or The study found. Because an article cannot really say anything and a study itself cannot find, these should not be in your annotations—or any scholarly writing, for that matter. [CLICK] A good revision is to identify the authors—either through their actual names or “the authors” and “the researchers.” In the critique section I tend to see many general opinion-based statements like “The researchers did an excellent job.” I read this and ask “Why were the researchers excellent? What about the article was so good?” I am looking for specific examples to justify that assessment. As a reader, I want to believe your critique—but I need more information to be able to believe.
Example: Example: The researchers effectively described the study procedures by listing them chronologically, in a logical format.

14. Resources Course papers Thesis construction Capstone proposals
Literature reviews
Capstone template
Any project
Writing Center webinars
Library webinars
Center for Research Quality webinars
This webinar is not your only way to become more knowledgeable about the annotated bibliography and the KAM as a whole. You can contact the library for help locating scholarly sources. If you would like additional examples of what your KAM sections should look like, see the Writing Center’s KAM Exemplars page. The university also offers KAM Intensives, which are like PhD residencies but smaller and focused only on producing your KAM. The Writing Center also has other tips regarding scholarly writing in general on our website.

15. Questions Now: Use the Q&A box on your screen
Later: writing questions
Course papers/KAMS:
Capstone proposals/studies:
This concludes our presentation on Annotated Bibliography Basics for this evening! If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to ask them using the Questions box. I will remain online for a few more minutes to make sure I have resolved any of your questions. I’ll answer them in the Q and A box, but if I feel like something should be addressed verbally, I’ll do so. Also, if you think of any questions at a later date, know you can always the writing tutors at