1. Annotated Bibliography
Guidelines for Assignment

2. Annotated Bibliography Guidelines
Find Sources
Scan Sources
Apply APA Format
Write Notes

3. Annotated Bibliography = list of sources with notes.
A bibliography is a collection of readings or sources.
(Annotated means “with notes”)

4. Purpose
The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to provide an opportunity and motivate YOU to look up information about YOUR topic.

5. Purpose
An annotated bibliography also provides a starting point when researching a topic.

6. Starting the process
The ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY sources MAY NOT ALL BE USED FOR THE FINAL PAPER. This is the start of the process.

7. Starting the process
For example: If you are writing about ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES, then you would look up sources on Accounting Fraud, Ethics, Competing Principles, Auditing etc.

8. Annotated Bibliography
Step 1: Find Sources

9. Annotated Bibliography
You will need to find 8-10 sources for your Annotated Bibliography.

10. Source Requirements:
All 8-10 sources must be academic/scholarly/ trustworthy sources

11. Q: Where should I start? A: At the EBSCO HOST Online DATABASE
Username: belizelibrary
Password: password

12. Annotated Bibliography
Step 2: SCAN Sources

13. Scan Sources
As you scan sources, note the following information about any sources you are considering…

14. Scan Sources Is the information in this source new or interesting?
What does it add to the topic?

15. Is the article easy to read and understand?
Scan Sources
Is the article easy to read and understand?
If the article is difficult to read, it’s OK to find another source.

16. Scan Sources Does the author show opinion or bias?
Or, is the article mostly facts?

17. Scan Sources
It’s OK to reject any sources that you do not think will be useful in your research.

18. Annotated Bibliography
Step 3: Apply apA Format

19. Apply APA format Sources should be in APA format:
Author-last, First Initial. (Year) Title of article. Name of Journal in Italics, Volume (Issue), pages.
Retrieved from For an article
without a doi, usually older articles)
Indent every line after the first

20. Color-coded with labels:
Title
Author
Year
Mercer, L. (2013). Improving the rates of organ donation for transplantation. Nursing Standard, 27(26), doi: /j.compcom
Journal, name
Volume #: Page numbers of print article
For articles that have a doi
Web or print?

21. Color-coded in APA format:
Mercer, Lily. (2013). Improving The Rates Of Organ Donation For Transplantation. Nursing Standard 27(26), Academic Search Complete. Retrieved from OR Doi

22. Once you have your sources formatted APA style, it’s time to write your NOTES.

23. Annotated Bibliography
Step 4: Write Notes

24. Remember, Annotated Bibliography =
Source
Notes

25. Write 4–6 complete sentences that include:
The Notes
Write 4–6 complete sentences that include:

26. Notes: Required Elements
1. Author information 2. Main idea 3. Possible Audience 4. Contents 5. Usefulness to my topic/research

27. 1. Author Information

28. Author info: Who is the author? Is he/she an expert?
What qualifies the author to write about the topic?

29. 2. Main Idea of Article
Source

30. Main idea:
State the main focus or purpose of the work.

31. Main idea: Look at the beginning and end of the article for this.
If an abstract is included, the main idea may be stated there.

32. Main idea:
Although various methods to increase organ donation are in place, they are not adequate in meeting the demand for organs.

33. 3. Audience the article was written for

34. Audience:
Indicate the possible audience for the work.

35. Who would want to read the article?
Potential organ donors?
Nurses?
Patients?
Educated readers?
Policy makers?
Organ donation advocates?

36. 4. Contents of the article

37. Contents: Briefly describe the major points in the article.
Donor laws and policies
Donor lists
Consent procedures
Role of nurses

38. Contents:
Describe any special features of the work that were unique or helpful (charts, graphics, summaries, headings etc…)
Mention important conclusions or observations reached by the author

39. 5. Evaluation of the article

40. Evaluate the usefulness or relevance to your research topic
Evaluation
Evaluate the usefulness or relevance to your research topic

41. Evaluation What was unique about the source?
Point to any defect, weakness, suspected bias.

42. Example Notes

43. Notes Author-last, First. (Year). Title of article. Name of Journal
You will write an entry for each source. Each one will look like this:
Author-last, First. (Year). Title of article. Name of Journal
or Magazine or Newspaper in Italics. Volume (Issue), pages. Name of Database in Italics. Web. Date of Access.
All sources will be formatted APA style. Underneath each source you will be including a “notes” paragraph describing the source. The more detailed your “notes” paragraph, the better. The slides that follow in these lecture notes describe the guidelines for finding the sources and writing the notes. It is especially important to use appropriate sources when doing academic research.

44. A sample notes paragraph:
Lily Mercer, a staff nurse at the Day Surgery Unit of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, evaluates the current methods of recruiting organ donors in England. Mercer focuses upon the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations published in She states that the goals established in 2004 were not met, and her article examines what worked and what did not. Mercer notes that opt-out and opt-in policies did not significantly increase the number of organ donors, while media campaigns and the promotion of a national donor registry did. Mercer reports that while organ donation is generally supported, racial minorities and certain religious groups are underrepresented. She recommends targeting these groups for education about organ donation in the future. She concludes by reiterating the need for more organ donors. This article is useful because it presents statistics about current policies and evaluates both successful and unsuccessful methods of increasing the number of organ donors.

45. Did the sample notes paragraph include all required information?
Background & credibility of author Possible Audience
Main idea Contents Usefulness to my topic/research
Let’s do a color-coded check and find out…

46. Author info. Main idea of Article Possible Audience Contents Usefulness to my topic/research
Lily Mercer, a staff nurse at the Day Surgery Unit of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, evaluates the current methods of recruiting organ donors in England. Mercer focuses upon the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations published in She states that the goals established in 2004 were not met, and her article examines what worked and what did not. She seems to be targeting policy makers and healthcare professionals as her audience. Mercer notes that opt-out and opt-in policies did not significantly increase the number of organ donors, while media campaigns and the promotion of a national donor registry did. Mercer reports that although organ donation is generally supported, racial minorities and certain religious groups are underrepresented on the organ donor registry. She recommends targeting these groups for education about organ donation in the future. Mercer concludes by reiterating the need for more organ donors. This article is useful because it presents statistics about current policies and evaluates both successful and unsuccessful methods of increasing the number of organ donors.

47. Completed Example Annotated Bibliography entry
Mercer, Lily. (2013). Improving the rates of organ donation for transplantation.” Nursing Standard. 27 (26), Academic Search Complete. Lily Mercer, a staff nurse at the Day Surgery Unit of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, evaluates the current methods of recruiting organ donors in England. Mercer focuses upon the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations published in She states that the goals established in 2004 were not met, and her article examines what worked and what did not. Mercer notes that opt-out and opt-in policies did not significantly increase the number of organ donors, while media campaigns and the promotion of a national donor registry did. Mercer reports that while organ donation is generally supported, racial minorities and certain religious groups are underrepresented. She recommends targeting these groups for education about organ donation in the future. She concludes by reiterating the need for more organ donors. This article is useful because it presents statistics about current policies and evaluates both successful and unsuccessful methods of increasing the number of organ donors.

48. Annotated Bibliography
Your Mission & FAQ’s

49. Your Mission:
Locate 8 sources on your topic. Sources MUST come from scholarly database and other professional medium
Write an APA References Cited style entry for each source.
Scan the source and take notes on the content.
Write your annotated bibliography from your notes.

50. Finished Product:
Once you have your sources and notes, arrange them in alphabetical order according to author’s last name.
If there is no author, then use the title when alphabetizing.

51. FAQ’s
Q: Are the sources in my Annotated Bibliography the same as the ones in my final paper?
A: That’s up to you and the nature of your argument. It will be easier to have the same sources for the Annotated Bibliography and the major project. However, do not feel that just because a source is in your annotated bibliography it must also be in your final Paper! You may have to adjust as you commence drafting.

52. FAQ’s Q: What if I turn in less than 8 sources?
A: Bibliographies with way fewer than 8 sources will automatically receive a failing grade. Your bibliography should have 8 sources with well-developed notes. If you’re looking for an A or B grade, having the correct number of well-written entries is what you should aspire to. (Doing the bare minimum rarely results in excellence.)

53. FAQ’s
Q: Do my notes have to look like the ones in the example? A: No, not exactly. However, the sample notes are excellent--very comprehensive, well written, and perceptive—definitely “A” level work. So...if you’re looking for an “A” (exceptional, demonstrated excellence in effort and ability), your notes should look similar. That said, I don’t expect everyone’s notes to look just like the sample. I do, however, expect you apply your best effort. Bibliographies with extremely brief or missing notes will receive a failing grade.

54. FAQ’s
Q: What if I cannot find any sources on my topic? A: The databases are filled with articles. If you are having difficulty finding sources, you may need to simply adjust your search terms.

55. FAQ’s
Q: Can I use Wikipedia for one of my sources? A: No. Never. Don’t even think about it.

56. FAQ’s Q: How do I begin the Annotated Bibliography?
A: Go to search.ebscohost.com website and enter username and password provided. Start looking up information about your topic on the Library database. Do not wait until the last minute. I have cautioned you about the dangers of procrastination. In this class you can ill afford to fall to its temptations.

57. Start looking for sources now if you have not already!
End of presentation.
Start looking for sources now if you have not already!