1. Annotated Bibliographies
Brad Brazzeal
Agriculture & Forest Resources Librarian

2. Overview What is an annotated bibliography? How do you find sources?
What tools can help you organize your sources?

3. What is an annotated bibliography?
A list of sources on a on a topic that may include:
A summary of the source
An evaluation of the source
A reflection on how the source fits into your research
Adapted from

4. Paraphrasing Original Abstract Annotated Bibliography
“Net uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) measured by eddy covariance in a 60- to 80-year-old forest averaged 2.0 ± 0.4 megagrams of carbon per hectare per year during 1993 to 2000, with interannual variations exceeding 50%. Biometry indicated storage of 1.6 ± 0.4 megagrams of carbon per hectare per year over 8 years, 60% in live biomass and the balance in coarse woody debris and soils, confirming eddy-covariance results. Weather and seasonal climate (e.g., variations in growing-season length or cloudiness) regulated seasonal and interannual fluctuations of carbon uptake. Legacies of prior disturbance and management, especially stand age and composition, controlled carbon uptake on the decadal time scale, implying that eastern forests could be managed for sequestration of carbon.” Source
“This paper reports on 9 years of CO2 flux measurements for a 60- to 80-year-old northern hardwood forest (Harvard Forest) and compares results to biometric measurements of changes in live and dead wood pools for selected species. Findings from the flux study show net CO2 uptake of 2.0 +/- 0.4 Mg CO2/ha/yr (0.55 +/ Mg C/ha/yr) from , while the biometric measurements show a similar uptake of 1.6 +/- 0.4 Mg CO2/ha/yr (0.44 Mg C/ha/yr +/ Mg C/ha/yr). The study reports that interannual carbon sequestration is affected in large part by previous management and the impacts of prior disturbances, whereas year-to-year fluctuation in uptake is more a function of weather.” Source

5. More on paraphrasing …
Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words (Purdue)
Recognizing and Avoiding Plagiarism (Cornell)

6. How do you find sources?

7. Some Useful databases include …
CAB Abstracts
Most comprehensive database for agriculture-related articles
Coverage back to around 1990
Limited to 4 users at a time
PubMed/Medline
Most comprehensive database for peer-reviewed life sciences articles
For best results, use the links to PubMed on the library’s website
Scopus
Multidisciplinary database that is strongest in sciences and engineering
Allows you to see who has cited a specific article

8. What tools can help you organize your sources?
EndNote Basic
2 GB of storage, but limited citation styles
Details at
Note: Library sells the full version for a reduced price of $50.
Mendeley
Free version comes with 2 GB of storage
MSU students, staff, faculty get free access to Mendeley Institutional Edition
Zotero
300 MB of storage
For more information, visit the Citation Management Research Guide.