Writing an annotated bibliography is often requested by academic instructors either as a separate task, or as an integral part of thesis writing. Unfortunately, composing commentaries on all relevant bibliographical entries tends to be somewhat tedious and time-consuming. The following article will briefly present academic standards to which annotated bibliographies must adhere.
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
In contrast to typical works cited page, annotated bibliography contains summaries of all sources involved in the process of writing. The commentaries are aimed at providing information about the relevance of each and every source used in the course of research and applied to a given project. Also, annotated bibliography provides an overview of research modes employed by a particular author.
Why Create an Annotated Bibliography?
Reasons for creating annotated bibliographies are, in fact, numerous. First, they can give an idea of the level as well as scope of academic fluency in a chosen area. It showcases writers' reading culture and their depth of expertise.
Second, they justify usage of particular sources and explain why certain ideas were referenced with respect to a specific scientific or critical orientation. It situates writer’s statements and argumentation in a coherent scientific context.
Finally, annotated bibliographies are a useful record of the history of research and can facilitate preparation for a prospective thesis defense.
How to Create an Annotated Bibliography
This task is not essentially difficult. It requires precision and a thoughtful evaluation of already acquired knowledge. It can be done on two levels:
- Preparing an annotated bibliography – while preparing annotated bibliographies writers should bear in mind that citing the exact pages from which information was drawn is obligatory. This is because commentary concerns only those excerpts which were referenced. Other than that, in order to contextualize sources and assess them critically some additional research might be needed as well.
- Composing an annotated bibliography – it should be brief, tightly-focused and directly related to the content of a research paper. It must contain a critical evaluation of the content of each source and explain its importance for a given area of research. At the same time, it should be written in an objective tone and provide an insight into the scientific background of its authors.
Annotated bibliographies are worth writing even if they are not specifically required. They create an impression that writer displays a strong intellectual background and his or her references are not accidental. For annotated bibliography samples visit this site.
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