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Writing an Annotated Bibliography: Home

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources compiled for a research assignment with a short, thoughtful evaluation following each citation. Annotations are more critical than abstracts and answer questions about, for example, the author's point of view or the source's relationship to other works. Annotated bibliography tip #1: Read your assignment carefully. Different professors have different expectations for annotations. Be sure to follow your professor’s guidelines for the assignment. Annotated bibliography tip #2: Don’t summarize. Don’t re-write the abstract. Critically evaluate the article and answer the questions your professor outlines in the assignment. Annotated bibliography tip #3: Keep it brief. Annotations are generally about 150 words.Things you may be asked to identity in your annotated bibliography: Purpose of the source, intended audience, author credentials, author conclusion and justification, author point of view, relationship to other works, source content. Here’s an example annotation for the article “A massively flipped classroom: designing and implementing active learning information literacy instruction for a large enrollment class” by J. Rodriguez: The author, a Health Sciences and Research Support Librarian at Oakland University, presents a case study for using flipped classroom methods in information literacy instruction using an online module. Rodriguez situates the study in the context of Oakland University Libraries’ core values of embracing change and providing appropriate learning environments. Previous studies have focused on student and librarian perceptions of flipped classroom pedagogy, but Rodriguez presents practical tips for design of a flipped classroom that librarians could implement in their own library instruction sessions. The author concludes that while flipped classroom instruction in a large lecture is not without challenges, the obstacles can be overcome with proper support and technology.

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