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Geography

Introduction to research in Geography.

Annotated Bibliographies

Formatting

APA Example

In this example:

  • Full citation in APA format 

  • Paragraph 1 = descriptive annotation that summarizes the source. 

  • Paragraph 2 = critical/evaluative annotation including discussion on the usefulness of the information provided and intended audience.

Boone, S., Biggs-Chaney, S., Compton, J., Donahue, C., & Gocsik, K. (2012). Imagining a writing and rhetoric program based on principles of knowledge “transfer”: Dartmouth’s Institute for Writing and Rhetoric. Composition Forum, 26. http://compositionforum.com/issue/26/dartmouth.php 

Providing an example of what a writing program based on writing-related transfer research might look like, Boone et al. provide an overview of the writing program at Dartmouth’s Institute for Writing and Rhetoric. The authors provide a history of the program development, explain current curriculum and organization, and provide a look to future directions for the program. Beginning with the idea that not all skill or knowledge transfers in the same way, program developers at Dartmouth set out to explore what kind of knowledge writing is and how this knowledge is transferred. By developing curriculum and sequences of courses that encourage reflection and connections to future courses, as well as engaging in faculty development and reflection, Dartmouth has established a writing program that provides a model for other writing programs. The authors explore the state of research on the program and goals based on current assessment.

This piece serves as an excellent guide for writing program administrators and writing researchers interested in seeing how current research on writing transfer can be applied to a real program. The authors offer practical advice, include sample syllabi and curriculum, and offer honest reflection on successes and struggles of the program. This article provides much-needed information to those interested in revising a writing program that fits within current transfer research.

Source: "Annotated Bibliography APA 7th Edition" by APA Sample Papers, 2022 Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL) is licensed under CC BY 4.0 

Types of Annotations

Descriptive annotations provide a brief overview or summary of the source.

These may include descriptions such as:

  • A summary of the source’s main points 

  • Information about author(s) credentials (what qualifies them to talk about this topic?) 

  • The source’s research methods and intended audience 

  • Other notable features such as writing style or presented data (charts, tables, graphs, images) 

Critical annotations include a summary with analysis or evaluation of the source.

Analysis may include:

  • The source’s contribution to scholarly conversation on the subject 

  • Authority and bias of author(s) 

  • Usefulness for the research topic 

  • Intended audience for the source

Informative annotations provide summative information about the research and results.

These may include information such as:

  • Hypotheses, proofs, and other data 

  • Thesis or argument 

  • Conclusion or results 

Combination annotations are the most common style. These combine multiple types of annotations including descriptive, evaluative/critical, and informative.