As a student, you are usually required to include a bibliography (reference list) with every essay you write. But what is an Annotated Bibliography? How do I write one?
A bibliography is “a list of the books and articles that have been used by someone when writing a particular book or article” (Cambridge Dictionary). An annotated bibliography is a little different. It requires a list of cited sources, but also requires a short (about 150 words) explanation or opinion of the text you have included in the list.
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This will be determined by your instructor, but the following aspects will be included:
There are different types of annotations to be aware of:
One of the main reasons for doing an annotated bibliography is to show why a particular book or article is relevant to the topic you’re researching. Choosing articles or books to include is more than picking the first few that come up in a library or web search; evaluating the content before including it in your annotated bibliography is a huge part of the process.
O’Connor, B. N., & Cordova, R. (2010). Learning: The experiences of adults who work full-time while attending graduate
school part-time. Journal of Education for Business, 85(6), 359-368. DOI: 10.1080/08832320903449618
In this study, the researchers examined how employed adults dealt with the addition of part-time graduate studies to work schedules and life demands. This study is distinct because very little research has been done about part-time graduate students. Using a modified phenomenological research approach, the researchers gathered qualitative data through both face-to-face interviews and phone interviews. The major finding was that, despite pursuing degrees relevant to their professional lives, all students found their workplaces resistant to proposals learned in school. However, the researchers surveyed only 6 individuals; therefore, these results may not be statistically significant. However, this study is relevant because it provides future researchers with a methodology for determining the impact of adding part-time graduate studies to the schedule of fully-employed adults.
More Examples:
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
University of Alberta Libraries
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Cornell University Library
Carleton University Library
YouTube video - 2 min. 44 sec.
University of Toronto
"A book review is a critical assessment of a book. It describes and evaluates the quality and significance of a book and does not merely summarise the content." Massey University, New Zealand
OWL - Online Writing Lab @ Purdue University
Massey University, New Zealand
University of South Carolina
The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Nottingham
McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph
University of Southern California
A critique is a paper that gives a critical assessment of a book, article, or other medium. It combines both a summary and critical comment (requiring analysis and evaluation) on the content.
A critique should have an introduction, body and conclusion.
Recommended site to visit:
The following questions provide some ideas to help you evaluate the text:
Background: |
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| What is the nature of the article? | Who wrote it and what are her/his qualifications for writing it? |
Purpose: |
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Why was the article written? |
What kind of material is presented to achieve those objectives? |
Thesis: |
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What is the writer’s position? Is it stated directly and clearly? What are the writer’s key assumptions? Do you detect biases? |
Are the assumptions and biases obvious, or are they hidden behind a stance of neutrality and objectivity? (An assumption is a belief about something. It is often not stated by a writer. Assumptions underlie all human behavior. For example, when you go to your classroom, you assume your teacher will show up. You should critically examine all assumptions, even those in sync with your own.) |
Evidence: |
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What does the writer provide to support her/his position? What are the writer’s specific arguments? |
Is the evidence believable? Authoritative? Sufficient? Logical or emotional? Are you convinced? |
Refutation: |
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| Does the writer present her/his thesis as the only reasonable position? Or has the writer clearly and fairly presented any opposing sides? |
Has the writer shown the opposing arguments to be invalid? Has the writer overlooked any possible opposition? Are there any potential points for/against the argument that the author has omitted? |
Appeal: |
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What is the appeal of the article? What are some of its most striking or illuminating qualities? What new insights does the text provide? What, if any, are its striking deficiencies? Where do I agree/disagree with the author? |
What is the writer’s style or tone? Authoritative? Speculative? Reasonable? Suggestive? What kind of language does the writer use? Does it add to her/his credibility? What, if any, new problems has the text presented? What personal values/beliefs does the text challenge or reinforce? |
The following are a couple suggested structures for your critique:
Example 1 |
Example 2 |
| Introduction Overview of the text
Evaluation of the text
Conclusion |
Introduction (with thesis) Point 1: Explanation and evaluation Point 2: Explanation and evaluation Point 3: Explanation and evaluation(continue elaborating as many points as necessary) Conclusion |
The Writing Centre, University of Toronto at Scarborough.
Essay writing for college involves a few steps. Each step is equally important and skipping steps or not allowing yourself enough time to complete each step will result in a less impressive paper.
If you don’t have a lot of experience writing essays, get used to following these steps each time you write an essay until you develop a system that works best for you. You should remember that starting an essay the night before it is due is not enough time to write an excellent paper.
This may seem like common sense, but preparation before you actually start writing is a key part of writing a paper. Read over your assignment and make sure you know exactly what your instructor wants from you. If there’s anything you’re unsure of, this is the time to ask for clarification. Things to be aware of:
This is the stage to start mapping out your ideas for your paper. Your instructor may have a very specific topic to write about or may allow you to choose your own topic. Make sure you’re clear about what you’re hoping to prove and write some notes for yourself about the topic. You don’t need to do a lot of writing; this is just the stage where you’re deciding your topic. Write a very short outline of what you think you may find or to keep track of what you already know about your topic. The next step will help you narrow your topic even more and see if your thesis statement or the main point you’re hoping to prove can be supported.
Usually your instructor wants you to include certain types of information sources to support your thesis. If you’re used to finding all your information from Google, you may find this step more challenging in college. Most instructors expect more thorough research for academic courses and the JIBC Library should be your first stop for research. Besides books specific to your courses, the Library has subscriptions to academic journals and article databases that will meet the requirements from your instructor and help you write a stronger paper. There may also be a subject guide for your course that will give tips on researching. Librarians can help you if you’re not sure how to get started, or check through the Research Help page.
Choosing the best search terms is the hardest part of researching. Books and articles are described by people who organise information, so they use standard descriptions to make finding materials easier. A few tips:
Once you’ve found some information sources, skim through each to figure out if they will be useful for your essay. Is it related to your topic? Is this source reliable? How current is this information? Does the information fall in one of the areas of your outline? Even if the information contradicts your thesis, make a note of it in case you decide to change your point of view during the writing step.
Make sure you’ve kept excellent notes on where all your information came from so you can more easily put your bibliography together. See the JIBC’s APA Guide if you’re not sure how to cite your sources. At the very least, make sure to write down the following pieces of information about each source you look at, even if you don’t use it in your first draft:
This is the time to synthesize or combine all the information you found and the ideas that you’ve developed from your research into written form. Start with a first draft of your essay, adding in everything you listed on your outline. Make sure you’ve stated your thesis, or the main point you’re trying to prove in your paper, in the opening paragraph or the introduction.
Arrange your ideas into separate paragraphs and your paragraphs into a logical order. Include your introduction, the body of the essay that supports your thesis statement, and a conclusion to summarise your findings or research.
When you’ve completed your first draft, read through your paper critically or have someone else read your paper and give feedback. Often a tutor, a friend, or even an instructor will agree to read a first draft and let you know how to improve on it. The second draft should fix all the issues or changes from the first draft review. Ask yourself the following questions during this review:
Executive writing is different than academic writing! An executive summary is a “quick preview” of a report’s contents. It is often the only source of information used by decision-makers to reach significant decisions.
Executive summaries are literally written for an executive, or decision-maker, who most likely DOES NOT have the time or inclination to read the original document. They will be reviewing your findings and looking at your recommendations.
So, make sure your executive summary includes all the pertinent information. Think about what an executive would need to know in order to make a decision about changing a policy, undertaking an action, or spending money and then provide that information as specifically and concisely as you can.
An Executive Summary aims to:
Executive Summaries are provided on a separate page at the beginning of the report before the Table of Contents. They should cover in brief statements the aim of the report, methods used, major findings and conclusions/recommendations.
1. State the purpose/aim of the report. For example:
The main purpose of this report is to…
The main objectives of this report are …
It is the purpose of this document to …
Make sure you present the main message of the document.
2. Describe the procedure that you used. Outline the methods you used to analyse the situation.
3. Provide the results of the study. The major findings may include a number of sentences. What did you observe, discover or understand?
4. Conclusions and recommendations should also be provided. This is the most important part of your Executive Summary. Provide a concise statement of the conclusion you reached after conducting your analysis and/or research. Provide a specific recommendation for action geared toward your audience.
Literature Reviews (JIBC Library PDF)
A good literature review shows the reader (your instructor) that you have done the background reading around your topic and that you've understood the important issues around your topic.
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What Is A Literature Review?
| A literature review: | A literature review is NOT: |
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A literature review should contain an introduction, a body and a conclusion, and should be centered on a main idea or argument about the literature you are reviewing. Section headers are useful to highlight the main points for the reader; however the different sections should flow together.
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| Introduction | Your introduction (usually approx. ½ – ¾ page) will not only present the main topic, but will also make a statement about the status of knowledge in this area of research. This usually involves reporting what is known about a topic and what is problematic about it. Knowledge deficits are crucial to literature reviews—such deficits are usually spoken about in terms of effects on particular populations, gaps in the research, and other contexts where the research could be useful. Additionally, your introduction will include a statement that outlines what issues within the broader topic (main ideas and subtopics) will be presented and in what order. Sources are often identified in this section but don’t have to be. | |
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| Conclusion | You should conclude (about ¾ to 1 page) by reminding readers of the main topics and sub topics by identifying points of consensus and debate that have been presented in your literature review. Identify new possibilities for knowledge making, new gaps in knowledge—what else could be looked at now that scholars know this information? Are there other contexts that need to be examined? Gaps in the research so far? You also want to include statements about what communities are best served by this knowledge—where and for whom is the information most relevant? |
| OPTION 1 | OPTION 2 |
| I. Introduction II. Article X a) Summarize the article (when and how was the study done, what was its key focus, etc.). b) Describe in detail what the article says about: a) Sub-issue #1 (e.g., gender) b) Sub-issue #2 (e.g., lifestyle) c) Sub-issue #3 (e.g., diet) Article Y (Same procedure) Article Z (Same procedure) III. Compare, Contrast and Critique a) What all three say about sub-issue #1 b) What all three say about sub-issue #2 c) What all three say about sub-issue #3 IV. Draw Conclusions, by answering these questions: So what? Where do I stand now? Where does this leave us? What next? |
I. Introduction II. Brief Summaries (perhaps one paragraph for each of the articles, X, Y and Z) III. Compare, Contrast and Critique what the three articles say about: Sub-issue #1 (e.g., gender) Sub-issue #2 (e.g., lifestyle) Sub-issue #3 (e.g., diet) IV. Draw Conclusions |
A research question takes you beyond simple facts about a given topic; it is an inquiry into a specific issue or problem. Once you have an idea of what you want to study, your first step in the research process is to articulate your research question. The research question guides you continuously as you write a paper, forms the basis of your research activities, and underlies your hypothesis or thesis statement.
Laurier Library (Wilfrid Laurier University, ON)
YouTube: 6:25
George Mason University (VA)
Royal Roads University (BC)
Southern State Community College (OH)
Mount Saint Vincent University (NS)
Concordia (QC)
According to Chandler et al. (2020), "systematic reviews seek to collate evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question. They aim to minimize bias by using explicit, systematic methods documented in advance with a protocol" (Key Points section).
Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Thomas, J., Higgins, J. P. T., Deeks, J. J., Clarke, M. J. (2020, September). Chapter 1: Introduction. In J. P. T.
Higgins, J. Thomas, J. Chandler, M. Cumpston, T. Li, J. J. Page, & V. A. Welch (Eds.), Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of
interventions (version 6.1). Cochrane.
Nice short introductory article by Alan Davies.
Take a few minutes and view this video [Time: 3:26]
The Steps of a Systematic Review from Evidence Synthesis Academy on Vimeo.
Includes Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycInfo and many more! Type "systematic review" in the main search box. Once you have your results, add your keywords of interest in the AND box.
Examples of systematic reviews.
An open access journal.
Cochrane Reviews: Keyword search or Browse by Topic.
Titles and abstracts available for free.
Epistemonikos connects systematic reviews with related articles.
EPPI-Centre is based in the UK.
This is a chronological list of systematic reviews.
Systematic Review Register - title and keywords of systematic reviews registered with JBI.
This international database includes records for health and social care systematic reviews that have been registered but not yet published. Key features from the review protocol are recorded and maintained as a permanent record in PROSPERO.
Search for your topic of interest and consult the "Systematic Reviews" column.
Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. Here you will learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.
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The thesis is a key sentence in your paper; it tells your reader about the paper’s focus. Because thesis statements should be short and focused, they should usually only be one sentence long.
The thesis almost always comes as the final sentence of the first paragraph (the introduction).
The thesis idea usually appears again in the first sentence of the conclusion (although in different words). This reminds the reader of your point and allows the reader to evaluate how well you have developed and supported your point-of-view.
There are two general types of thesis statements:
This type of thesis makes one main point which can also be described as the key insight you are explaining, the central argument you are putting forward, the case you are arguing, or the claim you are making. The purpose of your entire paper is to provide evidence and explanation that back up the thesis.
A “point-of-view” thesis should be:
Suitable:
Specific/focused/limited:
Feasible:
Insightful:
Significant:
For some assignments, students are not expected to take a point of view. Instead, they are expected to answer a series of questions or give information about a topic. For these types of assignments, the thesis simply states what the paper is about. Sometimes it may even include a short list of sub-topics included in the paper.
For example, “This paper explores the challenges faced by people with bipolar disorder and suggests strategies communities can take to assist them.”
Similar to the point-of-view thesis, the scope thesis should:
Tips For Writing A Thesis Statement
Don’t attempt writing your thesis statement until you have explored your topic through research and brainstorming. You can’t take a position until you’ve done your research!
Write a thesis using these four steps:
Remember:
Your thesis statement articulates your position.
Your essay supports your thesis.
The paragraphs in the body of your essay must connect with each other as well as with your thesis statement.
Revise and/or refocus as necessary (thesis, body paragraphs or both) if further research causes your position to change, or to maintain coordination between thesis statement and body.
From Characteristics of a Strong and Effective Thesis Statement (UofT)
Thanks to the following two Universities for providing information on thesis statements.