Annotated Bibliography

Your Annotated Bibliography is due this week.  Research and compile 15 Scholarly Resources for use in your Subject Based Criminal Justice Theory Annotated Bibliography.  The Criminal Justice Theory Annotated Bibliography should be used in conjunction with the completion of the Research Paper.  This assignment must be completed using the approved guidelines in the article, “How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography” found at http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm and below.

To make sure there are no issues of plagiarism be sure to use the draft SafeAssign for this week.

Please see the rubric below for this assignment before completing your response, and ensure that you have met all the requirements.  Please see the explanation/sample/notes and guideline below for this assignment before completing your response, and ensure that you have met all the requirements.

About Annotated Bibliographies

Definition:  a listing and brief description of articles, books, or other sources on a given topic.

There are two components in an annotated bibliography:

1.  The bibliographical citation – using one of the standard citation systems, such as MLA or APA.  We will be using APA.

2.  The annotation – a brief description or summary (usually 100 to 250 words) of the contents of the source.  I suggest about 150.  See below for revised information from Cornell University found online.

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents.  Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation.  The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS

Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes.  Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author’s point of view, clarity, and appropriateness of expression, and authority.

THE PROCESS

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills:  concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic.  Briefly examine and review the actual items.

Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.  Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article.  Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE

The following example uses the APA format for the journal citation:

Goldschneider, F.  K., Waite, L.  J., & Witsberger, C.  (1986).  Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults.  American Sociological Review, 51 (1), 541-554.

The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that non-family living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles.  They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males.  Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families.  In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of non-family living.

General Guidelines:

Writing 20%

• Bibliography meets APA/Graduate School standards; citations are properly documented in APA format (precisely and accurately). • Bibliography is organized alphabetically. • Appropriate terminology it used; writing is clear and concise. • Proper spelling and grammar is used; sentences are properly constructed.

Content 80%

• The annotated bibliography includes 15 scholarly sources (textbooks, web sites, news articles, and the like can be used but only in addition to 15 scholarly sources). • Entries include an evaluation of the authority or background of the author and comments on the intended audience; compares or contrasts this work with another work you have cited. • Entries provide a thorough and clear overview of the article (approximately 150-200 words) with specific information pertaining to the research question(s), methodology, and major findings. • Sources are thematically similar and it is clear why the source is important to the research paper.

Week 5 Written Assignment Rubric (Annotated Bibliography)

___/20:  Writing/format/APA. ___/10:  Relevance, accuracy, and quality of sources (15). ___/5:  Background on author(s). ___/5:  Intended audience. ___/10:  Compare/contrast. ___/40:  Overview/annotation. ___/10:  Theme.