ASSIGNMENT ON

ANOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Introduction
An annotated bibliography is a bibliography that gives a summary of the research that has
been done. It is still an alphabetical list of research sources. In addition to bibliographic data, an
annotated bibliography provides a brief summary or annotation.
 The purpose of annotations is to provide the reader with a summaryand an evaluation of
the source. In order to write a successful annotation,each summary must be concise. An
annotation should display the source'scentral idea(s) and give the reader a general idea of what
the source is about.
An annotation should include the complete bibliographic information for the source. It
should also include some or all of the following:
• An explanation about the authority and/or qualifications of the author.
• Scope or main purpose of the work.
• Any detectable bias.
• Intended audience and level of reading
• A summary comment
Ideally, an annotation should be between 100 to 200 words.

Definitions
A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.) one has
used for researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called “references” or “works cited”
depending on the styleformat you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the
bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).

An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation.

Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of
the sources. Depending on your project or the iient, your annotations may do one or more of the
following:
• Summarize:Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main
arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If
someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your
annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.
• Assess:After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source?
How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information
reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
For more help, see our handouts on evaluating resources.
 • Reflect:Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into
your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your
argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how
you think about your topic?Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all
of these, or even others. If you're doing this for a class, you should get specific guidelines
from your instructor.

Types of annotations
Annotations may be written with different goals in mind.

Indicative annotations
This type of annotation defines the scope of the source, lists the significant topics and
explains what the source is about. In this type of entry, there is no attempt to give actual data
such as hypotheses, proofs.

Informative annotations
This type of annotation is a summary of the source. An informative annotation should
include the thesis of the work, arguments or hypotheses, proofs and a conclusion.

Evaluative annotations
This type of annotation assesses the source's strengths and weaknesses—how the source
is useful and how it is not. Simply put, an evaluative annotation should evaluate the source's
usefulness.

Combination annotations
Most annotated bibliographies contain combination annotations. This type of annotation
will summarize or describe the topic, and then evaluate the source's usefulness.[3]

Writing styles
 No matter which writing style is used for annotations, all entries should be brief. Only the
most significant details should be mentioned. Information that is apparent in the title can be
omitted from the annotation. In addition, background materials and any references to previous
work are usually excluded.[4]

Telegraphic
A telegraphic writing style gets the information out quickly and concisely. Maintaining
clarity, complete and grammatically correct sentences are not necessary.[4]

Complete sentences
A complete sentences writing style utilizes coherent sentences that are grammatically
correct. Subjects and conjunctions are not eliminated even though the tone may be terse. Long
and complex sentences are to generally be avoided.[4]

Paragraph
A paragraph writing style utilizes a full, coherent paragraph. This can sometimes be
similar to the form of a bibliographic essay. Complete sentences and proper grammar must be
used.[4]Purpose
There are three main purposes behind writing an annotated bibliography. Each purpose
can serve anyone in a different manner, depending on what they are trying to accomplish.

Learning about a topic

Writing an annotated bibliography is an excellent way to begin any research project.
While it may seem easier to simply copy down bibliographical information, adding annotations
will force the researcher to read each source carefully. An annotation requires the source to be
critically analyzed, not simply read over.[5]

Formulating a thesis
Any form of research paper or essay will require some form of argument. This is called a
thesis. A developed thesis needs to be debatable, interesting and current. Writing an annotated
bibliography will give the researcher a clear understanding about what is being said about their
topic. After reading and critically analyzing sources, the researcher will be able to determine
what issues there are and what people are arguing about. From there, the researcher will be able
to develop their own point of view.

To assist other researchers

Extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies are sometimes published. The purpose
of these annotated bibliographies is to provide a complete and comprehensive overview of any
given topic. While any normal researcher may not get their own annotated bibliography
published, it could be a good idea to search for previously published annotated bibliographies
that are related to their topic.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (RESEARCH)

Stem Cell Research: An Annotated Bibliography

Holland, Suzanne. The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate : Science, Ethics, and Public
Policy. Boston: MIT Press, 2001. Print.This is the annotation of the above source. In this
example, I am following MLA 2009 (3rd ed.) guidelines for the bibliographic information listed
above. If I were really writing an annotation for this source, I would offer a brief summary of
what this book says about stem cell research.

After a brief summary, it would be appropriate to assess this source and offer some
criticisms of it. Does it seem like a reliable and current source? Why? Is the research biased or
objective? Are the facts well documented? Who is the author? Is she qualified in this subject? Is
this source scholarly, popular, some of both?

The length of your annotation will depend on the assignment or on the purpose of your
annotated bibliography. After summarizing and assessing, you can now reflect on this source.
How does it fit into your research? Is this a helpful resource? Too scholarly? Not scholarly
enough? Too general/specific? Since “stem cell research” is a very broad topic, has this source
helped you to narrow your topic?

1.Senior, K. “Extending the Ethical Boundaries of Stem Cell Research.”Trends in

Molecular Medicine.7 (2001): 5-6. Print.
Not all annotations have to be the same length. For example, this source is a very short
scholarly article. It may only take a sentence or two to summarize. Even if you are using a book,
you should only focus on the sections that relate to your topic.
Not all annotated bibliographies assess and reflect; some merely summarize. That may
not be the most helpful for you, but, if this is an assignment, you should always ask your
instructor for specific guidelines.

2.Wallace, Kelly. “Bush Stands Pat on Stem Cell Policy.”CNN.13 August 2001. 17 August
2001. Television.
Notice that in this example, I chose a variety of sources: a book, a scholarly journal, and a
web page. Using a variety of sources can help give you a broader picture of what is being said
about your topic. You may want to investigate how scholarly sources are treating this topic
differently than more popular sources. But again, if your assignment is to only use scholarly
sources, then you will probably want to avoid magazines and popular web sites.
 Notice that the bibliographic information above is proper MLA format (use whatever
style is appropriate in your field) and the annotations are in paragraph form.
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (JOURNALS)
1.Review Articles
For this bibliography we have chosen to concentrate on review articles because they
provide a broad overview of the topic and discussion of current debates in the literature. Review
articles are also useful for identifying seminal writings and providing extensive bibliography.
Such asan analysis of the concept of empowerment I C. M. Rodwell,.Journal of
AdvancedNursing1996;23(2):305-13.This paper is an analysis of empowerment and its use in
nursing practice, education, research and health promotion.
● .Child development and long-term outcomes: A population healthperspective and
summary of successful interventions I C. Hertzian and M. Weens. SocialScience &
Medicine1996;43(7): 1083-95. Discusses the evidence derived from intervention studies
in the post-neonatal, reschool, and school age periods which suggest that child
development can be modified in ways which improve health and competence in the long-
term.
● Community health promotion: Concepts and lessons from contemporary sociology I O.
Nilsen. Health Policy1996;36(2): 167-83. Argues that community specifics have not
been adequately taken into account in planning health promotion initiatives.
● Cultural influences in community participation in health I L. Stone. Social Science&
Medicine1992;35(4):409-17.This paper traces changes in the way that the role of culture
has been analysed in relation to community health issues and in particular with respect to
'community participation'.
● Determinants of a health-promoting lifestyle: An integrative review I A.F. Gillis. Journal
of Advanced Nursing1993;18(3):345-53. Reviews literature published between 1983
and 1991 that focused on identifying the determinants of a health-promoting lifestyle.
● Dissemination and utilization of health promotion and disease prevention knowledge:
Theory, research and experience I L.W. Green and J.L. Johnson. Canadian Journal of
Public Health. Revue/Canadienne de SantePublique1996;87 Suppl 2:S11-17.
● Economic impoverishment as a health risk: Methodologic and conceptual issues I M.A.
Nelson. Advances in Nursing Science 1994; 16(3): 1-12. Argues that a number of
methodologic and conceptual issues have impeded understanding of the relationship
between socioeconomic status and health.
● Effective mental health promotion: A literature review I R. Hodgson, T. Abbasi and J.
Clarkson. Health Education Journal 1996; 55(l):55-74.
● The effectiveness of community health nursing interventions: A literaturereview I L.W.
Deal. Public Health Nursing 1994; 11(5):315-23.
● iThis article describes services provided by community health nurses anddocuments the
effectiveness of these interventions based on availableliterature.
● The evolution, impact and significance of the Healthy Cities/ Healthy j.Communities
movement I T. Hancock.Journal of Public Health Policy 1993;14(1):5-18.
● Reviews the concept of Healthy Cities, its evolution and current practice, considers some
of the problems in applying the concept, and speculates on its potential future
development.From preventive health behaviour to health promotion: Advancing a
positive construct of health/ P.A. Kulbok and J.H. Baldwin. Advances in Nursing
Science 1992;14(4):50-64.
● A review of health promotion research in nursing, focussing on the conceptualization and
measurement of health promotion behaviours.General strategies for motivating people to
change their behaviour I S. Damrosch.Nursing Clinics of North America
1991;26(4):833-43.
● Discusses the cumulative findings of numerous studies of motivation to change
behaviour.Health promotion and the older population: Expanding our theoretical
horizons I M.S. Caserta. Journal of Community Health 1995;20(3):283-92. Explores
the challenges of gerontological health education to traditional models of health
promotion.Health promotion, community development and the tyranny of individualism I
A. Shiell and P. Hawe.Health Economics 1996;5(3):241-7.
● The Healthy Cities Project: A challenge for health education I J. Ashton. Health
Education Quarterly 1991; 18(1 ):39-48.
● Healthy Cities: Toward worldwide health promotion I B.C. Flynn. Annual Review of
Public Health 1996;17:299-309.
● This review describes the status of Healthy Cities globally and presents case studies.
● Healthy Cities vision—An emerging global awareness and Indian perspective I' V'.M.
Gupta. Indian Journal of Public Health 1995;39(2):50-7.
● A holosphere of healthy and sustainable communities I R. Labonte.Australian Journal
of Public Health 1993; 17( 1 ):4-12.
● Learning to 'walk our talk': The implications of sociological theory for research
methodologies in health promotion I B.D. Poland.CanadianJournal of Public Health.
Revue Canadienne de SantePublique1992; 83 Suppl 1:S31-46.
● A discussion of the implications of recent shifts in health promotion research for
methodology.
● New health promotion movement: A critical examination I A. Robertson and M. Minkler.
Health Education Quarterly 1994;21(3):295-312. This paper explores the meanings of
the ideas of the new health promotion movement and explores implications for practice.
● Nursing and health promotion: Conceptual concerns I F.G. Delaney. Journal of
Advanced Nursing 1994;20(5):828-35.
● This essay considers the contribution of nursing to health promotion and the usage of
concepts of health promotion in nursing literature.
● Older adults' experience of health promotion: A theory for nursing practice I M. Frenn.
Public Health Nursing 1996;13(1):65-71.
● An outcomes approach to population health at the local level in NSW: Practical
problems and potential solutions I C. Rissel, J. Ward and P. Sainsbury.AustralianHealth
Review 1996; 19(2):23-39. Describes how the Central Sydney Area Health Service has
established a Needs Assessment & Health Outcomes Unit to help improve health
outcomes. Issues in working with population health outcomes at the local level are
discussed.
● Powerlessness, empowerment, and health: Implications for health promotion programs I
N. Wallerstein. American Journal of Health Promotion 1992;6(3): 197-205.
● Reviews the health and social science research on the role of powerlessness as a risk
factor for disease, and the role of empowerment as a health-enhancing strategy.
● Program evaluation within a health promotion framework I J.C. Thompson.Canadian
Journal of Public Health/ Revue Canadienne de SantePublique1992;83 Suppl 1:S67-
71.
● Realities of Health For All by the year 2000 I T. Rathwell. Social Science & Medicine
1992;35(4):541-7.
● Reviews the progress of Member States towards the Regional Health For All goal.
● Research in dental health education and health promotion: A review of the literature. I
L.F. Brown.Health Education Quarterly 1994;21(1):83-102.
● Strategies for maintenance of health-promoting behaviours I A.R. Redland and A.K.
Stuifbergen.Nursing Clinics of North America 1993;28(2):427-42.
● Strengthening individual and community capacity to prevent disease and promote health:
In search of relevant theories and principles I N. Freudenberg, E. Eng, B. Flay, G.
Parcel, T. Rogers, and N. Wallerstein. Health Education Quarterly 1995;22(3):290-
306.
● A discussion of the relationship between theory and practice and its effect on the current
research agenda in health promotion.
● Towards a research strategy to support public health programs forbehaviour change I S.
Redman. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health 1996;20(4):352-8.An
analysis of research published by the Australian Journal of Public Health and its utility
for practitioners in building effective programs
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (ARTICLES)

Advances in public health communication I E. Maibach& D.R. Holtgrave.Annual

Review of Public Health 1995;16:219-238.Outlines the use of communication techniques and
technologies to influence individuals, populations and organizations for the purpose of
promoting conditions conducive to human and environmental health. Social marketing, risk
communication, behavioural decision theory, entertainment education, media advocacy and
interactive decision support systems are discussed.
Canadian Conference on Dissemination Research: Strengthening health promotion and
disease prevention. Canadian Journal of Public Health 1996;87(suppl. 2).
Delivering the goods, showing our stuff: The case for a constructivist paradigm for
health promotion research and practice I R. Labonte and A. Robertson.Health Education
Quarterly 1996;23(4):431-47. This article argues that there has been a tendency to empower the
“conventional” positivist paradigm in health promotion research, often at the expense of
confounding or ignoring much of health promotion practice. This article argues further that a
“constructivist” research paradigm not only has the potential to resolve some of the tensions
between research and practicein health promotion but also is inclusive of knowledge generated
by the conventional paradigm. The usefulness of a constructivist paradigm is demonstrated
through the use of four practice-based case examples drawn from actual community-based health
promotion efforts. The congruence of a constructivist paradigm with the health promotion
principles of empowerment and community participation are discussed. Finally, this article
argues for the acceptance of the legitimacy of knowledge generated from the constructivist
paradigm and concludes that this paradigm is more suited to the goals of current health
promotion.
The effects of socio-economic status on exercise and smoking: Age-related differences I
Andrew V. Wister. Journal of Aging and Health, 1996;8(4):467-488.
Logistic regression analyses are performed on the 1990 Canadian Health Promotion
Survey to test whether: a) socio-economic status is associated with risky life-style behaviours;
and b) the effect of socio-economic status is greater for younger and middle-aged groups than for
older age groups. The results indicate that socio-economic status affects health behaviours in
relatively important ways, but this depends on the measure (education, income, work status), the
specific behaviour, and the age group.
Health outcomes and health promotion: Defining success in health promotion I D.
Nutbeam. Health Promotion Journal of Australia1996;6(2):58-60.
Health-promoting schools.Special Issue of World Health 1996; (July-August): 3
lp.(English, French and Spanish)This issue covers 23 articles advocating for increased
investments in school health promotion and for diffusing the concept of Health-Promoting
Schools on a global scale.
Intentions and changes in exercise behaviour: A life-style perspective I Jean Q. Lock and
Andrew V. Wister. Health Promotion International 1992;7(3):195-208.
This article analyzes intentions and reported improvement in exercise behaviour using a set of
explanatory variables for the purpose of comparing several theoretical approaches: the social
psychological approach; the materialist framework; and the life-style/life-cycle perspectives.
Population health and health promotion: What do they have to say to each other? Ron
Labonte. Canadian Journal of Public Health 1995;86(3):165-68.
The author asserts that much of what is claimed in the name of population health supports
the concerns of health promotion. However he also argues that there are some assumptions that
may be at odds with those in health promotion and that these assumptions should be debated.
These concerns include population health's emphasis on epidemiological methods, its economic
conservativism and its silence on ecological questions of overall economic scale. Labonte's
discussion outlines how population health differs from health promotion in its underlying
philosophy of approach.
Proceedings of the first International Seminar on National Health Promoting Policies,
Strategies, and Structures held in Paris from Nov. 21 -23, 1994. International Journal of
Health Promotion and Education1995;2(2/3).
The relationship between self-help group participation and other health behaviours
among older adults I Andrew V. Wister.Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
1995;14(2):23-38. (English with French abstract).This paper provides an exploratory analysis of
the relationship between participation in self-help groups and other informal and formal
strategies by which individuals cope with stressful life events during later life.
 Strengthening individual and community capacity to prevent disease and promote health:
In search of relevant theories and principles I N. Freudenberg, E. Eng, B.R. Flay, G. Parcel, T.
Rogers, N. Wallerstein. Health Education Quarterly 1995;22(3):290-306.
The dominant theoretical models used in health education today are based in social
psychology. While these theories have increasingly acknowledged the role of larger social and
cultural influences in health behaviour, they have many limitations. Theories seek to explain the
causes of health problems, whereas principles of practice, which are derived from
practical experience, assist intervenors to achieve their objectives. By elucidating the
relationships between theory and practice principles, it may be possible to develop more coherent
and effective interventions. The key research agenda for health education is to link theories at
different levels of analysis and to create theory-driven models that can be used to plan more
effective interventions in the complex environments in which health educators work.
The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL): Position paper
from the World Health Organization. The WHOQOL Group.Social Science and Medicine 1995;
41(10): 1403-1409.
This paper describes the World Health Organization's project to develop a quality of life
instrument (the WHOQOL). It outlines the reasons that the project was undertaken, the thinking
that underlies the project, the method that has been followed in its development and the current
status of the project. The WHOQOL assesses individuals' perception of their position in life in
the context of the culture and value systems in which the live and in relation to their goals,
expectations, standards and concerns. It has been developed collaboratively in several culturally
diverse centres over four years. Piloting of the WHOQOL on some 4500 respondents in 15
culturally diverse settings has been completed. On the basis of this data the revised WHOQOL
Field Trial Form has been finalized, and field testing is currently in progress. The WHOQOL
produces a multi-dimensional profile of scores across six domains and 24 sub-domains of quality
of life.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Carlson, Laurie. “Annotated Bibliographies”. KU Writing Center. University of Kansas.
http://www.writing.ku.edu/~writing/guides/bibs.shtml. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
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3. “Annotated Bibliographies: Content”. Writer's Handbook. The Writing Center.
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/AnnBib_content.html. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
4. “Annotated Bibliographies: Style”. Writer's Handbook. The Writing Center.
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