BMAL 550

Directions for Annotated Bibliography

You will provide an annotated bibliography of 25 references that you plan to use for your research paper.
This must be in APA format, with a cover page and references that each includes a summary, analysis
and reflection. This assignment is due by 12 midnight (EST) on the Sunday of Week 3.

Why do an annotated bibliography? The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill provides an excellent response:
A good annotated bibliography:
 encourages you to think critically about the content of the works you are using, their place within
a field of study, and their relation to your own research and ideas.
 proves you have read and understand your sources.
 establishes your work as a valid source and you as a competent researcher.

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources and includes APA formatted references to the articles,
books and resources (all which should have been found through the Liberty University Online Library)
which one has compiled for a research assignment. Following each reference is a brief description and
an evaluation of the source. The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to benefit the researcher and
provide the content, relevance and quality of the sources.

Do NOT simply cut and past the abstract as the annotation, as they are not the same. Abstracts are
summaries of a source, whereas annotations also include a short summary. Abstracts include a critical
aspect to note the source’s author (why should s/he be considered an expert) and they explain the
usefulness of the research being performed. Along with being an excellent source for APA formatting
guidelines, The Owl at Purdue has helpful information regarding annotated bibliographies and also
provides helpful examples.

You can expect to keep copies of the annotated bibliography completed for this class, as some of the
research may be applicable for research required for other courses. Having an annotated bibliography
ensures that a quick review will help a student determine the applicability of articles previously
reviewed to required research.

The APA format for an annotated bibliography is as follows:

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (year). Name of journal article. Name of Journal

is Next,volume(Issue), page numbers.

A brief summary of the article.

Assess the article according to the focus of the research and provide criticisms. Who is the author and
how are they qualified? Reflect on the source and how it fits in the topic chosen to research. Is the
source helpful? Too broad or too narrow? Explain how this research will fit into your research paper.