Evaluative Annotated Bibliography

Your teacher may ask you to justify the quality of a source with an annotation. Good annotations clearly prove the value of the source to your research. Sometimes assigned as a project in itself, an annotated bibliography requires the same research and evaluation techniques as a traditional term paper. When preparing an annotation, the most challenging task may be locating the credentials of an author who is not well known. Consult Current Biography, Contemporary Authors, Book Review Digest, or our periodical databases for biographical information. You may also choose to do a Web search of the authors name and the words profile, biography, or curriculum vitae or C.V. A C.V. is a resume for an academic that usually includes publications and presentations. Use the following criteria to evaluate books, articles, Web sites, and reference materials. If you feel the work would be difficult to defend in your works cited or works consulted, it would be best not to include it. Elements to include in an evaluative annotation (check with your teacher to see which criteria are necessary for any specific project) 1. Authors credentials 2. Scope and purpose of the work: Is it an overview, persuasive, editorial, scholarly, popular? 3. Comparison of the work with others dealing with the same topic or others in your bibliography 4. Intended audience 5. Brief summary of contents 6. Evaluation of research: Is the work logical, clear, well documented, based on solid evidence? 7. Evaluation of scope: Has the topic been adequately covered or analyzed? 8. Evaluation of author bias 9. Relative value of the work to the thesis Example of an evaluative annotation Katz, Jon. The Rights of Kids in the Digital Age. Wired July 1996: 120+. Print. Katz, former contributing editor of Wired and the author of Netizens Media Rant on HotWired, presents a compelling argument for safeguarding the rights of children online. The article is aimed at a general, but computer-savvy, audience. Katz offers a far more liberal perspective than recent pieces in such major news journals as Newsweek, which continue to warn the public of the dangers children face in electronic environments. Katz advocates the idea of preparing the responsible child and outlines the rights of such a child. He claims that our new digital nation requires a social contract similar to the one proposed by philosopher John Locke and adopted by the founders of our own country to protect the rights of all citizens. This unique liberal view added needed balance to my project.