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.
There are different ways to format an annotated bibliography, but the most common one is to use the American Psychological Association (APA) style. In this style, each citation is followed by an annotation in paragraph form. The first line of the annotation should be indented, and the rest of the text should be flush left.
To create an annotated bibliography, you will need to do the following:
Choose the sources you will include in your bibliography. These should be sources that are relevant to your research topic and that you have actually used in your research.
Create a citation for each source in the format specified (e.g. APA style).
Write an annotation for each source. In the annotation, you should summarize the main points of the source and evaluate its relevance and quality. You should also consider the purpose of the source (e.g. to inform, to persuade) and the intended audience.
Organize the bibliography in alphabetical order by the author's last name. If a source has no author, use the title instead.
Here is an example of an annotated bibliography in APA style:
Annotated Bibliography
Bartholomew, D. (2000). The benefits of exercise for the clinically depressed. The Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(10), 1447-1453.
This study examined the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for clinically depressed patients. The sample consisted of 122 patients who were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group participated in a supervised program of aerobic exercise three times a week for 12 weeks, while the control group did not participate in any exercise program. The results showed that the exercise group had significantly lower levels of depression than the control group. This study provides strong evidence for the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for depression.
Jones, S. (2002). The relationship between physical activity and mental health. American Journal of Health Promotion, 16(2), 107-111.
This study surveyed college students to examine the relationship between physical activity and mental health. The sample consisted of 300 students who completed a questionnaire measuring their physical activity levels and their levels of mental health. The results showed that students who were more physically active had higher levels of mental health. This study supports the idea that physical activity can have a positive impact on mental health.
Smith, J. (1998). The impact of social support on mental health. Social Work, 43(3), 234-240.
This study examined the relationship between social support and mental health in a sample of elderly adults. The sample consisted of 100 adults who were interviewed about their levels of social support and their mental health. The results showed that adults with higher levels of social support had better mental health. This study suggests that social support can be an important factor in maintaining good mental health.
As you can see, an annotated bibliography provides a summary and evaluation of the sources you have used in your research. It is a useful tool for organizing and keeping track of your sources, and it can also help you to identify any gaps in your research. By creating an annotated bibliography, you will have a better understanding of your sources and will be able to use them more effectively in your research.
