The Communication Situation:

An annotated bibliography is the first step in creating a literature review or a background section for a research proposal. It concisely provides information about research that has already been done about a specific research topic or question. This assignment will require you to spend time searching through online databases for journal articles about a research topic of interest to you.

Assignment 1 prepares you for completing Assignment 2A - Synthesis Matrix, and Assignment 2B - Micro-Literature Review.

Your annotated bibliography will help you critically evaluate your sources and present them in a clear, fair, and accurate way. This is a research tool you can, and probably will, use throughout your career.

Assignment:

Your annotated bibliography must focus on a narrow topic related to a scientific-field. You will also use this topic in the synthesis matrix for Assignment 2A and the micro-literature review for Assignment 2B.

Your annotated bibliography must include at least five (5) sources. These sources must be research reports (i.e., original research articles) from peer reviewed journals.

The following types of articles are NOT suitable choices:

Purely theoretical papers that discuss concepts and propositions, but that report no empirical data
Review articles that summarize the research of different past researchers, but that do not report original research by the author
Abridged reports that are commonly found in popular news magazines, such as Psychology Today
Short reports with less than two-to-three pages devoted to methods and findings

The reference information for the sources you cite in your annotated bibliography must be formatted in the style outlined in the journal guidelines of a target journal. A target journal is a journal where you might “aim” to publish a literature review in an actual publication situation. For this class, the target journal serves as an audience for you as you write.

The annotated bibliography should contain the following information:

Title with the purpose and topic (e.g., Annotated Bibliography of....", your name, and the date
Introduction section where you:
State the topic itself, why you chose it, and its importance as it relates to your field
List the databases you searched and the success of the searches (e.g., which database(s) were the most useful and relevant for your topic)
Provide the name of the target journal that you will use for the guidelines for the citation format of the source references in the annotated bibliography, state why you chose the journal, and the audience of the journal (e.g., the primary and secondary readers of the journal)
Five annotations that each contain the following information:

Include a citation with the correct format required by the target journal's guidelines
State the question or problem described in the research report
Describe the method used in the study
State the main conclusion or recommendation
Explain and evaluate how the research report relates to other sources in the annotated bibliography

Helpful Hints: These are standard tips for any type of annotated bibliography:

Single space the document and double space between the citation and the annotated text. Organize the citations alphabetically and use proper in-text citation format for comparing the annotated research.
Use your own words to summarize the content for the majority of the annotation's content, and include parenthetical citations of quoted material with page numbers of the cited research
Limit the use of quotations and only use them if you need to call attention to specific phrases or wording, and you must include your own discussion of the relevance of a quote.
Reading the entire article is necessary for writing an annotation, and simply reading the abstract will not provide the specific information that is required in each annotation.

Assignment 1 – Suggested Sequence of Steps

Step 1 – Read the online notes about Assignment 1, as well as the Purposes of an Annotated Bibliography

Step 2 – Pick a working topic (Be willing to narrow the focus as your research progresses)

Step 3 – Use the databases to locate key articles about the topic and from key researchers in the field

Step 4 – Locate a target journal that publishes literature review articles

Step 5 – Find the target journal guidelines for references and citation format

Step 6 – Use the databases again to collect peer-reviewed research articles from different journals about the working topic. NOTE: Consider collecting about 15-20 articles so that you can then have enough to choose the five to annotate for Assignment 1 and the 9-12 articles to review for Assignment 2B.

Step 7 – Narrow and read selected sources NOTE: Read the abstract, introduction, and conclusion sections of each study. If the study seems worth considering for use in Assignment 1, then go back and read the methods and results sections to make sure that the methods of the study are appropriate and that the conclusions follow logically from the results provided.

Step 8 – Write the annotated bibliography entries – NOTE: Follow the guidelines included in the assignment reading.

Step 9 – Proofread the annotated bibliography and check to make sure the citations are formatted to match the target journal's guidelines

Step 10 – Submit the annotated bibliography as a Word document along with PDFs or links to the sources NOTE: Turning in PDFs of the sources is part of the assignment. You should be able to download most PDFs for free from the NC State University library website

Research Reports and Literature Reviews: What's the difference?

You should only use research reports or articles from peer-reviewed journals as sources for Assignments 1, 2A, and 2B, and do not use literature reviews, editorials, commentaries, or opinion articles. You may hear research reports called original research articles, primary literature, or primary articles.

What's the difference between a research reports and a literature review? Please see the table below for an explanation.

	Research Report	Narrative Literature Review Article
Purpose	Presents the results of a single original study, or other research project, conducted by the authors of the report.	Synthesizes many research reports to sum up the current knowledge in the field; draws conclusions about the state of research in the field including pointing out gaps in the research and areas for further study.
Audience	Peer-reviewed journal reviewers and editors; researchers and specialists in the field.	Peer-reviewed journal reviewers and editors, researchers and specialists, slightly more general audience – “A journal’s broadest readership” (Penrose and Katz 2010)
Source of content	A single original study or research project conducted by the authors of the report.	Many research report
Organizational strategy	Frequently follows the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRAD) format, through this is not the case for all fields.	Can be organized in a way that best suits the material, often thematically by topic, chronologically, or methodologically.
References	Most often cites a few references in the Introduction section and possibly in the Methods or Discussion sections.	Cites many research reports as references, and frequently more than 100.

Correct citing of sources is important because it shows an awareness of the current information about a topic. References also provide interested readers with further information about an object or process. For Assignment 1 - Annotated Bibliography, you will simply need to use the correct citation format for each source that you summarize and annotate. You will use the citation format that your target journal requires.

Category	A	B	C	D	F
					Evaluation Criteria - Assignment 1 - Annotated Bibliography
Introduction - (20%)	Contains a well-written introduction that states the topic. Relates the topic to a specific scientific field of study. Discusses with details the significance of the research. Lists more than two databases that were used for searching for sources, and evaluates well the usefulness and relevance of the resources. States the target journal and precisely describes its target audience and purpose, as well as relevance, to the topic and related field of study.	Contains an introduction that states the topic. Relates the topic vaguely to a specific scientific field of study. Discusses in general the significance of the research. Lists two databases that were used for searching for sources, and evaluates the usefulness and relevance of the resources. States the target journal and generally describes its target audience and purpose, as well as relevance, to the topic and related field of study.	Contains an introduction that states vaguely the topic. Does not relate well the topic to a specific scientific field of study. Discusses minimally the significance of the research. Lists one database that was used for searching for sources, and somewhat evaluates the usefulness and relevance of the resource. States the target journal and vaguely describes its target audience and purpose, as well as relevance, to the topic and related field of study.	Contains an introduction that minimally references a topic. Does not relate the topic to a specific scientific field of study. Does not discuss the significance of the research. Lists one database that was used for searching for sources, but does not evaluate the usefulness and relevance of the resource. Does not state a target journal and does not describe a target audience and purpose, or the relevance, to the topic and related field of study.	Does not contain an introduction, or contains minimal information related to the required content.
Sources & References Format (10%)	The annotated bibliography includes at least five research reports from peer-reviewed journals that align with the writer’s chosen micro literature review topic. The reference information for the five sources is formatted to match the target journal guidelines. There are no inconsistencies in the reference formatting.	The annotated bibliography includes at least five research reports from peer-reviewed journals, but these reports may vary a bit in terms of topic and may reflect a need to narrow or tweak the review topic. The reference information for the five sources is formatted to match the target journal guidelines in most but not all annotations. There are only one or two inconsistencies in the reference formatting.	The annotated bibliography does not include at least five research reports from peer reviewed journals. The writer may have included less than five sources total or included five or more sources that are not all research reports from peer-reviewed journals. The reference information for the five sources is not formatted to match the target journal guidelines in most of the annotations There are several inconsistencies in the reference formatting.	The annotated bibliography does not include at least five research reports from peer reviewed journals. The writer may have included less than five sources total or included five or more sources that are not all research reports from peer-reviewed journals. The reference information for the five sources is not formatted to match the target journal guidelines, and there are many inconsistencies in this formatting.	Does not include a list of sources with correct citation format for the annotated research.
Annotation Content: States the question or problem, and describes the method used in the study (20%)	States the research question or problem of the research study being annotated with excellently focused information about why the study is important to the field of study. Describes the method with enough details that a comparison can be made to another similar study in the field (e.g., provides information that can reflect differences in how research is conducted). Contains this information in all five annotations.	States the research question or problem of the research study being annotated with good information about why the study is important to the field of study. Describes the method with some details that a comparison can be made to another similar study in the field (e.g., provides information that can reflect differences in how research is conducted). Contains this information in four or five annotations.	States the research question or problem of the research study being annotated with some information about why the study is important to the field of study. Describes the method in general terms and with few details so that a comparison would be difficult to make to another similar study in the field (e.g., provides information that can reflect differences in how research is conducted). Contains this information in three or four annotations.	States the research question or problem of the research study being annotated with little information about why the study is important to the field of study. Describes the method in vague terms and with few details so that a comparison would be difficult to make to another similar study in the field (e.g., provides information that can reflect differences in how research is conducted). Contains this information in one or two annotations.	Does not state the question or problem described, and or the method used in the studies in any annotation.
Annotation Content: State the main conclusion or recommendation (20%)	States the main conclusion or recommendation of a research study clearly. Includes a call for future research, if included, and indicates if one is not clearly stated in the study. Includes specific information in each annotation about how the research that is annotated relates to the research topic, which was stated in the introduction. Focuses on how the research adds to the field. Contains this information in all five annotations.	States the main conclusion or recommendation of a research study. Includes a call for future research, if included, and indicates if one is not clearly stated in the study. Includes general information in each annotation about how the research that is annotated relates to the research topic, which was stated in the introduction. Focuses somewhat on how the research adds to the field. Contains this information in four or five annotations.	States the main conclusion or recommendation of a research study vaguely. Does not include a call for future research, if included, or indicate if one is not clearly stated in the study. Includes little to no information in each annotation about how the research that is annotated relates to the research topic, which was stated in the introduction. Focuses very little on how the research adds to the field. Contains this information in three or four annotations.	Does not state the main conclusion or recommendation of a research study. Does not include a call for future research, if included, or indicate if one is not clearly stated in the study. Includes little to no information in each annotation about how the research that is annotated relates to the research topic, which was stated in the introduction. Focuses very little on how the research adds to the field. Contains this information in one or two annotations.	Does not include the required information in any annotation.
Annotation Content: Comparisons (20%)	Explains and evaluations specifically how the research annotated relates to the other research studies cited. Includes a direct comparison to two or more of the other articles cited and annotated, and references with several details how the research is related based on the methods or results. Does not use a generic statement, such as “this article relates to the other research cited…”. Uses author(s) names of other research that has been cited in all of the comparisons. Contains this information in all five annotations.	Explains and evaluations in general how the research annotated relates to the other research studies cited. Includes a direct comparison to one of the other articles cited and annotated, and references with some details how the research is related based on the methods or results. Uses minimally a generic statement, such as “this article relates to the other research cited…”. Uses author(s) names of other research that has been cited in most of the comparisons. Contains this information in four or five annotations.	Explains and evaluations vaguely how the research annotated relates to the other research studies cited. Includes an indirect comparison to one of the other articles cited and annotated, and references with some details how the research is related based on the methods or results. Uses a generic statement, such as “this article relates to the other research cited…”. Uses author(s) names of other research that has been cited in some of the comparisons. Contains this information in four or five annotations.	Does not explain or evaluate adequately how the research annotated relates to the other research studies cited. Includes no comparisons to the other articles cited and annotated, and references with some details how the research is related based on the methods or results. Uses minimally a generic statement, such as “this article relates to the other research cited…”. Does not use author(s) names of other research that has been cited in some of the comparisons. Contains this information in four or five annotations.	Does not include the required information in any annotation.
Overall (10%)	Includes an informative title, your name, and date. Includes page numbers, and adheres to the Style Guide for the course for the font and spacing requirements. Exemplifies correct spelling and grammar, formatting for easy readability, and overall presentation. Displays knowledge of the entire source for each annotation.	Includes a title, your name, and date. Includes page numbers, but does not totally adhere to the Style Guide for the course for the font and spacing requirements. Has one or two spelling and grammar errors. Format is adequate but could use work for easy readability, and overall presentation. Displays some knowledge of the entire source for most annotations.	Includes a title, and page numbers. Has multiple spelling and grammar errors, and does not adhere to the Style Guide for the course. Format could use work for easy readability, and overall presentation. Displays some knowledge of the entire source for some annotations.	Does not include a title, page numbers. Has many spelling and grammar errors. Format needs work for easy readability, and overall presentation. Displays little knowledge of the entire source for most of the annotations.	Does not include the required text for the assignment, has multiple proofreading errors, and requires format and citation work.

"The annotated bibliography is useful not only to the individual researcher who creates the bibliography, but also to later researchers who might follow the same or similar paths." University of North Florida, Thomas G. Carpenter Library

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Assignment 1 - Annotated Bibliography Instructions and Evaluation Criteria