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Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Basics

Nikolas Nadeau

Walden University

Online Writing Center

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Housekeeping• Muting

• Questions

• Tech trouble? http://support.citrixonline.com/en_US/GoToTraining

• Recording: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

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An Overview

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Alternative names

You might also hear or see:

1. annotated bib2. annotation3. lit review

All of these terms are synonymous with annotatedbibliographies or literature reviews.

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1. The Annotated Bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography

Annotate: “to make or furnish critical or

explanatory notes or comment”

Bibliography: “the history, identification, or

description of writings or publications”

(Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, 2012)

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Annotated Bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography

The format of an annotated bibliography can

change depending on the assignment, but the

typical format is a list of reference entries

followed by annotations.– Alphabetized by author– No headings– Brief

Be sure to ask your instructor about any alternative expectations for your specific assignment.

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Annotated Bibliography

APACommon Reference Examples

Remember to use APA format for reference entries, just like in a normal reference list.

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Annotated Bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography

An annotation has three components:

Each component normally appears as its own

paragraph within the annotation.

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Annotated Bibliography

Part 1: Summary

Answers these questions:• What is the topic of the source?• What actions did the author perform within

the study and why?• What are the methods of the author?• What was the theoretical basis for the study?• What were the conclusions of the study?

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Annotated Bibliography

The authors described the construction and rationale of an honors course in science and religion that was pedagogically based on Lawson’s learning cycle model. In Lawson’s model, the student writes a short paper on a subject before a presentation of the material and then writes a longer paper reevaluating and supporting his or her views. Using content analysis, the authors compared the answers in the first and second essays, evaluating them based on Fowler’s stages of development. Examples of student writing are presented with the authors’ analysis of the faith stage exhibited by the students, which demonstrated development in stages 2 through 5.

Brief summary

Past tense

(Not as long or formulaic as an abstract, and written fully in writer’s own words.)

Example Summary:

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Annotated Bibliography

Part 2: Critique/Analysis

• Strengths and weaknesses– Methodology, language choices,

organization, level of detail• Is any information is missing? • Is the article scholarly or generalizable?

Why or why not?

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Annotated Bibliography

Example Critique/Analysis:Rather than focusing on spiritual development,

the authors’ course emphasized the intersection between religion and science, through material on epistemology, creation myths, evolutionary theory, and ethics. Furthermore, although the authors exposed students to Fowler’s faith development theory, this exposure did not carry into to student work in the classroom. However, since Fowler’s work is based largely within a Western Christian setting, some attention to differences in faith among class members would have been a useful addition to the study.

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Annotated Bibliography

Part 3: Application

• Does this article fill a gap in literature?• How do I apply this method to my area of

focus?• Is the article universal?

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Annotated Bibliography

The key is to justify why you are using the source.– How is it different than others in the same

field/topic?– How does it inform your future research?

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Annotated Bibliography

Example Application:

Fowler’s work would seem to lend itself to research ofthis sort, but such a model is the one found in recentliterature. This study demonstrates the best use of themodel, which is assessment. While the theory claimedhigh predictive ability, the change process chronicled is soslow and idiosyncratic that it would be difficult to designand implement research aiming to measure movement in faith development continuum.

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Annotated Bibliography

Remember:• No in-text or parenthetical citations • No direct quotes• No use of the first person (“I,” “my,” “me”)• No reference list

*However, always defer to your instructor’spreferences.

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Annotated Bibliography vs. Literature Review

Annotated bibliography

=precursor to a

literature review

Literature review

= foundation for one’s research

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2. The Literature Review

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Literature Review

A literature review:• overviews your chosen

topic or field• demonstrates your depth

of knowledge• supports/guides future

research

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Literature Review

What is not a literature review?

• A collection of source summaries or abstracts• A copy/paste of annotations• A discussion of your opinions on a topic

Instead, your job as the writer is to synthesize the literature to create that foundation for your research or argument.

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Literature Review

What is synthesis?

• Identifying patterns among the sources• Critically discussing strengths/weaknesses

of the sources or in the field• Comparing and contrasting the authors’

findings• Interpreting what is known in your field and

what is missing

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Literature Review

Remember:• No required formatting• An introduction and conclusion• Avoid overreliance on quotes/

paraphrases

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Literature Review

…by author (bad)

•Limits a paragraph to one source•Does not allow for direct comparison•Tends to come across as a series of “book reports”

…by theme (good)

•Allows for a unique organization•Can have the authors “talk to each other”•Demonstrates the writer’s analysis of the literature

Organize…

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Literature Review

When organized by theme, writers can also

use headings and comparative terms within

the text.

• Headings– Cue your reader to organization and changing topics– Note subtopics of themes

• Comparative terms– Demonstrate where authors agree or disagree – Highlight your interpretation of the authors’ findings

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Literature Review

Example Synthesis

As Stragalas (2010) argued, sharing specific details about the change will help to eliminate any difficulties. Steele-Johnson et al. (2010) echoed these sentiments when they reported that revealing all of the details about a change process can help those involved better understand and support the change. Steele-Johnson et al. also asserted that a high level of transparency during the change can help those involved prepare for and welcome the change. Similarly, Nahata et al. (2010) showed that transparency through excessive communication can allow for a wider range of acceptance of the change.

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Literature Review

HELPFUL TOOLS

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Literature Review

Literature Review MatricesMatrices are documents that allow you to

compile details about your sources and begin to

note similarities among the authors.

• Theoretical framework• Methodology• Conclusions• Implications or need for future research

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Literature Review

Example Matrix

Example matrices on Writing Center website: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/50.htm

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Literature Review

Zotero Reference Manager

While a matrix can help you make connections between your sources, the software Zotero can help you store and organize your references.

Library website and Zotero information: http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/zotero

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Recap

• Annotated Bibliographies– Summary, analysis, and application– No direct quotes, citations, or use of first person

• Literature Reviews– Synthesis, not summary– Themes, not authors

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References

Merriam-Webster. (2012). Annotate [Dictionary definition]. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annotate

Merriam-Webster. (2012). Bibliography [Dictionary definition]. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bibliography

(He just checked out

our Common Reference

List Examples page.) →

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