Annotated
Bibliographies
PEGS’ Graduate Writing Institute for Excellence (GWIE)
California State University, Dominquez Hills
(CSUDH)
(310) 243-2700
gwie@csudh.edu
gwie4grads.org
DISCLAIMER
All workshops and workshop
materials are the sole property of
PEGS’ GWIE and cannot be
published, copied, or disseminated
without prior written approval from
PEGS; they are for student and
faculty use only.
Review:
Four Levels of Close Reading
1) Annotate (take notes, make predictions, respond to the
source’s argument, question the text, write down ideas
for research topics)
2) Paraphrase (put the author’s ideas in your words;
explain the author’s claims in terms that are easy for you
to understand)
3) Analyze (ask lots of questions, dig beneath the surface
of the text, find connections to other sources)
4) Evaluate (assess the text’s usefulness for your argument)
Why Annotate a Source?
 Helps
to extract relevant pieces of information
 Helps
to organize details
 Allows
readers to determine whether a source is
useful for their research
How to Annotate a Source
 Read
the source carefully & critically
 Take
notes, ask questions, make comments, make
predictions, respond to the source’s argument,
question the text, jot down main ideas
 Label
the content of each paragraph or section
 Summarize
 Create
source
 Write
the main points of the source’s text
a clear picture of what is presented in the
down ideas for research topics based on the
content of the source
Annotation Strategies
 Use
underlines, wavy lines, multiple colors, and highlighting
to identify important concepts, to differentiate between
ideas, and to note important details, dates, patterns, etc.

Use icons such as circles, asterisks, triangles to distinguish
information

Define unfamiliar words or esoteric jargon

Write down questions prior to reading; answer during
reading

After Reading:
 Examine patterns/repetitions
 Draw conclusions/Make inferences
 Note any connections to other sources
Summarizing
Why Summarize a Source?

To extract main ideas and ignore irrelevant ones

To focus on key terms and phrases

To take a large body of work and condense it to
areas of relevance

To monitor understanding of material
What is Summarizing?

A report of an author’s main ideas

A condensed version of the original text,
highlighting key points, important concepts, and
main ideas

Writing down the main ideas, themes, theories,
arguments, methodologies, findings, conclusions,
and recommendations for further research
How to Summarize a Source

Review your annotations

Note the source’s main ideas and supporting details

Avoid adding irrelevant or unnecessary information

Write sentences in your own words to capture the
source’s main ideas and supporting details

Use transitional words as necessary to maintain the
flow of thought
Paraphrasing
Summarizing vs. Paraphrasing
Summary
Paraphrase

Identifies author’s main
ideas

Uses author’s words and
ideas without plagiarizing

Simplifies complex
arguments

Uses author’s words and
ideas indirectly (i.e.,
without quoting directly)

Uses original words
(i.e., synonyms) in an
original way (i.e., syntax)

Uses original words
(i.e., synonyms) in an
original way (i.e., syntax)

Same length, sometimes
longer, than the original

Shorter than the original
Why Paraphrase?

To show that the reading was understood
(i.e., comprehension)

To confirm your memory of what was understood
(i.e. retention)

To give a more detailed summary of relevant info

To give VOICE (your own unique voice!)
to the ideas & info of others

Thus expressing your source’s ideas
in your own words & in your own way (i.e., originality!)
How to Paraphrase

Read the selection until the meaning is clearly
understood

Cover the selection and restate the main ideas using
your own words (synonyms) in your won word order
or sentence structure (syntax)

Always cite your sources! (whether quoting directly
or indirectly (remember: indirect quotes =
paraphrases)

Compare your indirect quote with the direct quote
to ensure accuracy and authority (i.e., originality)

Do not editorialize (i.e., DON’T include personal
comments or perspectives in the paraphrase)
Paraphrasing Exercise
Original quote:
“An essential component of meaningful learning
is the integration of new or target concepts into
the learner’s framework of relevant concepts”
(Ausubel, 2015, p. 30).
►
Instructions: Paraphrase
“Mosaic” or “Patchwork”
Plagiarism
 Mosaic
Plagiarism involves simply changing a few
words or slightly reworking sentences or paragraphs
 Patchwork
Plagiarism involves directly copying
passages from several sources, only changing a few
words and perhaps the word order, then blending it
all together without citing the borrowed info
Plagiarism (example)
Source Quote:
“The artist employed myriad colors to illustrate the
transformation from the dream world to reality”(Brock,
2000, p. 123)
Plagiarism:
The painter used many colors to show the change from the
imaginary world to actuality (Brock, 2000, p. 123).
Paraphrase (example)
Source quote:
“ “The artist employed myriad colors to illustrate the
transformation from the dream world to reality”
(Brock, 2000, p.123)
Paraphrase:
Color can be a way to show transitions, and in this case,
the painter uses it to show where fiction ends and the real
world begins (Brock, 2000, p. 123).
A Successful Paraphrase
Source Quote:
“An essential component of meaningful learning is the
integration of new or target concepts into the learner’s
framework of relevant concepts” (Ausubel, 2015, p.
30).
Paraphrase:
As Ausubel attests, students best learn new material by
making connections between what they are studying and
related ideas that they have learned in the past. That is,
meaningful learning occurs when students apply what they
do know to what they do not know (Ausubel, 2015, p. 30) .
What is an
Annotated Bibliography?

An Annotated Bibliography summarizes the main ideas,
themes, topics, methodologies, arguments, results, conclusions,
and recommendations of a number of sources

The Annotated Bibliography informs the researcher of the
relevant information in a source and whether any of that
information is useful for his/her research purposes

The Annotated Bibliography assesses and evaluates the
effectiveness of the author’s argument, methodologies, and
conclusions, particularly as these relate to your research goals
Why Create an
Annotated Bibliography?
A thorough annotation gives the researcher the
full details and important information of a source
so the researcher will not have to refer back to the
article unless he/she needs a direct quotation
How to Create an
Annotated Bibliography

Summarize and paraphrase the source:
 What
are the main topics and themes covered?
 What
is(are) the main argument(s)?
 What
methodologies does the source employ?
 What
is the point or purpose of this source?
 If
someone asked what this article/book were
about, what would you say?
How to Create an
Annotated Bibliography

Assess and evaluate the source’s utility or helpfulness:
 How
is this source useful in terms of your research
question(s)/hypothesis(es)?
 Is
the source internally reliable? Are its conclusions
valid? Why?
 What
 How
is the goal or purpose of this source?
does this source compare or relate to other
sources in your bibliography?
How to Create an
Annotated Bibliography

Critically Reflect on the source:
 Was
this source helpful to you? Why or why not?
 How
does the source help shape your argument?
 How
can you use this source in your research
project?
 Has
the source changed the way you think about
your project?
References
Porter, O’Donnell (2004). Beyond the yellow highlighter:
Teaching annotation skills to improve reading
comprehension. English Journal 93(5), 82-89.
Purdue OWL: The Writing Lab