Writing an Annotation

1
Writing an Annotation

• What is an annotated bibliography?
• An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list
  of references to books, magazine articles, web
  sites, etc.
• Each reference is followed by a brief paragraph,
  the annotation, usually about 50 to 150 words.

2
Writing an Annotation

• The annotation should
• give a description and evaluation of the source.
• show that you have read and understood the
  source.
• have helped you to think critically about its
  contents.
• give enough information for a person to decide
  whether or not to read it.

3
Writing an Annotation

• When writing an annotation
• Explain the main purpose of a source.
• Briefly describe its contents.
• What special features does it have?
• Who is its possible audience?
• How relevant is its information?
• What problems does it have -
• a suspected bias, a weakness?

4
Writing an Annotation
Example

• The Lover's Instructor or, The Whole Art of
  Courtship Rendered Plain and Easy, 1796, Norwich,
  Conn.
• An entertaining example of an early conduct guide
  on the subject of courtship and marriage. It
  contains sample love letters, love poems, and
  advice on selecting and courting a suitable
  spouse with grace and decorum. It provides a good
  sense of the expected roles of men and women in
  the eighteenth-century dating game and the
  anxieties they created.

(Adapted from http//www.umich.edu/ece/resources
/sample_bibliography.html)
5
Writing an Annotation
Example

• The Lover's Instructor or, The Whole Art of
  Courtship Rendered Plain and Easy, 1796, Norwich,
  Conn.
• An entertaining example of an early conduct guide
  on the subject of courtship and marriage. It
  contains sample love letters, love poems, and
  advice on selecting and courting a suitable
  spouse with grace and decorum. It provides a good
  sense of the expected roles of men and women in
  the eighteenth-century dating game and the
  anxieties they created.

Verbs used
(Adapted from http//www.umich.edu/ece/resources
/sample_bibliography.html)
6
Writing an Annotation

• The Lover's Instructor or, The Whole Art of
  Courtship Rendered Plain and Easy, 1796, Norwich,
  Conn.
• An entertaining example of an early conduct guide
  on the subject of courtship and marriage. It
  contains sample love letters, love poems, and
  advice on selecting and courting a suitable
  spouse with grace and decorum. It provides a good
  sense of the expected roles of men and women in
  the eighteenth-century dating game and the
  anxieties they created.

Main purpose
7
Writing an Annotation

• The Lover's Instructor or, The Whole Art of
  Courtship Rendered Plain and Easy, 1796, Norwich,
  Conn.
• An entertaining example of an early conduct guide
  on the subject of courtship and marriage. It
  contains sample love letters, love poems, and
  advice on selecting and courting a suitable
  spouse with grace and decorum. It provides a good
  sense of the expected roles of men and women in
  the eighteenth-century dating game and the
  anxieties they created.

Main purpose
Contents
8
Writing an Annotation

• The Lover's Instructor or, The Whole Art of
  Courtship Rendered Plain and Easy, 1796, Norwich,
  Conn.
• An entertaining example of an early conduct guide
  on the subject of courtship and marriage. It
  contains sample love letters, love poems, and
  advice on selecting and courting a suitable
  spouse with grace and decorum. It provides a good
  sense of the expected roles of men and women in
  the eighteenth-century dating game and the
  anxieties they created.

Main purpose
Contents
Special features
9
Writing an Annotation
Example

• McEwan, Cheryl 1996, "Paradise or Pandemonium?
  West African Landscapes in the Travel Accounts of
  Victorian Women." Journal of Historical
  Geography, vol. 22, no.1, 68-83.
• McEwan analyses four 19th century British women
  travel writers geographical descriptions of
  African landscapes to determine how these images
  were influenced or challenged by the British myth
  of the "Dark Continent." Further, McEwan argues
  that two factors, the developing British ideology
  of imperialism and the romanticism of the
  concepts of "wilderness" and "sanctuary,"
  influenced these landscape descriptions. Though
  McEwan adequately explores the regional and
  temporal contexts, she does not directly address
  the relationships among these accounts, nor make
  a strong case for their influence on British
  imperialistic public policy.

(Adapted from http//www.mhc.ab.ca/library/howtog
uides/AnnotatedBibliography.pdf)
10
Writing an Annotation

• McEwan, Cheryl 1996, "Paradise or Pandemonium?
  West African Landscapes in the Travel Accounts of
  Victorian Women." Journal of Historical
  Geography, vol. 22, no.1, 68-83.
• McEwan analyses four 19th century British women
  travel writers geographical descriptions of
  African landscapes to determine how these images
  were influenced or challenged by the British myth
  of the "Dark Continent." Further, McEwan argues
  that two factors, the developing British ideology
  of imperialism and the romanticism of the
  concepts of "wilderness" and "sanctuary,"
  influenced these landscape descriptions. Though
  McEwan adequately explores the regional and
  temporal contexts, she does not directly address
  the relationships among these accounts, nor make
  a strong case for their influence on British
  imperialistic public policy.

Verbs used
(Adapted from http//www.mhc.ab.ca/library/howtog
uides/AnnotatedBibliography.pdf)
11
Writing an Annotation

• McEwan, Cheryl 1996, "Paradise or Pandemonium?
  West African Landscapes in the Travel Accounts of
  Victorian Women." Journal of Historical
  Geography, vol. 22, no.1, 68-83.
• McEwan analyses four 19th century British women
  travel writers geographical descriptions of
  African landscapes to determine how these images
  were influenced or challenged by the British myth
  of the "Dark Continent." Further, McEwan argues
  that two factors, the developing British ideology
  of imperialism and the romanticism of the
  concepts of "wilderness" and "sanctuary,"
  influenced these landscape descriptions. Though
  McEwan adequately explores the regional and
  temporal contexts, she does not directly address
  the relationships among these accounts, nor make
  a strong case for their influence on British
  imperialistic public policy.

Main purpose
12
Writing an Annotation

• McEwan, Cheryl 1996, "Paradise or Pandemonium?
  West African Landscapes in the Travel Accounts of
  Victorian Women." Journal of Historical
  Geography, vol. 22, no.1, 68-83.
• McEwan analyses four 19th century British women
  travel writers geographical descriptions of
  African landscapes to determine how these images
  were influenced or challenged by the British myth
  of the "Dark Continent." Further, McEwan argues
  that two factors, the developing British ideology
  of imperialism and the romanticism of the
  concepts of "wilderness" and "sanctuary,"
  influenced these landscape descriptions. Though
  McEwan adequately explores the regional and
  temporal contexts, she does not directly address
  the relationships among these accounts, nor make
  a strong case for their influence on British
  imperialistic public policy.

Main purpose
Contents
13
Writing an Annotation

• McEwan, Cheryl 1996, "Paradise or Pandemonium?
  West African Landscapes in the Travel Accounts of
  Victorian Women." Journal of Historical
  Geography, vol. 22, no.1, 68-83.
• McEwan analyses four 19th century British women
  travel writers geographical descriptions of
  African landscapes to determine how these images
  were influenced or challenged by the British myth
  of the "Dark Continent." Further, McEwan argues
  that two factors, the developing British ideology
  of imperialism and the romanticism of the
  concepts of "wilderness" and "sanctuary,"
  influenced these landscape descriptions. Though
  McEwan adequately explores the regional and
  temporal contexts, she does not directly address
  the relationships among these accounts, nor make
  a strong case for their influence on British
  imperialistic public policy.

Main purpose
Contents
Problems
- (analyse the work)
14
Writing an Annotation

• main purpose
• contents
• special features
• audience
• relevance
• problems

15
Writing an Annotation

• Verbs which may help you discuss a source
• analyze argue assert assume
• claim compare conclude criticize
• defend define demonstrate describe
• determine distinguish emphasize evaluate
• examine explain identify illustrate
• imply indicate investigate judge
• persuade propose question recognize
• refer to reflect report suggest