(1)
Your name
Mr. Janes
Senior Projects
Date
(2) Stem Cell
Research: An Annotated Bibliography
(3) Holland, Suzanne. The
Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate : Science,
Ethics, and Public Policy. Boston:
MIT Press, 2001.
(4) This is the
annotation of the above source. In this example, I am following MLA
guidelines for the bibliographic information listed above. If I was really
writing an annotation for this source, I would now be offering a brief
summary of what this book says about stem cell research.
After a brief
summary, it would be appropriate to assess this source and offer
some criticisms of it. Does it seem like a reliable and current source?
Why? Is the research biased or objective? Are the facts well documented?
Who is the author? Is she qualified in this subject? Is this source
scholarly, popular, some of both?
The length of your
annotation will depend on the assignment or on the purpose of your
annotated bibliography. After summarizing and assessing, you can now reflect
on this source. How does it fit into your research? Is this a helpful
resource? Too scholarly? Not scholarly enough? Too general/specific? Since
"stem cell research" is a very broad topic, has this source
helped you to narrow your topic?
(5) Senior, K.
"Extending the Ethical Boundaries of Stem Cell Research."
Trends in Molecular Medicine. 7
(2001):5-6.
Not all annotations have
to be the same length. For example, this source is a very short scholarly
article. It may only take a sentence or two to summarize. Even if you are
using a book, you should only focus on the sections that relate to your
topic.
Not all annotated
bibliographies assess and reflect; some merely summarize. That may not be
the most helpful for you, but, if this is an assignment, you should always
ask your instructor for specific guidelines.
(6) Wallace,
Kelly. "Bush Stands Pat on Stem Cell Policy." CNN. 13
August 2001.
17 August 2001. <http://www.cnn.com/2001/stem.cell/index.html>
Notice that
in this example, I have chosen a variety of sources: a book, a scholarly
journal, and a web page. Using a variety of sources can help give you a
broader picture of what is being said about your topic. You may want to
investigate how scholarly sources are treating this topic differently than
more popular sources. But again, if your assignment is to only use
scholarly sources, then you will probably want to avoid magazines and
popular web sites.
Notice that
the bibliographic information above is proper MLA format (use whatever
style is appropriate in your field) and the annotations are in paragraph
form. Note also that the entries are alphabetized by the first word in the
bibliographic entry. If you are writing an annotated bibliography with
many sources, it may be helpful to divide the sources into categories. For
example, if I was putting together an extensive annotated bibliography for
stem cell research, I may divide the sources into categories such as
ethical concerns, scholarly analyses, and political ramifications.
For more
examples, a quick search at a library or even on the Internet should
produce several examples of annotated bibliographies in your area.
(7) Wallace,
Kelly. "Bush Stands Pat on Stem Cell Policy." CNN. 13
August 2001.
17 August 2001. <http://www.cnn.com/2001/stem.cell/index.html>
Notice that
in this example, I have chosen a variety of sources: a book, a scholarly
journal, and a web page. Using a variety of sources can help give you a
broader picture of what is being said about your topic. You may want to
investigate how scholarly sources are treating this topic differently than
more popular sources. But again, if your assignment is to only use
scholarly sources, then you will probably want to avoid magazines and
popular web sites.
Notice that
the bibliographic information above is proper MLA format (use whatever
style is appropriate in your field) and the annotations are in paragraph
form. Note also that the entries are alphabetized by the first word in the
bibliographic entry. If you are writing an annotated bibliography with
many sources, it may be helpful to divide the sources into categories. For
example, if I was putting together an extensive annotated bibliography for
stem cell research, I may divide the sources into categories such as
ethical concerns, scholarly analyses, and political ramifications.
For more
examples, a quick search at a library or even on the Internet should
produce several examples of annotated bibliographies in your area. |
