An annotated bibliography is a critical literature synthesis

An annotated bibliography is a critical literature synthesis tool for researchers who are curating resources related to a topic of interest. The annotated bibliography is the first step to a comprehensive literature review and provides an opportunity to identify gaps to be used for future research. An annotated bibliography requires critical reading and summarizing of the findings of collected sources. 

Each annotation begins with an APA formatted reference and is followed by a summary of the source. The following questions can be used to craft the summary of the annotated sources:

• What was the purpose of this research?
• What was the problem the researcher(s) addressed?
• What are the research questions?
• What method and design were used in this research?
• What were the results of the research?
• What are the implications for future research? 

This week, students will prepare an annotated bibliography (dues in Week 4) with the articles, books, research, etc. you plan to use and cite in your final project (that is due in Week 7). Please follow the sample provided in the classroom with these instructions. Students should include 6-8 entries this week. Please see the following example below.