Parts of an Annotation
Robyn Hartman
Four Parts of a Combination Annotation:
- A Citation appropriate to your assignment or discipline. This provides information on where to find the information again.
- A Summary or analysis that provides information on what the source is about.
- An Assessment that provides information on why this information is good.
- A Reflection that provides information on how you will use the information to support your research.
Citation
Make sure to follow the formatting guidelines of the appropriate citation style. For example, most styles require that citations should be listed in alphabetical order by author last name.
Example Citation
O’Shea, M. & Weidemann, G. (2024, Aug 8). Knitting helps Tom Daley switch off. Its mental health benefits are not just for Olympians. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/knitting-helps-tom-daley-switch-off-its-mental-health-benefits-are-not-just-for-olympians-236051
Summary
After citing, start your annotation with a summary or analysis of the information resource. This provides information on what the source is about.
Try to answer these questions:
- What is it about?
- What topics are covered?
- What are the main arguments?
- What claims are the authors making?
- What types of evidence are they using to support these claims?
- Did they do original research?
- Did they review the research of others?
Students often struggle with summarizing or paraphrasing information without accidentally plagiarizing. See the chapter on Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing for help.
Annotations versus Abstracts-Many scholarly articles start with an abstract, which is the author’s summary of the article to help you decide whether you should read the entire article. This abstract is not the same thing as an annotation. The annotation needs to be in your own words.
Summarizing and BEAM: The BEAM Method is helpful when writing summaries, and can help you identify Arguments and Exhibits to use in your research project.
Example Citation with Summary Annotation:
O’Shea, M. & Weidemann, G. (2024, Aug 8). Knitting helps Tom Daley switch off. Its mental health benefits are not just for Olympians. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/knitting-helps-tom-daley-switch-off-its-mental-health-benefits-are-not-just-for-olympians-236051
The article explains through interviews and scholarly research studies how Olympic champion diver Tom Daley finds peace through knitting, describing it as his “mindfulness” and “therapy.” Despite historical gender associations with women, knitting provides documented mental health benefits through its rhythmic “flow state,” stress relief, and community connections. Elite athletes and healthcare professionals use knitting to combat stress, improve focus, and build social bonds, showing its value extends far beyond the finished product.
Assessment
After your summary, assess the information resource. This provides information on why this information is good information.
Try to answer these questions:
- Is the information from a scholarly source or is it peer-reviewed?
- Is the information reliable?
- Is the information current for the field?
- e.g. a fast-paced field like medicine has different currency needs than a slower-paced field like history.
- Is the source authoritative?
- Is the author an expert on the topic? What are their credentials?
- Is it biased?
- What are the limitations of the data they used?
O’Shea, M. & Weidemann, G. (2024, Aug 8). Knitting helps Tom Daley switch off. Its mental health benefits are not just for Olympians. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/knitting-helps-tom-daley-switch-off-its-mental-health-benefits-are-not-just-for-olympians-236051
This article by Western Sydney University faculty for The Conversation, a highly credible, independent, not-for-profit media outlet, explores the benefits of knitting to a general audience. The article explains through interviews and scholarly research studies how Olympic champion diver Tom Daley finds peace through knitting, describing it as his “mindfulness” and “therapy.” Despite historical gender associations with women, knitting provides documented mental health benefits through its rhythmic “flow state,” stress relief, and community connections. Elite athletes and healthcare professionals use knitting to combat stress, improve focus, and build social bonds, showing its value extends far beyond the finished product.
Reflection
After your assessment, include a reflection on the resource and how it fits with the rest of your annotated bibliography and the topic. This provides information on how you will use the information to support your research.
Try to answer these questions:
- What is most useful for this topic?
- How can you use this resource in your research project?
- Why did you chose this information resource?
- How can other researchers use it? Can it help with:
- Providing background information on a topic
- Supporting or refuting an argument you are making
- Demonstrating a point
Reflecting and BEAM: The BEAM Method is helpful when writing reflections, and can help you identify Background information, Arguments, Exhibits, and Methods to use in your research project.
O’Shea, M. & Weidemann, G. (2024, Aug 8). Knitting helps Tom Daley switch off. Its mental health benefits are not just for Olympians. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/knitting-helps-tom-daley-switch-off-its-mental-health-benefits-are-not-just-for-olympians-236051
This article by Western Sydney University faculty for The Conversation, a highly credible, independent, not-for-profit media outlet, explores the benefits of knitting to a general audience. The article explains through interviews and scholarly research studies how Olympic champion diver Tom Daley finds peace through knitting, describing it as his “mindfulness” and “therapy.” Despite historical gender associations with women, knitting provides documented mental health benefits through its rhythmic “flow state,” stress relief, and community connections. Elite athletes and healthcare professionals use knitting to combat stress, improve focus, and build social bonds, showing its value extends far beyond the finished product. This article will be helpful for researchers looking for real-life exhibits of knitting affecting mental health and finding resources for a deeper dive into the topic.
A brief summary of what a journal article is about and a quick read in order to decide whether the article is likely to contain information relevant to your research project. The abstract may appear in research databases and, sometimes, in the article itself.
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