An annotated bibliography gives an account of the research that has been done on a given topic. Like any bibliography, an annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources.
In addition to bibliographic data, an annotated bibliography provides a concise summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance. Depending on your assignment, an annotated bibliography may be one stage in a larger research project, or it may be an independent project standing on its own,
Read your assignment instructions carefully. Questions about your annotated bibliography? Ask your instructor or TA.
Focusing your research topic is a challenging process which takes time and work. Try brainstorming through pre-writing strategies, creating a concept map, or asking questions to generate possible topics.
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Choose the best sources for your assignment. Consider:
- Type of Source: Does it fulfill your assignment requirements and/or information needs?
- Relevance of Source: Is the source relevant to your research topic? Is it relevant to your discipline? How will it help you discuss your research question or thesis?
- Additional criteria: Consider the RADAR test to evaluate and select sources.
Read each source critically, and rethink the scope and depth of your focus to ensure that each source is on topic and no sources are missing.
Ask for research help from Universities of Toronto Libraries at UTM, St. George, or UTSC.
Write a first draft. Be careful to construct a logical argument, with coherent paragraphs, and a strong introduction and conclusion.
Revise drafts of your work.
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