The Annotated Bibliography
Read these directions carefully.
Choose sources that are RELEVANT to the course project’s assigned topics: Physical Description, Life Cycle/Reproduction, Structure/Function, Energy Ecology, and Habitat.
Review the sample Annotated Bibliography provided to you: Sample_Annotated_Bibliography_Assignment1.pdf.
Use your own words (paraphrase). For help with paraphrasing, please review the ‘Quoting and Paraphrasing’ help in the Trefry Library Writing@APUS Center.
APA Reference Formatting of Source Article:
Written in APA reference list format (6th or 7th edition). For more help with formatting, see the APA handout.
Summary:
What is the purpose of the source article, and how is it relevant to your Course Project’s required topics and subtopics (see Outline assignment instructions)?
Briefly address the following points in 4-6 sentences:
Begin with a “topic sentence” that states the source’s main point. (e.g., This article discusses the ecology of the white-tailed deer in Delaware.).
Summarize the main findings and conclusions of the peer-reviewed journal paper, book, website article, etc.
State how the information is relevant to your project’s assigned topics and subtopics.
Evaluation:
After summarizing the source article, it is necessary to evaluate it and state where you found it (journal, website, book, etc.).
Briefly answer the following questions in 4-6 sentences:
What is the format/type of source article?
Is the author an authority/expert on the topic? Explain how the author is qualified (see below).
For subject-matter experts, provide their credentials
For freelance/professional writers (non-experts), state if all reference sources are academically and scientifically credible and provide an example.
For undergraduate-student writers (non-experts), include the subject-matter expert that may have edited or reviewed their work.
If no author is listed, move on to discuss the publishing source.
How is the publishing source credible?
For more help, see this handout on evaluating resources.
