Annotated Bibliography: Notebook Guide
Academic Writing Unit III | AW Module 07 Reading Sources Critically
Goal
For each source, write a concise annotation (between 150-200 words and between 7-10 sentences) that explains what the study says, how useful it is, and how it connects to your research.
For Each Source
At the top of your notebook page, write:
Then work through four steps:
1. Identify — What is this study?
Briefly explain:
- What did the researchers study?
- Who or what did they study?
- What was the purpose?
Useful starters:
- This study investigates…
- The researchers examined…
- The purpose of the study was to…
2. Summarize — What did they find?
Select only the findings that are important for your research.
Useful starters:
- The study found that…
- The findings suggest that…
- The authors report that…
Do not summarize the entire article. Focus on what matters for your research problem and research questions.
3. Evaluate — How useful is this source?
Identify at least one important strength, limitation, or reason the source is useful.
Ask yourself:
- Is the source relevant to my research?
- Is the study credible?
- Is there an important limitation?
- Is the context similar to or different from mine?
Useful starters:
- A strength of this study is…
- A limitation is…
- This source is useful because…
4. Connect — How does it help my research?
Explain how the source connects to:
- your research problem and/or research questions;
- another source you have read; or
- an emerging theme.
Useful starters:
- This study is relevant to my research because…
- This finding agrees with…
- This study differs from…
- Together, these studies suggest…
Quick Notebook Template
Source # _____
Date: ____________________
Theme: ____________________
APA Reference:
IDENTIFY — What is this study?
SUMMARIZE — What is the most important finding for my research?
EVALUATE — What is one strength, limitation, or reason this source is useful?
CONNECT — How does this source connect to my research or another source?
After You Write
Check your annotation:
- I used the actual article, not only the abstract.
- I explained the study clearly.
- I included only findings relevant to my research.
- I evaluated the source.
- I explained how the source helps my research.
- I wrote the annotation in my own words.
- My APA reference is complete.
Build Toward Your Literature Review
After each annotation, add a short Synthesis Note.
Theme: ______________________________
Connects with source(s): ______________________________
Relationship:
- AGREES — similar finding
- EXTENDS — adds something new
- CONTRASTS — different finding
- DIFFERS — different context, participants, or method
- GAP — something is still missing
What might these sources allow me to claim?
Keep Asking Yourself
What can I say about my research problem when I consider my sources together?
Your Writing
Warning
Your final annotations must be written by you.
You may use instructor-approved GenAI to help discover or map possible sources, but you must verify the sources yourself.
Do not use AI to draft, rewrite, paraphrase, or polish your annotations.
The Big Picture
Read → Annotate → Connect → Find Themes → Develop Claims → Write the Literature Review
Tip
Your goal is not simply to collect 10 separate articles. By the end of Unit III, you should begin to see how your sources work together to explain your research problem.