Video summary

Write PERFECT Annotations for Your Annotated Bibliography

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / concepts conveyed

  • Annotated bibliography definition:

    • Annotate = add notes
    • Bibliography = the reference list at the end of a paper
    • Therefore, an annotated bibliography adds notes to each source in the reference list.

  • What to include in each annotation: three required parts

    1. Summary of the source
    2. Evaluation of the source’s quality/credibility and limitations
    3. Relevance of the source to your research topic

  • “Easy summary formula” for the summary part:

    • Purpose of the research (what the study is trying to find/do)
    • Execution/Method (how the study was conducted)
    • Conclusion/Findings (what the study concluded)

Methodology / structured template (detailed bullet points)

For each source in an annotated bibliography, write an annotation with:

  • 1) Summary (brief overview; focus on what matters to your research)

    • Paraphrase the most relevant points rather than summarizing everything.
    • Include:
      • Purpose: why the study was done
      • Method/How it was conducted: key study design, data source, participants, timeframe
      • Conclusion/Key findings: the result the study reached
    • Guidance example given: depending on your research, you may highlight purpose, method, or conclusions most relevant to your question.

  • 2) Evaluation (assess the source)

    • Determine what the source contains, focusing on credibility/quality:
      • Credibility indicators: whether it’s peer-reviewed, the rigor of the study design
      • Study specifics: sample size, scope, time frame
    • Determine what the source does not contain (limitations/bias):
      • Potential biases or researcher perspective
      • External factors not considered that could affect the results (e.g., other causes besides the main variable)
    • Guidance example given: a methodologically strong, peer-reviewed study may still omit other contributing factors.

  • 3) Relevance (connect to your research “big picture”)

    • Explain how the information matters to your topic.
    • Include:
      • Why this source is important for a particular section of your paper
      • What role it plays in your literature review (e.g., providing evidence, discussing complexity, supporting a problem statement, implying potential solutions)

How the example sources illustrate the 3-part structure

  • First example annotation (K… / “K wom Lee”):

    • Summary: purpose (linking social media and teen anxiety), method (500 teens over 4 years), conclusion (daily use increases anxiety disorder chance by 67%)
    • Evaluation emphasized: credibility via longitudinal design/observing change over time; peer-reviewed; but missing other factors (academic pressure, family issues)
    • Relevance emphasized: strong for age-specific impacts on teenagers

  • Second example annotation (Johnson and Williams):

    • Summary: purpose (paradox of connection vs isolation), method (survey of 1,000 participants ages 13–20), conclusion (superficial connections increase loneliness)
    • Evaluation emphasized: based on original research by verified academic authors; offers valuable psychological insight; limitation: sample size relatively small
    • Relevance emphasized: useful for discussing both sides/contradictions of social media’s mental-health impact

  • Overall lesson for writing the literature review:

    • When done correctly, the summary + evaluation + relevance from multiple sources can be “pieced together” to build a literature review.
    • The examples suggest the sources can serve different roles: foundation of the problem, evidence, and potentially pointing toward solutions.

Speakers / sources featured

  • Speaker: Not explicitly named in the subtitles (the narration instructs the viewer throughout).
  • Source examples cited by author names:
    • K wom Lee (as shown: “k wom Lee”)
    • Johnson and Williams

Original video