One of the more useful tools in conducting research is the annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is helpful when working on a research project and is used to compile research sources in one location. It provides readers with quick access to the information contained in each source. An annotated bibliography combines the citations found in the reference list at the end of with annotations about each of the sources.
You will construct an annotated bibliography of four sources that you have encountered in your research.
Cite the source of each article in proper APA format. The citations should be organized in alphabetical order by author just as in an APA references page.
Follow with an annotation that summarizes the article. Each summary should have elements listed separately as separate headings:
Who or what was studied or examined? For example, if we are studying the effects of “gangsta rap” on teenage girls, we would expect that such a study would involve teenage girls. In this simple example, the participants are teenage girls. This section should be labeled “Participants”. This section might be relatively short depending on whether or not there were multiple participants.
What were the authors of the study (often called “researchers”) trying to determine. This is usually closely related to the research question. So, in the previous example, the purpose of the study might be, “The researchers sought to determine if long-term exposure to “gangsta rap” increased aggression in teenage girls”. This section should be labeled, “Purpose” and, just like a research question, can likely be broken down into one sentence. You may need more than one sentence if the purpose was more complex than the examples.
How did the researchers conduct the study? These details are the “Methodology”. This section will be more detailed as you will need to explain exactly what was done. An example is provided below.
What were the results of the study? After all was said and done, what did the researcher find? Staying with the example above, “The researchers found that teenage girls who listened more than 20 hours per week tended to be more aggressive than those who listened less than 20 hours. This section should be labeled either “Results” or “Findings” and will likely be much longer than one sentence. This is because, sticking with the example, the researchers may have found that younger girls were more or less likely to be aggressive. You will need to summarize the major findings so, be sure to capture any relevant conclusions.
How or why is this relevant to your topic? This section is asking you to interpret how the study relates to your own research. Often, a study will support your theory and sometimes, it will work to prove the opposite. This section should be labeled “Relevance”.
IMPORTANT:
You must have four entries (four sources and citations of those sources and annotations for each)
The annotations should be in your own words (not copied and pasted).
Each of your four citations must adhere to proper APA format.
Each of your four entries must have an annotation that includes the participants, purpose, methodology, findings or results, and relevance.
Your completed annotated bibliography must be uploaded to Blackboard before 11:59 PM on the due date
The assignment assesses your competency in following academic formats. It requires you to construct, with appropriate academic language, correct grammatical sentences that appropriately summarize what each source has to say. Additionally, you must demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively by explaining the relevance of each source. An example is below.
Annotated Bibliography Entry Example
Oware, M. (2009). A man’s woman? contradictory messages in the songs of female rappers,
1992-2000. Journal of Black Studies. 39(5), 786-802.
Participants
The researcher did not have any living participants for this study. Instead, he analyzed the lyrics of rap songs for patterns and themes.
Purpose
The researcher was interested in determining if there were major differences in the music content of female and male rappers. He also sought to determine if female rappers made songs that contained messages of female agency and empowerment.
Methodology
This was a qualitative study where the researcher analyzed the data for descriptions and themes using text analysis and interpreted the larger meaning of the findings. The author performed content analysis on 44 songs by female rap artists from 1992 to 2000. He chose his artists based on songs that appeared on the Billboard charts for a minimum of 12 weeks. The author listened to the songs and identified several themes using line-byline coding.
Findings
The author identified themes of bravado/braggadocio, alcohol and drug consumption,
“dissin”, female empowerment and agency, female sexuality, and reclamation of bitch. He found that the songs surveyed displayed contradictory messages where artists who had themes of female agency and empowerment present in their music also made songs that were antithetical to Black feminism. A majority of the songs examined had women who self-objectified, self-exploited, and used derogatory lyrics when referring to other women. These contradictory messages nullify the empowering messages that are conveyed and only reproduce and uphold male hegemonic notions of femininity.
Relevance
The findings in this study support my contention that nihilistic themes are heavily present in rap music. Also, these findings support my contention that rappers are complex human beings who cannot be viewed as wholly positive or completely negative.
I would like an Annotated Bibliography on studies focusing on drunk driving laws in North Carolina.
