Annotated bibliographies differ from abstracts or summaries of articles. Annotated bibliographies are a list of sources (journal or news articles, books, websites, datasets, etc.) on a particular topic. The list is usually in alphabetical order by author and employs a single citation style. The propose of an annotated bibliography is:

• To prove you have done some valid research to back up your argument and claims
• To explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with them

Some questions to help with your analysis of a source might include:

• What’s the main point or thesis of this source?
• Does the author seem to have particular biases or are they trying to reach a particular audience?
• How does this source relate to your own research and ideas?
• How does this source relate to other sources you have read? Do they have aspects of the same argument or opposing views?

Here are a few links to help you better understand and construct an annotated bibliography.

Graphic Organizers to help you build an annotated bibliography:

Brainstorming - step by step

Write what you know - what you’re curious about - don’t edit yourself! Terms that you know, researchers? Any more specific areas you might focus on -

Pre-research: Where do you get ideas for the right kind of terms? Wikipedia, google, news, friends? Take a few minutes to look around. If you like google, fine - just remember, we’re just getting the landscape. Try to think of some source that you have some trust in with respect to your topic.

First pass at narrowing your topic

Who - can you narrow the group?

Where - can you narrow the place?

When - can you narrow the time frame?

How - can you limit to a particular methodology/effect?

(If your research question/topic is super-specific - you can use these to broaden it a little, too.)

Using Articles and Books as brainstorming tool.

www.library.rochester.edu (first tab: Articles & Books)  

What we’re not doing quite yet: looking for 10 pdfs to download and read. (We’ll get there, I promise)

• We’re going to start by seeing what’s happening in the field *right now* - we’ll put some search terms in, and then use the filters:

Scholarly articles

Discipline

Publication date (try “Last 12 months”)

Use the “Preview” link to read the abstract, subject headings, etc.

Not finding what you want? Try changing the search terms - you might be discovering new terms as you look.

Finding a few “starter” articles

Your research question should be getting a little more focused now. Find one or two articles that look promising. Open them up, and we’ll take a moment to think about how these might help us find more relevant research.

• Author, journal, keywords

• Lit review, introduction, background

• Conclusion: areas for future research

• Works Cited/ Bibliography/References

Is there one article cited that you like that’s more than 2 years old? Let’s see if anyone else has cited that article: scholar.google.com

Now, you have a few articles, and you might find you need to go through parts of this again as your ideas change and develop.  Have a strategy and remember that I’m here to help with that!

 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Eileen Daly-Boas, University of Rochester. 

Ask yourself what type of source is more likely to have the information you need and how will I use this source?:

• News articles?
• Scholarly journal articles?
• Empirical studies?
• Data and statistics?
• Primary documents?

Deciding the most likely source will help determine which database to use. Different databases are composed of information from different types of sources.  BEAM is a method for helping you decide how you might use a source.

Ask yourself if the database you select provides full-text, or only citations and /or abstracts:

• If the database you need to use does not have full-text, use the or  buttons.
• If you have a citation, use the Citation Search Tool to locate the full-text.

Understand the scope of the database you select. Ask yourself:

• Does this database cover the subject area (discipline) I really need, or is there a better, more focused database?
• Does this database provide indexing for the date range I need?
• Will this database point me to or provide the full-text for articles written during the time period that is appropriate for my research need?

Although retrospective materials are sometimes added to databases, the actual article you need might not be available electronically, because it is too old or too new. 

Ask yourself if there are special advanced features that can improve your search results or make searching easier:

• Does this database allow me to limit my search to a specific date range, or to a particular magazine or journal?
• Does this database allow me to email, download, or export articles to my citation manager like Zotero or RefWorks?
• Are there features that can help me to generate better search terms, like the Thesaurus feature or the "Browse Subject Headings" features in some databases?

Reference (or citation) managers like RefWorks, EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero help you track and organize your resources and citations, so that when you're writing your paper, you can easily cite your sources. These kinds of reference managers also help you insert citations, create endnotes and bibliographies. For more information, you can visit our Reference Managers Guide using the link below.

Once you have one (or more) useful article on a topic, use the references at the end of article to find more sources on your topic using our Citation Search tool.  This helps you see what was written previous to your current article, often called citing backward.

Use Google Scholar to see who has cited your article after it was published.  This helps you see what has been written after your article was published, citing forward.

 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Justina Elmore, University of Rochester. 

Need to see your textbook?  Your instructor says your reading is on reserve. 
Search for your course ID (CHEM 211), instructor (Neidig), or course name/ description (Inorganic Chemistry) to find all your materials.

You can use DiscoverUR to locate course reserves materials.  Select Advanced search:

Select the radio button for "Course Reserves" at the top of the advanced search box. Then use the filters to search by course instructor, course ID, course name or course department name.

FREE ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOKS

Many publishers are offering electronic textbooks to students at no cost through the end of this semester due to loss of physical access because of the COVID-19 virus. Click here to link to free resources.

A DOI (short for Digital Object Identifier) is a unique number assigned to any digital object like an article, a data set, image, etc.  The doi starts with the number 10 and might contain numbers, letters, and often slashes and periods.  

So, for the following article:

The doi number is 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68

How to cite an article with a DOI:
APA (American Psychological Association)
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. doi: 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68

CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style)
Ryan, Richard M., and Edward L. Deci. "Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-being." American Psychologist 55, no. 1 (2000): 68-78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68 

MLA (Modern Language Association)
Ryan, R. M., and Edward L. Deci. "Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-being." American Psychologist, vol.55, no. 1, 2000, pp. 68-78. doi: 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68. Accessed 7 March 2018.

ASA (American Sociological Association)
Ryan, Richard M., and Edward L. Deci. 2000. "Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-being." American Psychologist 55(1). Retrieved March 7, 2018 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68).

For more information on DOIs, visit https://www.doi.org/ 

Reference (or citation) managers like RefWorks, EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero help you track and organize your resources and citations, so that when you're writing your paper, you can easily cite your sources. These kinds of reference managers also help you insert citations, create endnotes and bibliographies. For more information, you can visit our Reference Managers Guide using the link below.

Comparison of Citation Managers: Chart

Chart Attribution: Originally licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License attributable to the Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University. https://browse.welch.jhmi.edu/comparison-of-citation-managers 

Applying the CRAAP Test
Currency: The timeliness of the information.

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
• Are the links functional?

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?

Authority: The source of the information.

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
• Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?*  

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.

• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Have you found other sources that corroborate the information?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?
• Purpose: The reason the information exists.
• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

Purpose: The reason the information exists.

• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

Adapted from the original CRAAP Test created by Meriam Library at CSU- Chico.

The open web provides a plethora of resources for finding data.  Try using Google Advanced searching or Google Dataset Search.  

Tips for Advanced Google searching include:

• Include search terms like data or table 
• Google ignores the word AND as a search operator. But, typing OR in all caps will find similar or related terms (e.g. women OR females OR girls).
• Search for a particular document type (e.g. childhood obesity filetype:xls)
• Search for data on a particular site or domain (e.g. childhood obesity site:.gov)
• Exclude words by using the "-" sign in front of the word you wish to exclude

Or check out some of the individual e-books collections below:

If UR doesn't have the article or book you need, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that will deliver a copy to you. PDFs of articles usually arrive in two days or less!  If you have the citation of the item you wish to request, go to the ILL page: https://illiad.lib.rochester.edu 
& log in with your NetID to request an item.  

From within any of the library any databases, click the button.  It will find the full text of your article online if it's available through the libraries. Or, it will search the library catalog for you to see if we have your article in print--or let you request it via Interlibrary Loan. 
 

Looking for books we don't have in the library?  Try searching WORLDCAT (either for a title or by keywords on your topic).  Click on the button to request a book through ILL. 

Still can't find what you're looking for?  Please contact me! 

Primary sources are documents or physical objects created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. Examples include:

• ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records 
• CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art 
• RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.  Examples include: Textbooks, journal articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, and encyclopedias.

Keyword Searching vs Subject Searching: What's the difference?

Here are some key differences between keyword searching and subject searching:

When you do a keyword search or an "any word anywhere" search in a library catalog or a database, you can type in words that describe your research topic in any order and retrieve records containing those search terms. A major disadvantage of a keyword search is that it does not take into account the meaning of the words used as search terms, so if a term has more than one meaning (such as "mouse" - computer hardware or rodent?), irrelevant records may be retrieved.

When you do a subject search or a descriptor search in a library catalog or database, only the subject headings or descriptors are searched for words that match your search terms. In library catalogs and databases, items are assigned subject headings as access points to assist users in locating the content. These subject headings might be subdivided with more information (example: Libraries--History--20th century) or include a parenthetical note to clarify the meaning (example: Mice (Computers)). Using subject headings ensures that all items about the same topic have consistent subject headings and so they can all be accessed with one search term. This saves you time! If you're looking for information about "death penalty" you don't have to search for every word that might be used to describe the death penalty (execution, electrocution, capital punishment, death row, etc.). Instead, you can check a list of subject headings in an index or a thesaurus and retrieve all items on the topic with just one search.

Did you know that the New York Public Library offers online access to books from a range of scholarly presses?  If you need remote access to a book that is not available electronically through University of Rochester's libraries, try checking out some of the options below.

You will need to sign up for a free New York Public Library Card by following these steps...

Anyone who lives or attends school in New York State can apply for a library card for free. Start by filling out this form: https://www.nypl.org/library-card/new/?form_type=nys

After you apply online, e-mail your valid identification (e.g. New York State license or College photo ID and housing agreement) to patronaccounts@nypl.org to get free online access to materials. For a complete list of valid forms of identification, visit https://www.nypl.org/help/library-card/terms-conditions#Eligibility/

Once you have signed up for a New York Public Library Card, check out...

All electronic library resources, including e-journals, databases, and course reserves, are available to current students, faculty, and staff from off-campus using either your My Account/NetID or VPN access.  When you click on the link of a restricted library resource from the libraries' website, you will be prompted to login.

What is Open Access?
Most publishers own the rights to the online books and articles they publish. Anyone who wants to read them must pay to access them.  Open access (OA) refers to online research outputs that are free of all those restrictions.   Below are tools for helping you locate OA research.

Research Article: Primary literature article where the main focus is research, experiments or theory similar to a lab report.  The article is narrow in scope and often cited within reviews.  It is less connected with the literature discussion.   The authors describe experiments that they did.  A methodology/ experimental section is included.  

Review Article: Secondary literature where the main focus is the literature and what is being discussed on a topic.  They are often cited within background or introductions of research articles to help others come up to date.  They are a good entry point into the literature on a topic and are broad in scope similar to an encyclopedia article.  The authors summarize and evaluate other research.  Methodology could include what searches were used and what documents were included or excluded and why.  
 

Search faster with these tips:

1. Search phrases using quotation marks " "  Example:  "to be or not to be"

2. Combine words with AND, OR, & NOT in capital letters.  Example: microcircuit OR nanocircuit"

3. Substitute * for several possible letters.  Example: Child* which will find child, children, childhood, etc.

4. Combine the three tips above for complex searching.  Example: homless* AND (health OR "health care") AND (adolesc* OR teen*)

In library databases it might look like:

In Google Scholar, you don't need the asterisk or AND, so it will look like:

Articles, Books & More searches many of the library's resources at once. This is a powerful, fast research tool!

Enter your keywords in the search box.

Search Faster

• Search phrases using quotation marks
  • example:  "to be or not to be"
• Combine words with AND, OR, and NOT in capital letters
  • example:  microcircuits OR nanocircuits
• Substitute * for several possible letters
  • example:  child*     ...will find child, childhood, children, etc.
• Complex searches may combine elements
  • example:  homeless AND (healthcare OR "health care") AND (adolescents OR teen*)

Tip:  When off-campus , you may be asked to log in with your NetID & password to access resources

Specific: Too much territory to cover? Be sure your scope isn’t so broad or so vague that you can’t answer your research question. Can you break a larger task down into smaller items?

Measurable: Establish clear definitions to help you measure (both qualitative and quantitative) if you are reaching your goal.  

Action-Oriented: What is your plan of attack?  Using action verbs, describe your goals and outline specific steps you will take to accomplish your goal.  

Realistic: What are some possible obstacles to this research? Set goals that you will actually be able to accomplish.  

Time-Bound: You only have a certain amount of time to complete your research, so plan accordingly.  Decide when you will start and finish your project.  

Maps

1. For what particular purpose or in what social and cultural context was the map created? By whom was the map created?
2. To what degree of accuracy have the sizes and other features of geographic areas and social spaces been depicted?
3. How has the place (a street, a college campus, a city, or a state's boundaries) changed over time?

Photographs

1. Who or what is depicted in the photograph?
2. For what purpose was the the photograph taken? 
3. What purpose might the subject of the photograph have had for posing?
4. Are there any captions? A date? Location? Names of people?
5. Is there any lettering on signs or buildings?
6. What kinds of equipment, hair styles, or clothing is being used or worn?

We recommend that you use Firefox or Chrome and be sure to enable pop-ups.  If you experience problems accessing books or media using Internet Explorer or Safari, try using one of these recommended browsers.

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