Creating an Annotated Reference List

There are many different ways to create an annotated reference list (bibliography). To familiarize yourself with some of the different types of annotated reference lists, read the information at the following Websites:

The annotations you will create for a research paper will be critical annotations. Each entry in your annotated reference list should include:

  • A citation of the source in correct APA format
  • An annotation that includes
    1. the scope and purpose of the work
    2. a brief description of the content of the source (2-3 sentences)
    3. information explaining the authoritativeness of the author
      • What are his/her credentials and the quality of the research?
      • Is the author an expert in the field?
      • Has the author written other articles on the topic? (Many of the databases include links to the authors that provide a listing of other articles written by them. Some articles provide the authors' academic credentials.)
    4. evaluation of the scholarly value of the article
      • Is it in a scholarly journal?
      • Does it have a reference list consisting mainly of scholarly resources?
    5. evaluation of the objectivity of the article
      1. Does the article present more than one point of view?
      2. Does the author support the statements s/he makes with facts or evidence or are his/her statements unsubstantiated?
    6. an assessment of the relevance and usefulness of the source to your research question

Sample Annotated Reference List Entry

Research question: In a global environment is it important to understand cultural differences to promote quality management and collaborative teamwork?

Yavas, B. F. & Rezayat, F. The impact of culture on managerial perceptions of
  quality. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management: CCM,3(2), 213-235. Retrieved August 2, 2005, from ABI/Inform database.

This article summarizes the results of a survey aimed at determining the relationship between culture and middle managers' perception of quality in 38 companies in several different locations: United States, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. One of the authors, Burhan F. Yavas, a professor in the department of finance and quantitative methods at California State University, has authored or coauthored eleven articles on quality management, including several studying the significance of culture. The article is in a scholarly journal and has an extensive reference list of mainly scholarly articles. Empirical evidence of the effect of culture on managers' perception of quality is mixed. The authors' analysis of the data and shortcomings of the methodology is objective; it presents both sides of the issue and is supported by evidence and facts from the survey. The literature review and survey data illustrate my research premise that it is important to understand and take into consideration cultural differences when attempting to establish quality management and teamwork in a multicultural work environment. I can use the data and conclusions to illustrate the arguments I will make in my paper.