500 Part 1: Annotated

Bibliography
Assignment

November 2019
A UW SSW Writing Center Workshop
Workshop Agenda

I. Introduction
II. Annotated Bibliography
III. Descriptive v. Critical

IV. Formatting Annotations

V. Types of Sources
DISCLAIMER: There might be slight variations in the assignment
guidelines based on your professor. Please refer to your syllabus for
your professor’s specific expectations.
Assignment Overview:
The Big Picture
Purpose: Understand the linkages between history
and contemporary issues in social work
- Explore tensions and conflicts in social work
profession
- What is our role as a social worker to address this
today?
Analysis: Application of tension
- What does this historical event mean for social
work practice?
- How did this shape the field of social work as we
know it today?
Length: FINAL assignment max 11.5 pages
 Identifying Your Topic
● Word of advice:
○ Do not attempt to connect your 501 topic to 500
in effort to do less work!
○ Focus of 500 assignment is on historical analysis
○ 501 Briefing is NOT historical
● How do I pick a topic?
○ Questions to ask yourself:
■ What is a major ‘hot issue’ in today’s society?
■ Is there an issue of particular importance for
me?
■ Is there something historical that I’d
like to tie into social work?
 Part 1: Introduction

● General overview of your paper

○ Describe historical topic of

your choice
○ Provide general summary of
reference topics
○ Serves as a “roadmap” for the
reader

● Suggested length .5 pages

 Part 2: Annotated Bibliography
● Purpose is to provide relevance, accuracy, & quality of
sources cited
● Two major types of annotated bibs:
1. Descriptive
2. Analytical/Critical

● This assignment → analytical/critical

○ Not simply a summary
○ Can dedicate 1-2 sentences providing summary of
content, the rest is critical analysis
○ Examines strengths & weaknesses
 Part 3: Descriptive vs Critical

● Descriptive Annotations are intended to

DESCRIBE a book or article
○ Information about who the author(s) of the work
are and their credentials
○ Summary of the work’s main points, what it’s
ABOUT
○ Explanation of what the book/article includes in
terms of charts, images, tables, or other related
content
○ Describes author’s main arguments and conclusions
WITHOUT evaluating what the author says or
concludes
 Descriptive Annotation Example
Breeding evil. (2005, August 6). Economist, 376(8438), 9. Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com
This editorial from the Economist describes the controversy surrounding
video games and the effect they have on people who use them. The
author points out that skepticism of new media have gone back to the
time of the ancient Greeks, so this controversy surrounding video games
is nothing new. The article also points out that most critics of gaming are
people over 40 and it is an issue of generations not understanding one
another, rather than of the games themselves. As the youth of today
grow older, the controversy will die out, according to the author. The
author of this article stresses the age factor over violence as the real
reason for opposition to video games and stresses the good gaming has
done in most areas of human life. This article is distinctive in exploring
the controversy surrounding video games from a generational
standpoint and is written for a general audience.
 Part 3: Descriptive vs Critical
● Critical Annotations not only summarizes the work, it
includes an EVALUATION, or analysis, of the work
○ The strengths and weaknesses of the article,
book, or other source
○ The usefulness of the source for the research
topic
○ How the source compares to other books,
articles, etc. on the same topic
 Critical Annotation Example
Breeding evil. (2005, August 6). Economist, 376(8438), 9. Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com
This editorial from the Economist describes the controversy surrounding
video games and the effect they have on people who use them. The article points
out that most critics of gaming are people over 40 and it is an issue of age not of
the games themselves. While the author briefly mentions studies done around
the issue of violence and gaming, he does not go into enough depth for the
reader to truly know the range of studies that have actually been done in
this area, other than to take his word that the research is unsatisfactory. The
author of this article stresses the age factor over violence as the real reason for
opposition to video games and stresses the good gaming has done in most areas
of human life. This article is a good resource for those wanting to begin to
explore the controversy surrounding video games. However, for anyone
doing serious research, one should actually examine some of the research
studies that have been done in this area rather than simply take the
author's word that opposition to video games is simply due to an issue of
generational divide.
Activity: Identify that style!
Davidson, H. E. (2002). Roles of the northern goddess.
Routledge.

Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of the major roles

filled by the numerous pagan goddesses of Northern Europe in
everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic arts
like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant
archaeological evidence, patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous
research. The book includes a number of black and white photographs
of relevant artifacts.
Activity: Identify that style!
London, H. (1982). Five myths of the television age.
Television quarterly 10(1) 81-89.
Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and
author of several books and articles, explains how television
contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples
of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John
Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected
to contradict such phrases as: "seeing is believing"; "a picture is
worth a thousand words"; and "satisfaction is its own reward."
London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his
personal opinion. However, he doesn't refer to any previous works
on the topic or present any alternative perspectives. Additionally,
given the historical landscape, it is clear how he is influenced by
political events of the time.
 Part 4: Formatting Annotations
Author:
Linda Gordon
Title:
“Social insurance and
public assistance: the
influence of gender on
welfare thought in the
United States, 1890-1935”
Journal:
American Historical Review
Year:
1992

(Sample Annotation HUB 2018)

 Part 4: Formatting Annotations

● Use an APA-formatted reference at the top

● Indent annotation underneath

(Sample Annotation HUB 2018)

Part 5: Types of Sources

● Annotated bib requires 5-6 references total

1. Book (1-2 references)
2. Primary sources (1-2)
3. Secondary peer-reviewed articles (2-3)

● More thorough information UW Tacoma Library:

○ Link to primary & secondary sources
 Primary vs Secondary Sources
● Primary Sources
○ Documents created by a witness or participant of an event
○ Original records created at time of event
○ Includes: diaries, letters, interviews, oral histories, newspaper
articles, gov’t documents, etc.
● Secondary Sources
○ Analyze, interpret, or summarize a topic/question
○ Often referencing a primary source
○ Includes: bibliographies, books/articles on topic, news articles,
etc.
● Peer-Reviewed Articles
○ “Articles are written by experts and are reviewed by several
other experts in the field before the article is published in the
journal in order to ensure the article's quality.”
What Do You Think?

Is a book a primary
or secondary
source?
 Additional General Information

● Remember: analyze don’t summarize!

● Go deeper into the analysis - ask questions like why?
and so what?
● Use your “tensions” as a starting point, but they do
not need to be directly included into each annotation
Any Questions?
 Other Resources
● APA Webinar (on our website)
● Critical Reading Webinar (on our website)
● UW Library
● 500 Library Guide
● Lynly Beard, SSW Librarian, lynly@uw.edu

ALL AVAILABLE WORKSHOP SLIDES AND

PANOPTO WEBINAR RECORDINGS CAN BE
FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE: Click here.

Search for “UW SSW Writing Center”, click on “Workshops &

Presentations “on right side
 Writing Center Updates
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