1

COMB121 Introduction to News and Journalism.

Semester 1, 2017/18
Individual Assignment.
Annotated Bibliography

COMB121 Semester One, 2016/17

Assignment. Annotated Bibliography of Journalism Research.
Length: 750-1000 words.
Value: 30%

Due: Friday, 13th October at 12 noon. Submitted electronically through Turn-it -In

This assignment is designed to develop your ability to identify and critically reflect on
broadcast journalism news and journalism research. You will draw upon 3 academic articles
and produce a critical evaluation for each of the articles focusing on various routine elements
in the texts

Task

To produce an Annotated Bibliography of 3 published academic texts; You will be required

to:

 Locate three (3) texts. (Academic Journals and Book Chapters only. Text books are
not permitted)
 Cite each source using the appropriate style according to the APA (American
Psychological Association) Style Sheet available from the course Moodle.
 Write an annotated bibliography of 250 words including the reference for each of the
3 texts.

1. A description the paper.

 Topic/Context
 Theory
 Method
 Data
 Form of Analysis

2. Critical Evaluation of the paper and including critical comparison with other
papers examined.

Please Note: ‘critical’ evaluation does NOT simply mean criticising or praising the author
and/or the text; critical means reasoned evaluation of the argument or aspects of the research
process.
 2

The Process.

1. Research and decide on a topic (broad area of Journalism). Select 3 Journal/book

chapters that discuss and address this issue)

2. Produce an informative/critical annotation* for each text of about 250 words in total
including all references and quotes.

*This must be in your own words and not taken from or cut and pasted from the article
or abstract.

Before you Start. IMPORTANT – CHECK YOUR ARTICLES WITH ME

Once you have selected your articles you will need to make sure they are suitable by
showing me.
This Assignment and the Graduate Attributes
Creating an Annotated Bibliography requires the application of a variety of intellectual
skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis and synthesis, and informed and considered
opinions grounded in evidence.

The Graduate Attributes which this assignment seeks to foster are in particular:

 communication: the ability to convey ideas and information fluently;

 critical thinking: the ability to identify issues, apply critical reasoning, and make
informed judgements;
 in-depth knowledge: deep understanding of at least one field of knowledge,
including its methodology
 information management: the ability to collect, analyse and organise information;
problem-solving: the ability to identify, define and analyse problems

۩ The House
of Bamboo™©

Notes For COMB121 Assignment 1. Annotated Bibliography.

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each
citation is followed by a brief (here about 200 words) descriptive or evaluative paragraph, the
annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy,
and quality of the sources cited.
 3

ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS

Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly
journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they provide
some level of evaluation and context for the articles argument and may also include the
author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.

Descriptive/informative Annotation
A descriptive or informative annotated bibliography describes or summarizes a source as does
an abstract, it describes why the source is useful for researching a particular topic or question,
its distinctive features. In addition, it describes the author's main arguments and conclusions
without evaluating what the author says or concludes.

Format.
Introduction
Your bibliography should include a brief introductory paragraph that explains the rationale
for selecting the sources and note, if appropriate, what sources were excluded and the reasons
why.
Citation
This first part of your entry contains the bibliographic information written in a standard
documentation style, such as, MLA, Chicago, or APA. Ask your professor what style is most
appropriate and, be consistent!
Annotation
The second part should summarize the material contained in the source. Your annotation
should provide information and some level of critical commentary that evaluates the source
and its usefulness for your topic and for your paper. Things to think about when writing
include: Does the source offer a good introduction on the issue? Does the source effectively
address the issue? Did you find the work accessible or is it intended for an audience already
familiar with the topic? What limitations does the source have [reading level, timeliness,
reliability, etc.]? What is your overall reaction to the source?

THE PROCESS
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills:
concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
 4

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful
information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then
choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
To get started
Now you are ready to begin writing your own annotated bibliography.
•Choose your sources. Before writing your annotated bibliography, you must choose your
sources. This involves doing research much like for any other project. Locate records to
materials that may apply to your topic.
•Review the items. Then review the actual items and choose those that provide a wide variety
of perspectives on your topic. Article abstracts are helpful in this process.
•Write the citation and annotation. When writing your annotation, the complete citation
should always come first and the annotation follows.

CHOOSING THE CORRECT FORMAT FOR THE CITATIONS

Use the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE

The following example uses the APA format for the journal citation.
Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion
of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51
(4), 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from
the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their
hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and
expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their
hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies
of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased
individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an
earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role
attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

Part one – Who (are they), where (did they come from), what (were they looking for),
how (they do it)

The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from
the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their
 5

hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and
expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles.

Part two - What (did they find), what were the issues, (they offer), what were the
issues/differences from other (the next and previous research articles)

They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were
fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying
increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In
contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender
differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.