Take it step by step...
1. Locate a Source.
Look for books and journal articles relevant to your topic. Choose works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
Go to the Library's Summon Search link will open in a new window to get started on this.
2. Create a Citation.
Make sure you're using the appropriate citation style! Purdue OWL's citation guide link will open in a new window can help you with formatting questions.
3. Evaluate the Authority.
Who are the authors? Do they have the expertise to be writing on this topic? Check out this guide's Citing Sources section link will open in a new window for more information on this.
4. Identify the Audience
Was the article or book written for scholars or a general audience with little in-depth knowledge of the topic? How does the audience affect the information?
5. Find the Conversation.
How do the articles or books you're citing fit together? Do they reference one another? Do they form a dialog or conversation?
6. Make the Connection.
Determine how each article or book sheds new light on your topic. What information do you learn from each resource that you didn't have before?
Putting it all together...
Put all these pieces together into a summary of each article or book you're citing. Your summaries, or annotations, should be about 150 words in length.
For more help with your citations, check out the recommended resources below...
Need a little extra help?
Or use the links below to get more in-depth help and information.