Biological Research and Policy – Annotations, Review Articles

and Citation Tools

H. Stephen McMinn, Biology Subject LibrarianBrookens Library

Topics

Biological Science – Library Resources Abstracts vs. Annotated Bibliographies Review Articles Bibliographic Management Tools

Library Resources - Primary

Biological Abstracts Medline – 3 Access Points Web of Science – Multidisciplinary Scopus - Multidisciplinary

Library Resources - Secondary

Chemical Abstracts – SciFinder Agricola – National Agricultural Library Academic Search Complete –

Multidisciplinary -- Broadest

Abstract vs. Annotated Bibliography

The Abstract -- A summary of a work’s content Like all summaries, abstracts cover the

main points of a piece of writing Abstracts help you decide whether an

article is relevant for your purposes

The Annotated Bibliography

A list of sources that provides publication information and a short description of each source called an annotation

Some annotations merely describe the content and scope of the source

Others evaluate the source’s authority, currency, and relevance to a researcher’s purpose

What is an Annotation? A descriptive summary or

explanation of a resource Provides information about the

content of the material Provides an evaluation or critique

of a resource (an evaluative summary)

Why Write an Annotation?Purpose of writing an annotation:– Show that you’ve done thorough research– Provide additional information to make it

easier to use the bibliography– Get a better sense of the “scholarship” on

the subject matter– Provide the reader with enough information

to know whether they want to look at the resource for their own research

Things to include in an Annotation: Summary of: Purpose, arguments

and ideas Description of what is included in

the material - some specifics Evaluation and critique of its

relevance to the research project at hand

Mechanics… Use complete sentences. Keep them in

the same present verb tense. Use your own ideas, words and

sentences. Do not simply quote the author.

Each annotation should be 3 to 5 sentences long. But sometimes it will be necessary to provide more than this.

Give a description of what the resource is about.

Books/Book Chapters -- Where to get information for annotations Read, review and thoroughly examine the book or

chapter. For books:– read the book, the introduction, the preface, the

chapter titles and the summaries.– If you can’t read the entire book, read the chapters

that are relevant to your research. – Make note of additional items such as graphics,

pictures, charts, index, works cited list, and notes.

Articles -- Where to Get Information for annotations Read, review and thoroughly examine the article. For articles:– Read the entire article.– Make special note of the introductions to the article

and the conclusions or summaries drawn.– Do not simply quote the summary or abstract provided

at the beginning of scholarly journal articles.– Decide whether the additional information provided,

such as images, and graphs, are useful in supporting the text.

Article - ExampleErinosho, Stella Y. “The Making of Nigerian Women

Scientists and Technologists,” Journal of Career Development 24.1 (1991) : 71-80.

Abstract

The article focuses on issues related to Nigerian women scientists and technologists. Data on Nigerian universities indicate a dismal representation of women in science and technology. Women constituted a mere 17 percent of the total enrollment for science-related programmes in 1984 and 21 percent in 1988. Men outnumbered women by approximately 4:1 within the same period (1984-1988). The ratio of men to women in engineering was 19:1 in 1984 and 13:1 in 1988 while for veterinary medicine it was 10:1 in 1984 and 6:1 in 1988.

Annotation

Women in Nigerian universities represented only 17% of scientific-related enrollees in 1984 & 1988 respectively. The purpose of this survey was to determine what some of the factors are that reinforce women’s desire for and success in the sciences in Nigeria. Provides biographic portraits of a few successful Nigerian women. Includes survey data with responses from 209 of 520 Nigerian women in science and technology professions and university departments.

Book -- ExampleIrukwu, Enoh Etuk. Footprints: The Evolution of the

Nigerian Woman. Lagos, Nigeria: Talkback Publishers Limited, 1994.

This book provides an overview and examination from the beginning of Nigerian independence in 1960. Offers a brief examination of some historical moments wherein Nigerian women came to the fore. Sets the tone for Nigerian women’s progression since independence and situates their role in the development of the entire nation.

Another Book ExampleNwankwo, Nkechi. Gender Equality in Nigerian Politics. Lagos, Nigeria: Deutchetz Publishers, 1996.

Being the editor of Sunday Champion and holding a master’s degree in mass communications provides the author with a good foundation for examining the role of the mass media in hindering and potentially enabling Nigerian women’s participation in politics. Examines obstacles to women’s power, representation, and participation in the media. The author utilizes the example of Norway for examining strategies for increasing women’s participation in politics.

Review Articles

Review articles are an attempt to summarize the current state of understanding on a topic. A review article re-presents previously published material, rather that reporting new facts or analysis. Review articles are sometimes also called survey articles or, in news publishing, overview articles.

Review Articles vs. Peer Review

Review Articles are by definition Peer Reviewed

Peer Review – More than Editorial Review as Reviewed by Peers in the Field

Elements of Review Articles

Defines and clarifies the topic or problem Summarizes previous investigations in order to

inform the reader of the current state of research Identifies relations, contradictions, gaps, and

inconsistencies in the literature Suggests the next step or steps in addressing the

topic or solving the problem Heavily Cited – Large Bibliographies

Locating Review Articles

Review Journals… – Annual Reviews …, Progress in …, Survey on…,

Quarterly Reviews…, Trends in…, etc. Using Indexes and Abstracts– Review vs “Review”

Citations

Always get the complete citation informationArticle title, journal title, author(s), year, volume, issues, pages, and abstract/notes

Keep track of searches, notes, ideas, etc. Fully cite sources = avoiding plagiarism

Tips

Use a citation management system Such as RefWorks, Zotero, Mendeley, etc. One word for these: invaluable. More work in NOT learning how to use

these tools