HIST 2110 - US Comprehensive Survey: Home

 This guide provides library and web-based information appropriate for students enrolled in HIST 2110: US Comprehensive Survey, including:

• Recommendations for Starting Your Research
• Tips for constructing an Annotated Bibliography
• Hints for Analyzing Primary Sources
• Links to Digital Collections
• Quick links to recently published books
• More!

[ Kathryn M. Johnson, in France posing with African American Soldiers, ca. 1918-20. DPLA]

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 (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Remember- Annotations are not just summaries, they are descriptive and critical! 

The Process

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

1. 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.
2. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
3. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic. 

Sample Annotated Bibliography Entry

Nicholson, Helen. "Women on the Third Crusade." Journal of Medieval History 23.4 (1997): 335-49.

        In this article, Nicholson explores the controversial question of whether, and to what extent, women participated in armed conflict during the Third Crusade [This sentence identifies the central question of the article]. After reviewing different historians' views on the issue, she examines the widely different depictions of women's participation in the crusade given in Muslim and Christian accounts [This sentence explains the sources that she used]. Nicholson exposes the biases within both Muslim and Christian accounts to examine how Muslim sources tended to exaggerate women's participation in armed conflict while Christian sources tended to conceal women's roles. Ultimately, she argues that while women played many important support roles during the Crusades, their participation in armed conflict was limited to extremely dire battles [The previous two sentences explain the thesis of the article]. This article provides an excellent overview of the primary and secondary sources associated with the debate over the participation of women in armed conflict during the Crusades; it will help to support my argument that, while they were essential to the Crusades, women were limited in the roles that they could play within them due to social stigma [This sentence explains how the article will be relevant to your essay].

Graybosch, A., Scott, G.M. & Garrison, S. (1998).The Philosophy Student Writer's Manual. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
          Designed to serve as either as a writing guide or as a primary textbook for teaching philosophy through writing, the Manual is an excellent resource for students new to philosophy. Like other books in this area, the Manual contains sections on grammar, writing strategies, introductory informal logic and the different types of writing encountered in various areas of philosophy. Of particular note, however, is the section on conducting research in philosophy. The research strategies and sources of information described there are very much up-to-date, including not only directories and periodical indexes, but also research institutes, interest groups and Internet resources.

Adapted from Cornell University Library and Trent University