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Sample Annotated Bibliography Some of your courses at Ashford University will require you to write an annotated bibliography.

An annotated bibliography is a working list of references—books, journal articles, online documents, etc.—that you will use for an essay, research paper, or project. Although there are no strict formatting guidelines for the annotated bibliography itself, each reference should be cited in APA format. After each citation, provide a summary of the source, indicating how it will inform your essay, research paper, or project. Many pertinent ideas and supporting details come from analyzing and summarizing your sources.

An annotated bibliography helps you get a head start on your assignment, and it encourages you to focus your topic as you assess each source, ch oosing the key ideas and sources that are most valuable for your assignment. Also, you can keep track of your sources as well as the correct formatting for each reference.

Provided below is a sample annotated bibliography.

Annotated Bibliography Aslanian, C.B. (2001). Adult students today. New York, NY: The College Board.

Exceptional resource for statistics on adult learners and their motivation for returning to school.

The author presents a study spanning 20 years th at illustrates extensive demographics including average age, income, travel distance, cost, et hnicity, gender, religion, and field of study. Brookfield, S. (n.d.). Adult l earning: An overview. Retrie ved from http://www.nl.edu/ace/Resources/Documents/AdultLearning.html Excellent and thorough article covering four major research areas: self-directed learning, critical reflection, experiential learning, an d learning to learn. The author refutes current definitions of adult learning and motivation and proposes instea d that culture, ethnicity, and personality have greater significance than are espous ed in the current myths that describe adult learners. This article is interesting to consider because it diametrically opposes the existing and widely accepted views on the subject.

Donaldson, J. F., Graham, S.W., Martindill , W., & Bradley, S. (2000, Spring). Adult undergraduate students: How do they define their experiences and their success? Journal of Continuing Higher Education , 48(2) 2-11. Retrieved from http://webspirs.silverplatter.com:8000/nccp113 A small study confirming current thinking that a dults return to school for primarily external reasons, e.g., a major life event or career advancemen t. The research further illustrates that actual success in learning comes from an internal locu s of control that includes life experience, maturity, motivation, and self-monitoring.

Marienau, C. (1999, Spring). Self-assessment at work: Outcome of adult learners’ reflections on practice. American Association for Adult & Continuing Education, 49 (3), 135. Retrieved from K W W S S U R T X H V W X P L F R P S T G Z H E " G L G V L G ) P W F O L H Q W , G 5 4 7 9 1 D P H 3 4 '. A qualitative study of adults in graduate programs and their use of self-assessment and experiential learning from the perspectives of performance at work and personal development.

This article is enlightening, for it explores the benefits to the adult learner of self-assessment and introspection. The concept of purposefulness and the need for the adult learner to connect learning with concrete experience are discussed.

Merriam, S. B., & Caffarella, R. S. (2001). Adult learning theories, principles and applications.

San Francisco , CA: A Wiley Company.

This is a textbook used for the training of inst ructors of adult students. There are several excellent and pertinent chapters devoted to the self-determination of the adult student and the need for programs to be designed that allo w adults to use their problem-solving skills. Moore, B. L. (1999). Adult student learners. Penn State Pulse Website. Retrieved from http://www.sa.psu.edu/sara/pulse/adults_65shtml This website contained a survey of adult learne rs’ perceptions of their education experience at Penn State. The study contains a large survey sa mple and generally confirms the findings of other studies at major universities. The importa nt infor mation gleaned is that the emphasis on adult learner programs at historically traditional univ ersities is a much higher priority due to the increasing population of adult students. Sheldon, K. M., & Houser, M. L. (2001). General motivation for college measure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 152-165. Retrieved from http://gateway1.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi This source is a psychosocial in strument designed to measure adult students’ general motivation for attending college. This instrument is appropria te to my research topic because it profiles adult students and rates motivation in terms of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. It supports the findings in my other sources and adds another component: the pursuit of happiness.