Annotated bibliographies have not earned a good reputation in college circles. Most often, students think of them as monotonous and a waste of time. Before this class, I had never done an annotated bibliography so I was a little more open to the idea. I’d heard horror stories, but I’ve always had a morbid curiosity about horror so I was ready for the challenge.
Well, imagine my surprise when I realized I liked annotated bibliographies. It combined three of my favorite things: research, writing, and guidelines. It was a bonus that I liked my topic as well. If I hadn’t like my topic…well, to be honest, I probably still would have liked doing it because I like research.
Source: Giphy
To be blunt, I think the horror stories stem from laziness and difficult teachers. The first because if someone doesn’t like writing to begin with, why would they want to write paragraph after paragraph about a subject that they’re probably bored to tears of.
I wouldn’t say that I have a solution, but I think I do have a compromise. Teachers want annotated bibliographies so that their students will take the time to understand their sources and be able to use them. Students don’t want annotated bibliographies because they take what seems like an eternity, and this is after the initial research phase. And given that many college students are procrastinators, long essays are hell on a sleep schedule.
And, for anyone on a tight schedule with no clue where to begin, be amazed. I’ve found the holy grail in CTW resources.
Source: Annotated Bibliography Maker