Annotations and Evaluating Sources

Doing Annotations the Otis Way

Intended Audience

Every publication or website has expectations about its target audience. Is a certain type or level of knowledge needed to understand or engage with the content?

Some basic groups might be:

General public: Need little to no prior knowledge or understanding
K-12 students: Expected to learn from the source
Undergraduates: People who are learning more about a topic
Professionals: Work in the field/industry
Academics: Working in a particular field/discipline and have studied the topic at length

The intended audience for information ties directly into the type of source it is.

Does the content assume that the reader has a certain level of knowledge about the topic?
- Yes = Usually Academic/Scholarly or Trade/Professional
- No = Popular/General
Does it use specialized vocabulary, long words, or complicated syntax?
- Academic/Scholarly = Academic jargon, high-level vocabulary, specific to discipline
- Trade/Professional Source = Jargon specific to the related industry/trade/profession
- Popular/General = Easy to read

Types of Sources

When writing annotations, be sure to reference these categories and descriptions.

Note: These categories are not definitive; there is room for overlap and ambiguity.

Academic / Scholarly	Written by scholars or researchers in an academic setting Geared towards readers with background knowledge; uses high-level, academic vocabulary Reports on original research, experimentation, or theory Always cites sources and/or includes a bibliography Often published by a university press, research center, or academic association Often peer-reviewed (note: all peer-reviewed articles are scholarly, not necessarily vice versa) May contain visual info, like charts or graphs, that are suited to the field/discipline Not usually available on newsstands Examples: Fashion Theory; Art History; Art Bulletin; Journal of the American Medical Association
Trade / Professional	Written by and for people in a specific industry or professional field Assumes reader has knowledge of the field; uses specialized jargon Info about news, trends, and products related to the field as well as career/professional development information Sometimes includes references or a short bibliography Often published by a trade or professional association Not usually available on newsstands Examples: American Libraries; Communication Arts; Animation Magazine
Substantive News	Longform, in-depth content Provides fact-checked information about current events Sometimes lists sources or includes a bibliography Clear indication of the author(s) (usually) Level of writing geared to an educated or well-read audience Sometimes available on newsstands Examples: National Geographic; The New York Times; The New Yorker; Art in America; Artforum
Popular (newspapers, magazines, etc.)	Written for general, broad audiences on any topic Articles written by staff writers or freelance writers In.print format, these are typically slick or glossy Features lots of advertisements Rarely will include full citations/references Easily found on newsstands, in bookstores, or via the Internet Examples: Time; People; Sports Illustrated; Vogue; Rolling Stone

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