Annotations & Evaluating Sources

What are Annotations?

Annotations are critical and descriptive evaluations of a source.

To write an annotation, you must evaluate the source. You should consider the source's creator, purpose, and relevance to your own project. Through this process, you will be prompted to think deeply about the reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view of your sources.

Annotations done "the Otis way" encourage you to think critically about any information source you encounter. They also provide insight into your information evaluation process, which helps your instructor assess your information literacy skills.

How do citations and annotations differ?

Citation = Information about where to find the source

Annotation = Critical and descriptive explanation of what the source is and why you are using it

Criteria for Evaluative Annotations

• Authority / Credibility
• Audience / Type of Source
• Purpose / Point of View
• Currency
• Coverage / Scope
• Relevance

All of these criteria are interconnected. They reflect the core concepts of the ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy.

Evaluating Sources 

Evaluating sources is a critical aspect of information literacy. Whenever we encounter information, we subconsciously make judgments about it. The process of evaluating sources prompts you to bring these judgments to a conscious level, deepening your capacity to engage with information effectively.

Learning how to evaluate sources prompts you to consider how information is created, packaged, and transmitted so you can then put it into context. Further, these skills help you to create better work, write better papers, and be a better friend!

Any source of information can (and should) be evaluated, whether it is a TikTok video or a scholarly article. When you step back and consider a source, you may realize its information is outdated or otherwise incorrect.

Some basic questions to consider:

• Who made it? Why?
• Who published it? Why?
• Do you trust the creator and/or publisher? Why or why not?
• Who is the targeted audience?
• When and how was it distributed?
• How accurate was the information when it was created? Has anything changed since it was created or published that adds a new perspective or meaning?
• How much of a topic does it cover?
• Why is it relevant to me?