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Annotated Bibliography: How to Create One

A series of steps and advice in creating an Annotated Bibliography

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Remember that the Reference Librarians can help you find books, articles, and other materials of interest.  Use the Get Help button below to get in touch.

 

 

 

Digging in

3. Find out what materials are available
Before you begin, make some preliminary decisions.  For example: Will you use one library, or several? What do they contain that will be of help? Do you want only the newest materials, or would you prefer older materials if they cover your subject better?


A. To find books and bibliographies you have identified through your reading (step 2), search the Author or Title of each book in LINUS, the library catalog. To find other books, pamphlets and media, search LINUS by Keyword, or by Subject.

Suggestion: If there's a book you'd like to get that isn't at LMU (or is just checked out), use the LINK+ button to search 40+ other libraries that cooperate with our library. Once you've narrowed down your topic, request those specific books you'll need from LINK+. They'll arrive in about 3-4 working days (M-F), and you'll have a three-week loan. Order them in plenty of time for your use before the project is due!


B. To find periodical articles, select the appropriate indexing database(s) for your topic from our Research Databases list or for a subject or class LibGuide under the Databases tab. Search for your topic with a variety of search terms. Use the specific thesaurus for those databases/indexes that have them. Ask at the Information Desk if you need help. To see if a periodical is available at LMU, check the Journal List for the title of the journal, magazine or newspaper you are seeking. If not available here, use your ILLIAD account to request the article from elsewhere.

Suggestion: If you have any trouble finding articles or books on your topic, ask for help from one of your Reference librarians. Meet us at the Information Desk, give us a call (310 338-2790) or contact us via text messaging.  During or after Library hours, you can also use our 24/7 online chat reference service. See the Get Help page for all these options.