Best Annotated Bibliography Pieces?

1. I think the source below is a really good annotation because it evaluates the source
cleverly, mentioning how the study may not be perfect due to its small stretch, time
period, and population. It is also a good annotation because it talks about how this
source could be used to strengthen another, a step up from just stating how it is generally
good for the EIP. The summary was specific enough to make the evaluation easier to
understand and more supported (i.e, it didn’t seem like I was just pulling out the rear).
The mentions of small but significant things like medical doctor vs. psychologist shows
just how well the article was thought about/analyzed. The sentences can get a little long,
however I feel the points above surpass this.

Turner, Teri L., et al. “Trending in the Wrong Direction: Changes in Sleep Behaviors, Attitudes

and Knowledge Over Time.” Academic Pediatrics, vol. 13, no. 4, 2013, pp. e7–e7,

Science Direct, doi:10.1016/j.acap. www-sciencedirect-

com.librarylink.uncc.edu/science/article/pii/S1876285913001447. Accessed 10 Oct

2018.

This peer-reviewed, scholarly journal article examines changes in sleep behaviors,

attitudes, and knowledge from 2010 to 2012 in 140 pediatric trainees at Baylor College of

Medicine in Texas. To do this, the entering trainees (43 in 2010, 51 in 2011, and 46 in

2012) were surveyed anonymously before their training. The survey included questions

regarding sleep behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge as well as the questionnaire for the

Epworth Sleepiness Scale, something the NCBI proved was ‘simple and reliable,’ to

accurately and precisely assess daytime sleepiness. Results showed the average daytime

sleepiness scale score increased by about 1.5 points between 2010 and 2012 while there

was a “statistically significant (SS) decrease” in the amount of sleep students got on

weeknights. Furthermore, the participants in 2012 were less likely to “perceive that sleep

loss and fatigue had a major impact on work and medical decisions” while there was no Commented [KM1]: Missing comma

change in sleep’s perceived effect on personal life or perceived effectiveness of

countermeasures to sleep loss. The article ends with a call to action, namely a push for

interventions during undergraduate college in order to change sleep behaviors and

attitudes early.

The author, study methods, and source all point to this article being highly trustworthy

and useful. Teri Turner is a doctor at the Texas Medical Center with a focus on Academic

General Pediatrics and Developmental Pediatrics. She was also a relatively high-standing Commented [KM2]: “As well as a…” for better flow?

member of multiple pediatric associations. Having studies (and by the end, opinions)

from a medical doctor rather than a psychologist is not only just as trustworthy but great

for getting a different side and/or angle of the issue. The article was peer-reviewed, and,

as proven before, the methods used were controlled, reliable, and as free of bias as

possible. However, because the subjects and timeframe were limited, stretching the

results to other people must be done with care and inquisition. This includes the fact that

technology and other trends/inventions that affect sleep have significantly increased in

popularity since the study was conducted. In addition, this article was published on

Science Direct, which is “the world’s leading source for scientific, technical, and medical

research” according to their about page. While this could be a marketing strategy, the

reliability of the source is solidified by it being a database from Elsevier, a widely known

and trusted source of scientific and medical information. Finally, Academic Pediatrics is

the official journal of the Academic Pediatric Association, a credible organization that

nurtures and honors successful (academically or career-wise) pediatricians. This verifies

the authenticity of the journal.

The results can be used to help figure out and prove isolated trends in changes of sleep

behaviors/attitudes, which would then help me find possible reasons why these changes

occur and therefore help me predict what shifts will be made in the future. One example

of a trend found in the article that I did not expect to see was the minimal change in

perceived effect of sleep on social life. On top of that, I did not think significant data

point changes could be seen in such a short period of time, and the fact that they were Commented [KM3]: over

points to the rapid worsening of the sleep loss epidemic. These points make this source

necessary to help consider and prove all stated factors. Furthermore, this study was on

people just older than the population of interest, and because of this and the fact that the

population studied obviously went to college, I could definitely use this source to help

understand how and why sleep attitudes change among those who have gone to college.

While the Canadian study looks at students upon entry to college, this source looks at

students upon exiting college. By using the Canadian study as a starting point and ‘why’

source while also using this as an endpoint (considering the former is on the average 1st

year college student while the latter is on pediatric students in Texas), I could infer what

college does to sleep attitudes and behaviors and why. Additionally, I could use the

professional opinion at the end to help develop my list of potential solutions to the

epidemic. Because this study has a limited scope, I wouldn’t use this as a sole form of

proving trends in sleep attitudes/behaviors. However, due to its academic nature and

interesting findings, it is a good start and/or comparison point for use in my EIP.
 2. This is a good annotation because it greatly evaluates and summarizes something that
would otherwise be difficult to because of its size. It does this by providing specific
examples, evaluating the examples and what that says about the rest of the site and/or its
use in my EIP, and evaluating/sharing general information that is a good sign of the
site’s reliability while still understanding that these facts don’t mean every aspect of this
huge source is good. Additionally, the value of the website without being explicitly used is
mentioned, a step above simply stating its use in the EIP. There are places where the
annotation could be worded better, but the previously mentioned surpasses these minor
improvements that could be made.

National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, 2018, www.sleepfoundation.org/.

Accessed 10 Oct 2018.

This is the website for a non-profit organization that contains a plethora of information Commented [KM4]: ‘a,’ or better yet, reword

about sleep myths, sleep disorders, proper sleep environment, and sleep behaviors in

America. It also contains a section with articles discussing trending sleep topics/problems Commented [KM5]: Erase?

such as “Does Sleep Hypnosis Work?”, “How to Feel Satisfied with Your Sleep,” and

even very specific topics such as “How to Handle Obstructive Sleep Apnea During

Menopause.” The topic is always sleep, but what about sleep varies widely. There is a

peer-reviewed journal called “Sleep Health” that is run by the company and linked on the

website. The organization also conducts sleep polls, the results of which are posted on the

site. An example of a useful data sheet from a poll was one conducted this year (2018). Commented [KM6]: Is from a poll…,

The poll was given to random American citizens, and it analyzed the way they prioritized

their needs. The average prioritization came to be fitness/nutrition first, work second,

hobbies/interests third, and sleep second to last, 1% above social life. While I expected

sleep to be low, I did not expect fitness/nutrition to be so prioritized nor did I expect Commented [KM7]: Or for…

social life to be slightly less than sleep. These interesting points changed my view on how

Americans prioritize the things in their life, which is part of my topic.

The National Sleep Foundation is a known U.S, non-profit organization that spreads

information regarding sleep. Because it publishes a peer reviewed journal and has

accessible sleep professionals on the website, at least portions of the website are highly

trustworthy. Additionally, the example poll used a good representative population,

meaning that the polls should also be reliable. The CEO of the foundation is David

Cloud, someone with an MBA who has worked with the American Medical Association

and other healthcare organizations. This means that he has experience in working with

health professionals and therefore is knowledgeable on how to choose the proper medical

professionals to help with the organization. Moreover, the NCBI found the organization’s

sleep health index to be reliable, making it very likely that most of the site is widely and

rightly trusted as well. The foundation’s mission is to help people make informed

decisions about their health rather than push people in one direction, so bias in the site’s

information is limited. Ergo, while the reliability of every detail on the site is uncertain,

the basis/majority seems to be reliable. In other words, one article may be full of bias, but

the website as a whole can be trusted. I just have to make sure to look out for those

unreliable outliers.

The polls conducted would be more useful if they were repeated over various years to get

a good sense of how these things changed over time, but since they are on random topics

and the earliest one was in 2012, I can only use these poll results as a 21st century point in

the evolution of sleep (or, more specifically, a point for that year, as things change

quickly). Likewise, the foundation was founded in 1990, so all articles and information

on the website will likely be more applicable to modern and/or future sleep topics, which
are still applicable to my EIP. The information spectrum is so broad on just sleep that this Commented [KM8]: Spectrum covered on the site…

website would be great anytime I need a definition, general additional information on the

topic, or clarity on some sleep phenomena. It would basically act as my fill-in-the-holes

site, as it is like an encyclopedia of sleep information and data. Because this website

would be better for individual points and contains clearly separate articles, however, I am

more likely to cite individual articles within it for my EIP rather than the entire site. Still,

like the poll results detailed earlier did, the discussions and poll results on this site are

likely to help morph my view on the topic, whether they are explicitly used or not.