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Writing Resources

This guide contains all of the ASC's writing resources. If you do not see a topic, suggest it through the suggestion box on the Writing home page.

Outlining and Annotating Resources

This is an example of one way to complete an outline. Some outlines contain shorter phrases or more information. Be sure to provide a list of references. 

The Impact of Social Media on Teenagers

I. Introduction
     A. Definition of social media
     B. Brief overview of the increasing use among teenagers
     C. Thesis statement: Social media significantly influences teenagers’ social skills, self-esteem, and academic performance.

II. The Role of Social Media in Shaping Social Skills
     A. Positive effects on communication

  1. Provides a platform for teens to connect with peers
  2. Facilitates staying in touch with distant friends and family

     B. Negative effects on face-to-face communication

  1. Decreased opportunities for in-person interactions
  2. Development of poor communication skills due to reliance on texting and messaging

III. The Influence of Social Media on Self-Esteem
     A. Positive aspects: Opportunities for self-expression

  1. Platforms to showcase talents and creativity
  2. Receiving positive feedback and validation

     B. Negative aspects: Comparison and cyberbullying

  1. Unrealistic portrayal of lifestyles leading to low self-esteem
  2. Cyberbullying as a source of anxiety and depression

IV. Impact of Social Media on Academic Performance
     A. Positive aspects: Access to educational resources

  1. Educational content available on platforms like YouTube
  2. Study groups and collaborative learning through social media

     B. Negative aspects: Distraction and procrastination

  1. Time spent on social media detracting from study time
  2. Impact of multitasking on learning efficiency

V. Conclusion
     A. Summary of key points
     B. Restate the significance of understanding social media’s impact
     C. Call to action: Encourage responsible use of social media among teenagers

This is an example of one way to complete an Annotated Outline. Some outlines contain shorter phrases or more citations. Be sure to provide a list of references. 

Sample Annotated Outline

The Impact of Social Media on Teenagers

I. Introduction
     A. Definition of social media

  1. This section will define what constitutes social media, including examples like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, to provide a clear understanding for the reader (Smith & Anderson, 2018).

     B. Brief overview of the increasing use among teenagers

  1. Here, I will present statistics and research findings that highlight the growing usage of social media among teens, setting the stage for discussing its impacts (Lenhart, 2015).

     C. Thesis statement: Social media significantly influences teenagers’ social skills, self-esteem, and academic performance.

  1. The thesis statement will serve as the guiding argument for the paper, outlining the three main areas of focus.

II. The Role of Social Media in Shaping Social Skills
     A. Positive effects on communication

  1. Provides a platform for teens to connect with peers.
    1. This point will discuss how social media helps teenagers maintain and build relationships, particularly in a digital age where physical distance might be a barrier (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).
  2. Facilitates staying in touch with distant friends and family. 
    1. Examples will include social media’s role in bridging the gap between geographically separated friends and family members (Valkenburg & Peter, 2011).

     B. Negative effects on face-to-face communication

  1. Decreased opportunities for in-person interactions. 
    1. I will explore studies that show how the rise of social media can lead to reduced face-to-face communication skills (Twenge & Campbell, 2018).
  2. Development of poor communication skills due to reliance on texting and messaging.
    1.  Research will be cited to discuss how over-reliance on digital communication might impair teenagers' ability to interact effectively in person (Uhls et al., 2014).

III. The Influence of Social Media on Self-Esteem

     A. Positive aspects: Opportunities for self-expression

  1. Platforms to showcase talents and creativity. 
    1. This section will highlight how social media can serve as a positive outlet for teenagers to express themselves creatively (Sheldon, 2008).
  2.  Receiving positive feedback and validation.
    1.  I will include examples of how teenagers receive encouragement and build self-esteem through likes, shares, and comments (Meier & Schäfer, 2018).

B. Negative aspects: Comparison and cyberbullying

  1. Unrealistic portrayal of lifestyles leading to low self-esteem
    1. Discuss the detrimental effects of constantly comparing oneself to idealized portrayals on social media (Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles, 2014).
  2. Cyberbullying as a source of anxiety and depression
    1. This section will focus on the negative consequences of cyberbullying and its impact on mental health (Hamm et al., 2015).

IV. Impact of Social Media on Academic Performance
     A. Positive aspects: Access to educational resources

  1. Educational content available on platforms like YouTube.
    1. I will provide examples of how social media can be a valuable educational resource (Greenhow & Lewin, 2016).
  2. Study groups and collaborative learning through social media.
    1. Discussion of how social media facilitates group studies and collaboration on academic projects (Tess, 2013).

     B. Negative aspects: Distraction and procrastination

  1. Time spent on social media detracting from study time.
    1. I will explore how social media can be a major distraction, affecting the amount of time available for academic work (Junco, 2012).
  2. Impact of multitasking on learning efficiency
    1. Research will be cited on how multitasking between social media and study tasks can reduce learning efficiency and overall academic performance (Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010).

V. Conclusion
     A. Summary of key points

  1. Summarize the main arguments presented in the paper.

     B. Restate the significance of understanding social media’s impact

  1. Reinforce the importance of recognizing both the positive and negative impacts of social media on teenagers.

     C. Call to action: Encourage responsible use of social media among teenagers

  1. Conclude with a call to action for responsible and balanced use of social media.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a summary and evaluation of a resource. According to Merriam-Webster, a bibliography is “the works or a list of the works referred to in a text or consulted by the author in its production.” Your references (APA) or Works Cited (MLA) can be considered a bibliography. A bibliography follows a documentation style and usually includes bibliographic information (i.e., the author(s), title, publication date, place of publication, publisher, etc.). An annotation refers to explanatory notes or comments on a source.

An annotated bibliography, therefore, typically consists of:

  1. Documentation for each source you have used, following the required documentation style.

  2. For each entry, one to three paragraphs that:

    • Begins with a summary,

    • Evaluates the reliability of the information,

    • Demonstrates how the information relates to previous and future research.

Entries in an annotated bibliography should be in alphabetical order.

** Please note: This may vary depending on your professor’s requirements.

This table provides a high-level outline of the structure of a research article and how each section relates to important information for developing an annotated bibliography.

Abstract: Reviewing this section allows the reader to develop a quick understanding of the "why" the study was conducted, the methodology that was used, the most important findings, and why the findings are important.

  • Reviewing this section is important as it helps you quickly evaluate if the study is applicable to your specific topic or needs. 
 
Article Section Questions for Developing the Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

(Provides the background and sets the stage for the study)

  • What is the research topic?
  • What previous research is being used to support this research?
  • What is the researcher wanting to learn?
    • The hypothesis.
  • Why is the study important?

Methodology

(The how-to manual of the study)

  • What was the research method/design? 
  • What are the characteristics of the participants?
  • What did the participants do?
  • How was the data collected?
  • What did the researchers do?
Findings/Results: This section will include the results of the data analysis. This section often provides graphs, tables, and figures that correspond with the type of analysis conducted.

Discussion and Summary

(The researcher provides context and relates the findings to the research questions.)

  • Why are the findings important?
  • What are the research implications?
  • Do the findings agree with previous research?
    • Why or why not?
  • Did the researcher answer the research question?
  • What new research does the researcher/s suggest? 

Annotated Bibliography Sample Outline

Author, S. A. (date of publication). Title of the article. Title of Periodical, vol. (issue), page-page. https://doi.org/XXXXXX

Write one or two paragraphs that focus on the study and its findings.

  1. Two or more sentences that outline the thesis, hypothesis, and population of the study.
  2. Two or more sentences that discuss the methodology.
  3. Two or more sentences that discuss the study findings. 
  4. One or more sentences evaluating the study and its relationship to other studies.

Want to learn more about outlining?

Schedule to attend the Outlining (Scholarly Writing) group session discussed below!

  • Please use the Academic Success Center Coaching Scheduler to reserve your seat to attend this or any of the available group sessions. 
  • Review the Register tab of the Learn the ASC page for assistance with registering for scheduled coaching.

Outlining (Scholarly Writing) Icon Hand drawing a mind map

Tuesday 4:00 p.m. 

Outlining is a way of organizing ideas and is a helpful strategy for academic success. There are multiple ways to outline and doing so before and after composing a paper can help with the paper's arrangement and help ensure alignment with assignment prompts. This group session will include general organization techniques, creating an outline from an assignment prompt, creating an outline from a thesis, outlining for larger projects, and reverse outlining. 

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