Scholarly or academic articles contain original research on a narrow topic. They are usually peer-reviewed and are published in scholarly journals. To find articles on your topic, use keywords to search in one of the databases listed below.
If the article you want isn't available in full text you can request it for free through Interlibrary Loan.
Databases Specific to Adult Education:
General, Multi-Subject Databases:
Scholarly books are much longer than articles and they provide more depth and context. You can find physical books or e-books in our catalog below. Try searching by subject, keyword, author, or title. After you search select "Books" on the left side of the page to limit your results to only books.
Any time you use another's work in your research, you need to cite the source with both in-text and reference list citations. American Psychological Association (APA) style is the citation style most commonly used for research in adult education. To learn how to cite in APA style, visit the resource linked below.
What Is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a compilation of citations for books, articles, and other documents, each accompanied by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, known as an annotation. Typically around 150 words, the annotation provides insights into the relevance, accuracy, and quality of each source.
The following article entry uses APA style (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, 2019):
Waite, L., Goldschneider, F., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51(4), 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab's entry on annotated bibliographies.
Format an Annotated Bibliography in APA 7th Edition (Beginners Guide) Video
A short YouTube video that discusses formatting annotated bibliographies.
