Annotation refers to the process of highlighting a text and taking notes in the text. It is an important part of academic research and collaborative editing.

For the intents and purposes of this class, there are several guidelines I would like you to follow for each of the articles that we are going to annotate.All of the following work should be completed ON THE ACTUAL ARTICLE.

Firstly, always recognize the TASK or the PURPOSE of the assignment. What is the specific essay topic? Are you annotating articles for ARGUMENT? PERSUASION? LITERARY ANALYSIS and CENTRAL IDEA?

Secondly, remember SOAPS! For each article, you MUST follow the SOAPS acronym!

S – Subject (what is the topic of the article?)

O – Occasion (What is going on?)

A – Audience (To whom is the writer speaking?)

P – Purpose (What does the writer want to accomplish?)

S – Speaker (Who is speaking/writing?)

Guidelines:

  • Underline the main idea/point of “each” paragraph.
  • Recognize CLAIMS and COUNTERCLAIMS in the text.
  • Circle unknown words. As you read, circle each word you come across that is unfamiliar. You may need to come back and reread the sentences before and after the word to get at the meaning of the word. LOOK UP DEFINITIONS!
  • Mark definitions. Underline, highlight or circle sentences that provide you with a definition. It is useful to write "definition of " in the margin so you can locate the definition quickly. Also mark sentences that provide examples by annotating this next to the sentence(s).
  • Make notes to yourself in the margins. As you read, write any questions or comments that crop up in your mind in the margin next to the passage. Jot down phrases or sentences in the margins(2 – 3 words sometimes) about the “gist” of each paragraph/section.
  • Place a check or star next to important passages. This is extremely helpful when taking a test that requires you to read a passage, because the questions that follow the reading will most likely refer back to these points.

Please remember…

  1. Annotate as you read the article. Never read the article and try to go back to annotate it, unless you plan to read it again. Annotation is as much focused on encouraging active reading as writing or research.
  2. Focus on themes and connections to your class topics.Highlight or bracket the sentences and write the theme or phrase in the margin.