Write the general information of the book. Include the surname and name of the author, separated by a comma, and place a period at the end. Continue with the name of the book or article, name of journal (if applicable), year of publication and the specific pages from which you took the information. Example: Johnson, Paul. "President Jackson and the Banking System." New Statesman, vol.14, April 2010, pp. 23-30.
Press "Enter" twice to leave a blank line between the general information and the notes. Enter the commentary in the form of a paragraph. Use the horizontal ruler of the word processor to start the paragraph -- and each of its lines -- slightly closer to the page's center.
Write between four and 10 sentences on each paragraph, averaging between 100 and 200 words. Compose full sentences, and use academic language. Do not use informal phrases.
Explain the qualifications of the author in the first sentence. Explain briefly what his research focuses on and the scope of his research. For instance, "Paul Johnson, professor of economics at the University of Arkansas, bases his work on a personal five-year study of historic accounts on the Second Bank of the United States era."
Inform readers about the author's purpose (for example, explain the assassination attempt of President Reagan). Mention any biases you have discovered (the author may have been highly fond of the former president). On out example: "His goal is to expose the instability of the banking system caused by the former president's actions. Johnson uses historical evidence to argue in favour of the Federal Reserve's establishment."
Write about the author's intended audience and the difficulty in reading and understanding it. Explain how you used it in your project and why it was useful. For instance: "He uses specialized vocabulary, targeting a mature audience. However, his comprehensive and clear view of the period made it easy to find information on the Bank's president Nicholas Biddle."