The Basics: An annotated bibliography is a list of citations and annotations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph that provides a summary of the main theme of the source through paraphrase and a discussion of the source’s relevance, accuracy, quality, and purpose. Therefore, for each of your sources, you should include an entry with relevant publication information in MLA format and a critical annotation. Arrange the entries in an alphabetical order and include an introductory paragraph that provides an overview of the annotated bibliography.
Source Requirements:Your bibliography should contain 8 entries and should meet the following criteria:
You may have only one (1) website. Note: This does not include journal articles from online databases but it does include online newspaper articles.
At least three (3) of your sources should be peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
Include a variety of types of sources (academic journal articles, newspaper articles, books, etc.).
Sources must provide a variety of perspectives on the topic you have selected.
Book reviews, editorials, works by undergraduate students, and opinion pieces are not appropriate sources for this project. Neither are unpublished thesis and dissertations.
Critical Annotations: Your annotations for each of your 8 sources should include:
The bibliographic line: This line should be a citation for the work that is consistent with MLA style.
The context section: This section of your annotation should identify the author, their credentials, the nature of the publication (its audience, its genre, etc.).
The content section: This portion should identify both the overall summary of the source and the way that author made their argument through specific rhetorical moves. Did it contain a study of some sort? Was it an interview? It should include important arguments made by the author with attention to the significant, controversial, or memorable statements he or she made.
The assessment section: This portion includes your critical evaluation of the source. It should comment on the quality of the source in terms of its validity, reliability, balance, comprehensiveness, relevance, and balance, and it should point out any problematic issues regarding your source. Finally, it should include your own assessment of the source’s overall value to your project. In other words, how do you plan to use this source in your final paper?
Each annotation should be no more than 300 words. Ideally, your annotations should be between 250-275 words. Annotations comprised of less than 200 words will be considered incomplete and will receive partial credit only. Annotations should be written in your own words with no direct quotations from the source.
Note: Web browsing, Google Search, Wikipedia, etc. are not substitute for academic research.
Source Requirements for Annotated Bibliography
You will need at eight (8) sources. Sources should include:
At least three scholarly, peer-reviewed sources that address your research topic, broadly or specifically.
Only one authoritative websites about your research topic.
Note: Wikipedia, Ask.com, and similar sources offering brief summaries whose authors are unknown, “anonymous,” or of questionable, expertise, credibility, or trustworthiness are not appropriate choices for college-level research and will not be considered serious contributions to your list of sources or annotations. Also resist such superficial sources as USA Today, which do not provide in depth coverage of their subjects.
Editorials, opinion pieces, and book reviews are not good sources for this project.
It is best if the majority of your sources are scholarly journal articles.
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