Handout: Annotated Bibliography Assignment Instructions.

As a part of your Research Project, you are required to submit an Annotated Bibliography, cataloging the sources you encountered as part of your research. You should include a minimum of ten sources on your annotated bibliography. Of the ten sources, you need at least three different types of sources (books, documentaries, and articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals, etc.) and no more than one web page. One source should be an interview that you conduct. Of the ten sources included, at least five should be cited in your Research Paper. The Annotated Bibliography, though part of the Research Project, counts as a separate essay grade and is worth 100 points.

Please note: “Web page” is not the same as “web source.” Many valuable sources can be accessed via the internet. For example, you should use the library’s online databases to conduct research. Online magazines, such as Time, and newspapers, such as The New York Times, are not always available on the databases but can be accessed through online archives. Many reputable documentaries and news broadcasts can be accessed through video sites like YouTube. These sources are credible and you can use them without restriction, as long as you meet your minimum requirement of three types of sources for source diversity.

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

An Annotated Bibliography can be used for any type of essay that requires research. As you do your research, you will find that not all of your sources will be relevant to the paper you are writing. Therefore, not every source that appears on your annotated bibliography will appear on your Works Cited, nor will they all be used in the essay. An Annotated Bibliography is useful because, when you go to write the paper, you remember which source said what without having to waste time rereading them or searching for specific information. It is also a good way to keep track of the source’s credibility and make notes about which sources you plan to use in your essay.

Writing the Bibliography:

The most important part of the Annotated Bibliography is the Bibliography; without it, you are at risk of plagiarism. Thus, the first step to creating an Annotated Bibliography is to write the bibliographic (works cited) entry for each source that you plan to read as you begin your research. Refer either to an MLA resource online, such as the Purdue OWLLinks to an external site. website, or to your Seagull Handbook, both of which have been updated to reflect 2021 MLA guidelines. The Writing Center is also a good resource. And because you are typing the bibliographic information, you can copy and paste the citation into your notes and your works cited pages, without having to rewrite them.

Writing Annotations:

There are several types of annotations, but for the purpose of this class, plan to follow the format given in the sample annotation. You will notice that the annotation includes three paragraphs: a summary, an evaluation, and a reflection. Therefore, the annotations that you include for your research paper must follow these guidelines as this is how you remember what the text was about (summary), whether the source was reputable and appropriate for a formal, academic paper (evaluation), and whether the source is useful to your topic (reflection).

Organizing the Annotated Bibliography:

The annotations should be listed in alphabetical order, according to the first word in each bibliographic entry (usually the author’s last name). List the bibliographic entry, hit “enter,” and begin the first paragraph of the annotation on the next line. Don’t forget to tab over for the first line of each paragraph to indicate where each paragraph begins.

Other Useful Information:

The bibliography should be double spaced throughout, with no additional spaces between paragraphs. All bibliographic entries should use “hanging indents” if they are more than one line. That is, the first line should be flush with the margin; all subsequent lines should be indented five spaces. The bibliography should be written in a twelve-point Roman font. There should be no bolding or underlining; names of container sources such as books/magazines/journals, etc. are italicized. Titles of shorter works that appear within these containers are enclosed in quote marks. Refer to your handbook’s green MLA section for models.

Sample Annotation in MLA Style Using Print Magazine Article

Annotated Bibliography

Rowh, Mark. “Cut College Costs.” Career World, Jan. 2008, pp. 28-29.

Rowh analyzes the different costs of higher education, and concludes that those who wish

to save money on college should choose either two year junior colleges or in-state four year

colleges, as the price of an education at either of those types of institutions is much cheaper

than private four year colleges. For those wishing to graduate from a private institution,

Rowh offers advice about how to obtain cheaper credits (through transferring from lower cost

institutions) as well as how to apply for financial aid. Rowh also advises college potentials to

look other places than the college or university bookstore for textbooks and to “live frugally”

(29).

Although the article gives no credentials for Rowh, and the article is published in a

magazine rather than a journal, this source is relatively credible. Rowh cites a number of

credible sources within his article, including providing the website for government financial

aid. Furthermore, one would expect to find this type of article in a periodical that is geared

towards careers, as most would agree that some level of higher education is generally

required for obtaining a career. The article was published in 2008, which means that the

dollar amounts that Rowh provides may not be up-to-date, but the actual dollar amounts are

not entirely relevant to the point that Rowh makes throughout the article.

This is an excellent source for writing about the topic of funding college. It is reliable, it

provides a number of great statistics and pieces of advice, and it is timely.