The Annotated Bibliography

an annotated bibliography is a list of sources (books, Web sites, journal articles, etc.) that have been analyzed and evaluated for use in" rel="nofollow">in a research project. Each "annotation" in" rel="nofollow">includes a properly formatted MLA citation of the source, followed by a 100-200 word descriptive and evaluative summary about the source. The steps for compilin" rel="nofollow">ing and completin" rel="nofollow">ing a comprehensive annotated bibliography are provided in" rel="nofollow">in the Annotated Bibliography readin" rel="nofollow">ing. You can also read in" rel="nofollow">information about preparin" rel="nofollow">ing an annotated bibliography. You need javascript enabled in" rel="nofollow">in order to see this flash file. Please note that for ENG102, your annotation should also contain" rel="nofollow">in a description of your search strategy. After researchin" rel="nofollow">ing, narrow your list of sources to seven and proceed with writin" rel="nofollow">ing the annotated bibliography. Include a properly formatted citation. Please refer to the MLA Formattin" rel="nofollow">ing and Style Guide for various “works cited” formattin" rel="nofollow">ing examples. Your annotation should in" rel="nofollow">include the followin" rel="nofollow">ing elements: The source's authority of the topic. A brief description/summary of the source. A short analysis of the source which may in" rel="nofollow">include: The possible relationship to other sources (if applicable) Any biases noted Any significant features of the source The in" rel="nofollow">intended audience. Your brief opin" rel="nofollow">inion of the source. Your search strategy An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography in" rel="nofollow">includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Dependin" rel="nofollow">ing on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the followin" rel="nofollow">ing. Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main" rel="nofollow">in arguments? What is the poin" rel="nofollow">int of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determin" rel="nofollow">ine how detailed your summary is. For more help, see our handout on paraphrasin" rel="nofollow">ing sources. Assess: After summarizin" rel="nofollow">ing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in" rel="nofollow">in your bibliography? Is the in" rel="nofollow">information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source? For more help, see our handouts on evaluatin" rel="nofollow">ing resources. Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits in" rel="nofollow">into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in" rel="nofollow">in your research project? Has it changed how you thin" rel="nofollow">ink about your topic?