Annotated Bibliography Essay
Mrs. Nichols-Buckley
Writing 102
Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is an organized list of relevant sources on a single issue or topic. An annotated bibliography also provides brief, evaluative descriptions of the sources it lists so that researchers can determine whether a particular source meets their needs. (Note: Our major research project, the Causal Argument, asks you to explain a cause and effect relationship—X leads to/contributes to/ causes Y—within a specific American cultural myth. The annotated bibliography will help you collect and think critically about sources that you may incorporate in your argument].
Process for the annotated bibliography: Find 5 possible sources for the cause and effect argument (no more than 3 sources can come from your textbook AND at least 2 sources must be scholarly, peer reviewed sources). Compose a 200-300 word annotation for each source that does each of the following:
1. Provides a full citation in MLA format.
2. Summarizes the source--What are the author’s main points? What topics are discussed? Who is the intended audience for the source?
3. Assesses the source—? What types of evidence does the author incorporate? How useful is the source to others who are interested in this subject? In what ways does the source demonstrate credibility or reliability? What are the gaps, limitations, or biases? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography?
4. Reflects on the source—How has the source informed the way in which you think about your topic? How could this source be used? Does it provide background information for your topic? Does it provide evidence or examples for your potential claim(s)? Does it serve as a counter-argument to further inform your understanding of your research? How could this source be used in your next essay?
Purpose: To compose a helpful and informative annotated bibliography that provides the foundations for your causal argument essay
Audience: A general academic audience who is interested in your topic but unfamiliar with the sources you’ve found.
Format: The annotated bibliography must follow MLA guidelines for formatting and documentation (See OWL Excelsior’s Annotated Bibliographies).
Annotated Bibliography Scoring Considerations
1. Purposes and Audiences
Does the annotated bibliography provide a list of relevant resources? Does the annotated bibliography also provide brief, evaluative descriptions of the resources so that researchers can determine whether a particular resource meets their needs? Does the bibliography address a general academic audience?
2. Research and Exploration
Does the bibliography reflect careful consideration and evaluation of the sources, including the sources’ reliability? Do the bibliography entries provide full citation, a summary, an assessment, and an evaluation of the source?
3. Conventions and Mechanics
Annotated Bibliography: Are the bibliography entries formatted in MLA style? Do the annotations follow MLA guidelines for standard English grammar, punctuation, and usage?