Write an annotated bibliography
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography With a Thesis
Prof. Chambless
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
A form of a “works cited page.” Think of this as an expanded works cited page.
An Annotated Bibliography with a thesis can serve as a proposal for a paper.
First, State your thesis in the following format
What is an “Annotation.”
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation of evidence for a paper. Its purpose is to explain to the audience how this source supports your thesis.
Therefore, an annotated bibliography contains first, your thesis, then an explanation of how each source proves the thesis.
Sources appear in alphabetical order by author surname or title. Note that each annotation begins with an MLA-style works cited citation.
What to Include in an “Annotation”
First, cite the source in MLA format before including the information(annotation) concerning the source.
Content Length: How long is each Annotation?
Now that you have the citation, the following content should be included in paragraph format:
Annotations vary in length depending on the complexity of the source; however, annotations of even the longest sources are brief. Each source should be no longer than three paragraphs.
What the Primary Source Annotation Should Include
First Paragraph- Summarize the source in 3-7 sentences. State the source’s genre(nonfiction essay, historical fiction, statistical research, a sociology article).
The summary includes: The main argument/point of the source. The topics are covered.
Second Paragraph: State if this is a primary source (such as The 13th or Sorry to Bother You). If so, which aspect of the primary source are you investigating for your paper?
What Secondary Source(Supporting Evidence) Annotations Should Include
Should be two to three paragraphs in length.
First Paragraph-Summarize the Source.
Second Paragraph- A couple sentences on what type of evidence this is(documentary, statistical data, simple random sample study, anecdotal evidence, an article)
Third Paragraph- Explain how this source proves your thesis. When explaining how the source proves your thesis, you may compare or contrast this work with another you have cited in your bibliography. i.e, This article on environmental racism supports Komunyakaa’s experiences and definition of Environmental Racism.
Use Student Example Provided
When confused concerning your annotated bibliography, look at the student sample provided on your Blackboard as a guide.
FORMAT
First- head your Annotated Bibliography according to MLA conventions. Additionally, this should be written in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, Double space, no extra spaces between paragraphs
Second- State your thesis
On the same paper, hit enter and center the word “Annotated Bibliography.”
Begin your Entries with the citation, then the annotation. There is a specific layout with indentations provided in the next slide.
FORMAT