ENGL 1301 (Argument Essay)

The Annotated Bibliographies (from Purdue’s Online Writing Lab)

Annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Do your annotations may do one or more of the following.

Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling you use this source in your research project? Has it 1 changed how you think about your topic?

Sample MLA Annotation

Summarize:The article explains the pros and cons of textbook and tablet usage in the classroom (elementary - highschool) and how it impacts everyone in different ways. The article is to inform the public on whether or not schools should be replacing textbooks with tablets and informs which is more beneficial. It was a very helpful source being able to both support and contradict my thesis which is essential for the argument. It is different from my other sources because it is more reliable and backed up by more facts than the other sources. It’s is also more reliable because the information comes straight from Oxford Learning which is one of the most recognizable institutions in the world. Although the source is biased it is bias towards both sides of the argument so it evens out the playing field. Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point 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 determine how detailed your summary is.

Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. about York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.

Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, it's down-to-earth humor, and it’s encouraging approach.