Writing

The Annotated Bibliography An Annotated Bibliography is merely a standard Works Cited list that includes a brief summary and evaluation for each source cited. Creating Annotations: 1. Cite the source of your information in MLA format. Be sure to include all of the relevant and

required pieces of information for the type of source used.

2. Write the annotation. In general, a good annotation will include: • A summary of the information in the original source (one paragraph). • An evaluation of the quality and/or usefulness of the source (one paragraph).

Writing a Summary A summary is a restating of someone else's words in your words. For all types of summary, the writer is responsible for generally stating, in his or her own words, the main information or argument of another writer. Many student writers tend to quote when they should summarize material. Quote only when the author expresses a point in a particularly telling or interesting language. Otherwise, simply summarize. Summary is more economical than quotation because a summary allows the writer more control over the argument. The summary should offer a concise version of the source material; show readers that you have understood the central claims or main ideas of the text; and provide readers with relevant examples, quotes, or supporting details. Summary Conventions 1. Use complete sentences to describe an author's general points to your reader. If you quote,

use quotation marks and document the quotation. If you fail to document the quotation, you are plagiarizing material (presenting another person's information as if it were your own).

2. Use the author's last name as a tag to introduce information: for example, “Smith argues that population growth and environmental degradation are causally related” or “Brown notes that education in the U.S. has undergone major revolutions in the past 20 years.”

3. Use the present tense (often called the historical present tense) to summarize the author's

argument. “Green contends that the Republican and Democratic parties are funded by the same major corporations.”

Writing an Evaluation The evaluation should reflect your careful consideration of things such as the appropriateness of the source for your research topic; the credibility of the source or author; the timeliness of the information; the validity of the argument; the quality of the evidence provided; the effectiveness of the author’s stance; etc.