Annotated Bibliography
English 1302 Annotated Bibliography (AB) Assignment
Instructor: Tureva Osburn
Email: Tureva.Osburn@sfasu.edu
Format: MLA—Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1” margins, double-space only
The AB is a list of summaries and other information. One entry follows the next.
Due Dates for Self-Review and Dropbox for AB:
Upload AB to Eduflow for a self-review by Tuesday, April 12th by 11:59pm.
Your AB for the self-review can be a draft, but it must provide at least two complete
entries with citation, annotation, analysis paragraph, and a quotation with explanation
sentence for each entry to receive the 50 points for this activity.
Dropbox for Annotated Bibliography Due by Wed., April 13th by 11:59pm
Total Points Possible: 150 points possible (50 for self-review; 100 for AB)
Number of Sources: Four (4) total sources (use your source from the Proposal Essay as
one of your four sources)
Purpose: The purpose of the Annotated Bibliography is to provide students an
opportunity to gather research and evidence for a scholarly research essay and compose a
complete entry for each source.
What is an annotated bibliography? An AB is a list of summaries (these are the
annotations) regarding the same topic along with the Works Cited entry that precedes
each annotation. Each complete annotation follows the next one to create a list.
Additionally, an AB assignment will often include some analysis, quotations, and other
information regarding each source.
Instructions: Using the Steen Library databases and other sources, you should search for
sources that will provide the foundation for your research essay.
Click on this link to access research: Steen Library Research Guides and Databases
Sources: Must use four sources for the Annotated Bibliography.
At least two sources must come from Steen Library or Library databases.
You must use your source from the Proposal Essay as one of your four
sources. In other words, you need one more source from Steen Library,
but you can choose to find two more sources anywhere online or from
Steen.
Sources may include academic articles, news reports, statistical data, books, ebooks,
podcasts, online journals, art (including songs, films, streaming episodes, etc.), and
many other types of texts.
Using quality research is vital to making a successful argument; the authors and sources you
choose for the Annotated Bibliography become your team members who provide
information and expertise for the AB and the Research Essay.
Organizing the AB: Students will need to follow these directions, so each entry consists of the
following parts:
1. A Works Cited citation
2. the annotation (summary)
3. a short analysis paragraph with specific questions to answer
4. a quotation from each source in MLA format followed by an explanation
Citation for Works Cited
1. First, the student will provide the Works Cited citation for the text in MLA
format. The student must decide on what type of text (article, video, etc.) they are
summarizing. Recognize that the citation must also include the database if needed.
Reminder: Opposing Viewpoints provides the MLA citation at end of article.
Works Cited Examples are available in the Resources chapter for our class.
Annotation
2. Next, the student will provide the annotation of the text following these
guidelines:
✓ Introduce the author and the text
✓ Provide the author’s thesis and the main points of the text in six to eight
sentences
✓ Use present tense verbs
✓ Recognize that quotations are not used in a summary
✓ Use transitions as needed in the summary (first, second, then, next, finally,
etc.)
✓ Focus on the author in composing the summary
✓ Provide a conclusion sentence
✓ Keep your own ideas about the topic and your specific issue in mind as
you summarize
Analysis Paragraph
3. Then, the student will provide a short analysis paragraph after each annotation
that answers the following questions (The student should use first person “I” in
these analysis paragraphs):
➢ What is your opinion of the text?
➢ How does this text assist you in the research of your topic?
➢ How does this text connect to another text that you will summarize? (A
synthesis question!)
Quotations
4. Finally, the student will provide one quotation from each source in MLA format
for in-text citations followed by an explanation sentence. The quotation is not part of
the analysis paragraph and should be the last part of the AB entry. Example:
Gerald Graff remarks, “the best academic writing has one underlying feature: it is deeply
engaged in some way with other people’s views” (3). The author acknowledges that when
writing a college essay, the student writer should understand that they are collaborating
with other people’s ideas, opinions, and analysis and that involvement is the central focus
of writing at the college level.
Rubric: The AB should include five complete entries for five sources (at least three from Steen Library).
50 points for participating in self-review
25 points for Works Cited citation accuracy
25 points for complete annotations that follow the guidelines of summary
25 points for analysis paragraphs that answer the required questions
25 points for quotations in MLA format with explanations after each analysis paragraph
150 points total 135-150=A; 120-134=B; 105-119=C; 90-104=D; below 90=F