English

Assignment Prompt: Annotated Bibliography

Overview

An annotated bibliography is a combination assignment: it blends  MLA reference citations with paragraphs–or annotations–that help you, and your readers, make sense of the sources you  cite. For this assignment, you will be asked to create annotations that  summarize, assess, and reflect upon sources related to your research topic (See Assignment Guide). This process serves two purposes: it provides you with a broader perspective of your research topic, and it prompts you to develop your own  point of view: your  thesis.

Expectations

The annotated bibliography is a very valuable first-step in the research writing process, since it helps you: 

· Collect and organize  source material

· Practice  MLA formatting

· Think carefully and critically about source content 

· Evaluate source reliability and credibility

· Determine source usefulness 

· Synthesize multiple sources

· Decide if you need more sources

· Develop a working  thesis

Requirements

Length/Sources:

This assignment requires 5 reliable and  credible sources with annotations. The minimum word count is 750 words total, with 150 words per source  annotation.  *If the minimum word count is not met, your assignment will be returned with no grade and a resubmission will be required.

Organization

Each of the five sources should include an  annotation with the following four components: a  citation, a  summary paragraph, an assessment paragraph, and a reflection paragraph. 

Check out the table below for more information about the required content and conditions of each component:

Component	Content	Conditions
Reference  Citation	Including a properly formatted  citation can help readers access the same information you accessed (e.g. author, title, publishing date, etc.), if they are interested in learning more about the source and/or your topic. *Think of this as pointing readers in the right direction.	Be sure to use  MLA style for your citations.  You’ll need to pay attention to how you order the identifying criteria and include a hanging indent for any line after the first line.
Summary *Think of this as presenting readers with “the big picture.”	In this paragraph, you will provide a thorough overview of the source, including the main  claim/ thesis, the topics covered, important  supporting points, and any other information readers need to understand the overall gist of the source.	Be sure to use  summary here, with no direct quotes.  You’ll want to stick to  third-person  language in this section (no “I, me, we, you, us, our”).
Assessment   *Think of this as providing readers with proof that the source is, or is not, useful.	In this paragraph, you will evaluate the source, noting whether it is useful, and why. You can discuss reliability and credibility, author expertise, date of publication,  bias or objectivity, and intended  audience. You can also  compare/ contrast this source with other sources that you have collected, if you find that  analysis helpful.	Be sure to use  paraphrase here, with no direct quotes.  You’ll want to stick to  third-person  language in this section (no “I, me, we, you, us, our”).
Reflection *Think of this as presenting readers with your perspective.	In this paragraph, you will share how this source impacts your writing process. Did this source cause you to change your stance? Did you learn anything new or interesting about your topic? How might you use this source in your future essay?	You can feel free to use  first-person  language here, since you are sharing your own insights about this source and its relationship to your research topic. Be sure to stick to “I, me”  language, though, as you don’t want to make assumptions about your readers.

Document Formatting:  MLA formatting: Heading (name, assignment name, course name, date), original title, header (page numbers), line-spacing (double-spaced), 1”margins, and 12-point font size, Times New Roman or sans-serif font.

Genre / Style : Formal  analysis following a guided format--see  organization and example.

Source(s) Selection: While we encourage you to acquire sources from Gale’s Opposing Viewpoints, you may access credible,  scholarly sources from other resources.  Tertiary sources, such as online encyclopedias, dictionaries and Wikipedia, are not  scholarly sources, and should not be cited within your work; however, they may offer helpful foundational information as you develop your understanding of an issue. For more information, please review Berkley University’s resource on scholarly and popular sources:  “Evaluating Resources.”

Last modified: Monday, June 6, 2022, 2:35 PM

· ABOUT