An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and other documents. Each citation must be followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (the annotation). The annotations should each be at least 100 words long. The purpose of these descriptive paragraphs is to ensure the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources you will be using in your research paper. This process is designed to help you determine which sources will be valuable and which are irrelevant to your argument.
You are required to find three sources for this assignment that approach your topic in a variety of ways. Note: *You may change these sources later if you find stronger sources to use.
You may only use 1 non-scholarly source.
For each source you must complete the following tasks:
Correct MLA citation for the source.
Briefly summarize the article, essay, website, or book.
Discuss the limitations of the source such as: What does this author leave out? Does this source tell both sides of the story?
Describe how you could use this text in your research paper. Will it be helpful? Will you only use one idea or will you rely on this source heavily? How, specifically, do you plan on using this information? What point will you be supporting with this evidence?
Compare or contrast the source with other texts in your annotated bibliography. In other words, put the source in dialogue with another source you have found. For example, if you were writing about abortion, you might find that you have chosen 3 sources about the medical risks of abortion, 2 sources about the history of abortion, and 3 sources about the psychological effects of abortion. Do all 3 sources about the medical risks of abortion cover the exact same facts? Probably not. So¦what are the differences? Any important similarities?
Place the word count for the paragraph at the end.
Make sure your sources are arranged alphabetically.
Word count: 600 words minimum. (You need to place a final word count for the entire Annotated Bibliography at the end of the assignment.)
Sites with information on and samples of annotated bibliographies:
http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm#sample
http://lib.skidmore.edu/library/index.php/li371-annotated-bib
