Annotated Bibliographies
Your teacher may ask you to prepare an annotated bibliography in order to evaluate the types of sources you are selecting for your research. This is a list of all the sources you consulted while researching, not just those sources that you finally decide to rely on, and therefore cite, in your paper. Your annotated bibliography will likely contain more sources than your works cited page.
What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is essentially a bibliography on steroids. It is a list of your sources, each followed by an explanatory paragraph called an annotation.The annotations should show that you have carefully conducted your research and critically analyzed the information you will use to write your paper.
How do I write one?
1. Gather your sources
2. Create citations in the style specified by your teacher (MLA is used here as an example)
3. Write your annotations as you read through and evaluate your sources
4. Add them to your citations
5. Format the final document (see below)
As you write your annotations, consider these questions:
What information does this source provide? You can provide a brief summary.
Is this source accurate? How can you tell?
Is this source relevant to my research topic? In what way?
The good news is that your bibliography, or works cited list, will be almost complete before you begin writing!
How do I format it?
Here are some formatting rules, adapted from The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers:
Click HERE for an example of an annotated bibliography in MLA style.
What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is essentially a bibliography on steroids. It is a list of your sources, each followed by an explanatory paragraph called an annotation.The annotations should show that you have carefully conducted your research and critically analyzed the information you will use to write your paper.
How do I write one?
1. Gather your sources
2. Create citations in the style specified by your teacher (MLA is used here as an example)
3. Write your annotations as you read through and evaluate your sources
4. Add them to your citations
5. Format the final document (see below)
As you write your annotations, consider these questions:
What information does this source provide? You can provide a brief summary.
Is this source accurate? How can you tell?
Is this source relevant to my research topic? In what way?
The good news is that your bibliography, or works cited list, will be almost complete before you begin writing!
How do I format it?
Here are some formatting rules, adapted from The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers:
- The text and the works cited list should be double-spaced.
- Include your last name and the page number at the top right of each page.
- Listed sources should be alphabetized, and must have a hanging indent (ie all lines are indented except the first).
- There should be 1 inch margins all around (top, bottom, left, and right) on each page.
- Use Times Roman font, or a similar serif font.
- Capitalize each important word (noun or verb) in a book or article title.
- Each paragraph of an annotation should be indented.
Click HERE for an example of an annotated bibliography in MLA style.