What Is An Annotated Bibliography? An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. www.library.cornell.edu

What is the purpose of an annotated bibliography? Depending on the assignment the annotated bibliography may serve a number of purposes. Including but not limited to: A review of the literature on a particular subject. Illustrations of the quality of research that you have done. Examples of the types of sources available on your topic. A description of other items on a topic that may be of interest to the reader. An exploration of the subject for further research.

Purpose of annotated bibliography Can be modified to increase complexity Examples: Examples of types of sources. Examples of sources over time. Examples of different points of view.

Annotations may consist of all or part of the following items, depending on the assignment: Describe the content (focus) of the item. Describe the usefulness of the item. Discuss any limitations that the item may have, e.g. grade level, timeliness etc. Describe what audience the item is intended for. Evaluate reliability of the item. Discuss the author’s background. Discuss any conclusions the author(s) may have made. Describe your reaction to the item.

Sample Descriptive Annotation A descriptive annotation describes the content of the work without judging it. It does point out distinctive features. London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly 10 (1) Spring 1982: 81-89. Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, illustrates his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He doesn’t refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader.

Bibliographic citation should follow pattern specified by the instructor: MLA APA Chicago / Turabian Other

Sample Critical Annotation In addition to “What an annotation should include,” a critical annotation evaluates the usefulness of the work for a particular audience or situation. London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly 10 (1) Spring 1982: 81-89. Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, illustrates his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He doesn’t refer to any previous works on the topic; however, for a different point of view, one should refer to Joseph Patterson’s, “Television is Truth” (The Journal of Television 45(6) November/December 1995: 120-135). London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications, leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.

from Lesley University Basic MLA Style Format for an Annotated Bibliography Format your citations in the same manner as for a normal reference list; then follow these instructions for adding an annotation. Hanging Indents are required for citations in the bibliography, as show below. That is the first line of the citation starts at the left margin. Subsequent lines are indented 4 spaces. As with every other part of an MLA formatted essay, the bibliography is double spaced, both within the citation and between them. Do not add an extra line between the citations. The annotation is a continuation of the citation. Do not drop down to the next line to start the annotation. The right margin is the normal right margin of your document. In a long bibliography, organize your entries by topic, such as “Jordan Baker Materials.”

from Lesley University Sample Annotated Bibliography Jordan Baker Materials Fryer, Sarah Beebe. “Beneath the Mask: The Plight of Daisy Buchanan.” Critical Essays on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1984. 153-166. This is a feminist essay that argues that Daisy is trapped in cultural constructions of Rich Wife and Pretty Girl – she chooses the “unsatisfactory stability” of her marriage because of those constructions. Fryer’s only mention of Jordan is a foil of Daisy - - “Like Jordan, Daisy is affected” (156). Kerr, Frances. “Feeling Half-Feminine: Modernism and the Politics of Emotion in The Great Gatsby.” American Literature 68 (1996): 405-31. A brilliant analysis of the homoerotics in the novel – Nick’s attraction to McKee and to Gatsby. Kerr thinks the tennis girl with sweat on her lip is Jordan (which I think is wrong); she notes that Jordan has more control over her emotions than the other women in the novel (Daisy and Myrtle). Kerr argues that Nick’s narrative about his dumping her “leads the reader to believe that it is Jordan’s indifference, shallowness, and dishonesty that prompt his move. The psychological subtext of Gatsby, however, suggests a motivation entirely different. Nick Carraway identifies with and feels most romantically drawn not to ‘masculine’ women but to ‘feminine’ men: (418). Mandel, Jerome. “The Grotesque Rose: Medieval Romance and The Great Gatsby.” Modern Fiction Studies 34 (1988): 541-558. Mandel argues that Gatsby follows many of the conventions of medieval romance, and analyzes East and West Egg as competing courts, Buchanan as a prince/Lord with Daisy as unattainable queen/fair lady. Gatsby and Nick are both construed as knights; Jordan is only mentioned in passing as a sort of attendant figure on Queen Daisy. This whole analysis seems somewhat farfetched.  

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