ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR COLLEGE RESEARCH

WHAT IS THIS? According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (2011): Annotate: “to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comments” Bibliography: “the history, identification, or description of writings or publications” Clip: How do these definitions combine?

Therefore… An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for books, articles, and documents that one has used for researching a topic. Each citation is followed by 3 brief paragraphs that provide: summary assessment reflection

PURPOSE? The purpose of the annotation is to provide the reader with information about the sources cited in terms of its:  relevance  accuracy  quality of the sources cited

WHY DO THIS STEP PRIOR TO WRITING A RESEARCH ESSAY? When you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information.

FORMAT The format of an annotated bibliography can change depending on the assignment, but the typical format is a list of reference entries followed by annotations. NOTE:  Alphabetize by author  Brief Ask your future instructors about any alternative expectations for their specific assignments.

OUR FORMAT GUIDELINES MLA formatting Running header Heading Double space the entire document 1 inch margins 12 pt. font/Times New Roman Citations use the hanging indent

Within each annotation, there are typically three elements:  Summary  Assessment  Reflection These elements should be formatted/ addressed as three separate paragraphs (3 sentences minimum/paragraph).

FORMAT / ORDER FOR EACH CITATION Source #1 MLA Citation SUMMARIZE the source (paragraph #1) Specifically, what was learned that further expanded your ideas about each college, or clarified questions related to the writing prompt. ASSESS the source (paragraph #2) – ask yourself: “Why was this source helpful?” “What were the strengths/weaknesses of this source?” “How do I know this is a reliable source?” REFLECT on the source (paragraph #3) - ask yourself: “How might this source be useful for this essay?” “How might others use this source?”

RESEARC H SOURCES you might have used: SAMPLING OF COLLEGE WEBSITES

REQUIREMENTS Requirement: 4 sources / 2 sources per college Requirement: 3 paragraphs per annotation Label each paragraph Summary / Assessment / Reflection

EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

WRITING REQUIREMENTS The ENTIRE document is written in 3 rd person.

The ENTIRE document is written in present tense. Examples: Summary: Lamont’s book offers honest advice on the nature of writing life. Assessment: Lamont offers sane advice for struggling with the anxieties of… “offers” = Present Tense “offered” = Past Tense

Annotated bibliographies have some unique characteristics: NO direct quotes  Your reader will want to hear your interpretation of the material NO referrals to the first person  Be objective and removed in your description of the source NO reference list  All sources have already been included in the reference list format NO citations crediting the source or outside sources  The presence of the reference entry make citations redundant

GUIDELINES & RUBRIC

HOW TO SEPARATE FACT & FICTION ON LINE Click on photo to link to TED talk