What is an Annotated Bibliography? A list of citations for books, articles, and documents. A list of citations for books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (the annotation). Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (the annotation).

Why am I creating an annotated bibliography? Annotated bibliographies assist writers in the early stages of research gathering. By taking the time to write a brief summary and evaluation of each source you locate on your topic, you create building materials that you can use when it comes time to narrow your focus and start outlining and drafting. Annotated bibliographies assist writers in the early stages of research gathering. By taking the time to write a brief summary and evaluation of each source you locate on your topic, you create building materials that you can use when it comes time to narrow your focus and start outlining and drafting.

What are the requirements of annotations? Descriptive and critical Descriptive and critical Expose the author's point of view Expose the author's point of view Provide a concise summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance for your project Provide a concise summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance for your project

How do I write an annotation? 1. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style – in this case, MLA. You may refer to the materials in your Senior Project packet for the correct format, or you may use a site such as easybib.com.

2. Summarize the Source in three or more sentences What are the main arguments? What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say?

3. Evaluate the Source in three or more sentences What are the author's credentials--institutional affiliation? What are the author's credentials--institutional affiliation? When was the source published? When was the source published? Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic? Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic? Is this a popular magazine or scholarly journal? Is this a popular magazine or scholarly journal? –Hint: if the source is published by a university press, it is likely to be scholarly Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Is this source biased or objective? Is this source biased or objective? How does this source provide information that other sources do not? How does this source provide information that other sources do not? What is the goal of this source? What is the goal of this source? Do you find the text easy to read, or is it stilted or choppy? Do you find the text easy to read, or is it stilted or choppy?

4. Value of the Source to Your Research (in three or more sentences) Was this source helpful? Was this source helpful? How does this source help shape your argument or provide information about your topic? How does this source help shape your argument or provide information about your topic? How do you plan to use this source in your research project? How do you plan to use this source in your research project? Has this source changed how you think about the topic? Has this source changed how you think about the topic?

Summary: How to write an annotation 1. Give the citation information for the source. 2. Summarize the source (3 or more sentences) Pay attention to the opening sentence(s) of each paragraph, where authors often state concisely their main point in the paragraph 3. Evaluate the source for credibility (3 or more sentences) 4. Describe the value of this source to your research, how you plan to use this source in your paper, and what new information or opinions you have learned from this source. (3 or more sentences)

Examples of Good and Bad Annotations (With thanks to Phyllis Usina) Good: "FIRE DEPARTMENTS." The Reader's Companion to American History eLibrary. Web. 10 Sep The main points of this article were about the basics of fire fighting in the modern world. It discusses how fire fighters are dispatched to a call and how they execute the steps for extinguishing the fire. The basics of firefighting can be broken down into four categories. The four steps are protection, confinement, ventilation, and extinguishment. The firefighting is a systematic process which involves responding, accessing and executing a call for a fire. The Reader’s Companion to American History is published by Houghton Mifflin, which is a reputable press. The article was published in 1991, so I will need to do more research to confirm that the information is still valid. This book seems to be mainly a reference book, and it has a bibliography of three sources. This article will be very useful in writing my paper. It helps me discuss the basics of firefighting today and how the basics of firefighting have stayed the same since the beginning of the 20th century. I plan to use this source when I write the second subtopic of my paper, which will cover how fires are dealt with today. Before I read this article, I didn’t realize that the process of fighting fires was so structured. Bad: I used this book to get the basic information about firefighting, it was very informative.

Good: Boeree, C. George. "An Introduction to Buddhism." An Introduction to Buddhism. N.p., Web. 10 Sept This web site has various links that provide such things as the history of Buddhism and the values and beliefs in the Buddhist religion. The information is historical. It has simple explanations to complex ideas. The great thing about the information provided in this web site is that it is compiled by a professor and the information is geared toward someone with little or no knowledge of the Buddhist Culture and Religion. The information is from a professor at Shippensburg University. Professor Boeree also provides citations for his information. The material is listed as being copywritten by the author each year from Boeree writes in a note at the bottom of his webpage that the information is written for a class he teaches about Buddhist Psychology, but that he believes that this is good introductory material for anyone interested in learning about Buddhism. This website provides a very helpful introduction to Buddhism, which is the focus of my senior research paper. I will definitely use the information throughout my paper. I think this information will help me organize the information in a logical way. Boeree writes that someone doesn’t need to be interested in becoming a Buddhist in order to learn about the ideas of Buddhism, which is great because although I’m interested in Buddhism, I’m not interested in changing my religion. Bad: I got all the facts I needed about Buddhism and the different beliefs.

FHS Senior Project Guidelines for the Annotated Bibliography You must have a minimum of five sources. These sources must include the following: You must have a minimum of five sources. These sources must include the following: –Print source (can be from an online database but must have been originally published in print) –Internet source –Reference or professional book/journal –Online database –Interview The following are NOT legitimate sources and will not be given credit: The following are NOT legitimate sources and will not be given credit: Basic/general encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Wikipedia

Works Cited Engle, Michael. “How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography.” Olin & Uris Libraries. Cornell University Library. 6 Mar Nov ission.html ission.html ission.html Patterson, Joy. “Annotated Bibliographies.” Prairie View A&M University. REMEMBER: There is an example of a Senior Project Annotated Bibliography on your teacher’s website!