1. Annotated Bibliography
Justifying Resources

2. WHAT IS AN annotated bibliography?
A brief paragraph that is written underneath your bibliography citation that informs the reader (your teacher) of the following:
the authority of the author
what you learned from the source
the purpose of the source
how the source is relevant to your research topic

3. Why? Focuses your research Considers research question Analyzes source
Assesses reliability and validity of source
Describes source and relevance to your topic

4. Writing style and Rules
Formal and academic, therefore strict rules apply:
Arrange in Alphabetical order
Write in a SINGLE PARAGRAPH – usually words
Write in full sentences, using academic writing style
Use transition words (e.g. furthermore, moreover, however, therefore, etc.)
Be concise – most significant details only
Do Not repeat information already in citation (e.g. title)
Do Not cross reference from within source, only original source
*Reference other Annotated Bibliographies to guide and check your format and style

5. Format – Single Paragraph
Bibliography Citation
The purpose of this [name the type of source] is to argue/educate/explain/etc. [state the topic: ex. Explain what?/argue what?].
[name the author or publisher] is an authority on the topic of [state the source’s area of expertise].
[State the source’s big idea or argument] .
[Report two or three specific details that the source provides to support the idea/argument from S3].
[Reflect on what the details mean to your topic and how they influenced your thinking].

6. Malcolm X Original Source
Go to the following website Read Encyclopaedia Britannica entry Malcolm X Read about Author Lawrence A. Mamiya

7. 1) Create Bibliography Citation
MLA Mamiya, Lawrence A. “Malcolm X.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Sept. 2018,
* Use to help cite your sources

8. S1) The purpose of this [name the type of source] is to argue / educate / explain/etc. [state the topic: ex. Explain what?/argue what?] .
S1) Example: The purpose of this encyclopedia entry is to summarize Malcolm X’s life and his influence on the civil rights movement through his association with the Nation of Islam religious organization in the United States of America.

9. S2) [name the author or publisher] is an authority on the topic of [state the source’s area of expertise].
* Learn more about the author (Do you need to look at other resources?)
S2) Example: Mamiya is an authority on the topic of Religion and Africana Studies. He co-authored the book The Black Church in the African-American Experience, and recently retired from professorship at Vassar College.

10. S3) [State the source’s big idea or argument].
S3) Example This brief overview of Malcolm X’s life includes a summary of his early childhood through a conversion experience to Islam in prison, his involvement in the Nation of Islam, and how he used his talents and status as a religious leader to influence the Civil Rights Movement.

11. S 4/5) Report two or three specific details that the source provides to support the idea/argument from 4.
S 4/5) Example Mamiya’s entry mentions a some of the personality traits which made Malcolm X a force in the Civil Rights Movement, including speaking at prestigious universities in the USA. Furthermore, he begins to contrast Malcolm X with Martin Luther Kind Jr., a contemporary Civil Rights leader whose approach differed greatly. Finally, Mamiya begins to describe how the rift which grew between Malcolm X and his mentor and leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, lead to his break from the Nation of Islam and second conversion to Sunni Islam, thereby informing his ongoing public speaking.

12. S6) Reflect on what the details mean to your topic and how they influenced your thinking.
S6) Example: This summary of Malcolm X’s life has been a good starting point, creating a clear outline of important events in his life as well as his rise to leadership both in the Civil Rights Movement and as a religious leader. While not a comprehensive resource on any one event, it directly references the most significant moments in Malcolm’s life, which can be researched separately in more depth to create a full profile of this figure in history.

13. All together, now…
Mamiya, Lawrence A. “Malcolm X.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Sept. 2018, The purpose of this encyclopedia entry is to summarize Malcolm X’s life and his influence on the civil rights movement through his association with the Nation of Islam religious organization in the United States of America. Mamiya is an authority on the topic of Religion and Africana Studies. He co-authored the book The Black Church in the African-American Experience, and recently retired from professorship at Vassar College. This brief overview of Malcolm X’s life includes a summary of his early childhood through a conversion experience to Islam in prison, his involvement in the Nation of Islam, and how he used his talents and status as a religious leader to influence the Civil Rights Movement. Mamiya’s entry mentions a some of the personality traits which made Malcolm X a force in the Civil Rights Movement, including speaking at prestigious universities in the USA. Furthermore, he begins to contrast Malcolm X with Martin Luther Kind Jr., a contemporary Civil Rights leader whose approach differed greatly. Finally, Mamiya begins to describe how the rift which grew between Malcolm X and his mentor and leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, lead to his break from the Nation of Islam and second conversion to Sunni Islam, thereby informing his ongoing public speaking. This summary of Malcolm X’s life has been a good starting point, creating a clear outline of important events in his life as well as his rise to leadership both in the Civil Rights Movement and as a religious leader. While not a comprehensive resource on any one event, it directly references the most significant moments in Malcolm’s life, which can be researched separately in more depth to create a full profile of this figure in history. (286 words)