1. Annotated Bibliography

2. Bibliography
A list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called “References” or “Works Cited” depending on the style format you are using (Chicago, APA, MLA).

3. Annotate
A verb that means to add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments. When you annotate, you write critical explanations to add extra insight about something.

4. So…
An annotated bibliography includes a summary, description, and/or evaluation of each source you may use.
Your annotations will do the following:
Summarize the main arguments, discuss the point of the book or article, and/or describe the topics. It should tell a reader what the article or book is about without comments of evaluation.
Evaluate the source determining if it is a useful source and compare it to the other sources in your bibliography. It should state how reliable the source is and whether or not it is biased or objective. It should include counter arguments as well.
Reflect on how this piece fits into your research. How will you use this source? How does it shape your argument? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

5. Key Elements of Annotated Bibliographies
A statement of scope (your purpose for compiling the bibliography) in one or several paragraphs. It will establish a context for your bibliography.
This paragraph or two will be at the beginning of your annotated bibliography. Your annotated sources will follow.
Complete bibliographic information in MLA (for our purposes) format.
A concise, objective description/summary of the work, showing that you understand the source and how it relates to your topic. (Typically one paragraph)
Relevant commentary which will be evaluative relevant to your purpose and audience. It will include the usefulness of the source for your project, the stance of the work, and the credibility of the piece. You may find some parts of some sources useful, and other parts of the same source not so much. Your evaluation should reflect that as well. (This may be one or two paragraphs)

6. Format
The bibliographic information is written in MLA format (for our purposes).
That means:
Alphabetical order
Single spaced within sources
No bullets or numbers beside the citations
Hanging indent
The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The length of the annotations can vary significantly and will depend on the purposes.
For our purposes: You will write descriptions/summaries and commentary (analysis/evaluations).

7. Consult Purdue OWL for Examples
See MLA Annotated Bibliography example.

8. Works Cited
The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, Web. 27 October 2015.