Annotated bibliographies are a step in research that allow you to concisely establish the key components of a source so that later, when you write the essay itself, can easily navigate between your sources.It's a list of citations to the sources you will use for your writing project (articles, videos, images, etc.). The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
Assignment
For every source collected for your
MP(as in the ones you've completed RLs for), write a brief annotation for that source; this meansthere will be at least 12 annotations. These annotations will range from 3-5 sentences and you can consider the following questions as your draft them: 1) What is the source about? Summarize. 2) Who is the author of this source? Why are they experts? 3) How will you use this source? 4) Why is it valuable/interesting for your research inquiry? 5) What about credibility?
Minimum source requirements:
3 scholarly (peer reviewed) sources (minimum)
3 non scholarly sources (minimum)
6 digital components (minimum)
Format(source entry, font, margins, etc.) should fit within expectations of works cited page/references of MLA format.
Length:
Quality is more important that quantity, but just for the sake of argument let's say 300 words (max) foreach entry!
Organizing
Annotations are divided into four parts: a citation, a summary, an evaluation, and a response:
The Citation should come first and needs to be formatted using MLA 8. Need help formatting this citation? See the
UNC Writing Center Tutorial on Online SourcesLinks to an external site.
for help!
Thesummaryshould give a quick, objective description of the source, usually involving the thesis and context for the source. (Need help writing a summary?
Click here!Links to an external site.
)
After that, the bulk of the annotation should be anevaluation, which you’ll conduct a critical analysis of the source, jud
ging its credibility, accuracy, and authority. (*Hint:This would be a great place to stretch those
Claim, Evidence, WarrantLinks to an external site.
muscles we built up from the first project!)
- You’ll end the annotation with aplan to use the sourcein your own argument on the topic being discussed, telling how this source can support or challenge your argument and why.(*Hint again:This would be a great place to stretch those
Claim, Evidence, WarrantLinks to an external site.
muscles we built up from the first project!)
- Note thatthe summary, evaluation, and plan to use source sections should be written in your own words!
Sample Annotation
Below is a sample annotation on loan from
Purdue OWLLinks to an external site.
.
Lamott, Anne.Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor Books, 1995.
Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic.
In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.
Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.
*Please note this is just one citation/annotation for one source! You should have a separate citation/annotation for each of your sources.*