How to write an Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources you are considering using, and these are typically done in preparation for writing longer researched papers. Annotated bibliographies are simply a list of sources cited in MLA style, and underneath each source entry is a paragraph-length “annotation” (or, summary/evaluation) of the article’s main points. So, each source listed will have two parts: a citation and an annotation. A citation contains the publication information for the source and tells how and/or where you found it.
An annotation is a short summary of the source followed by a critical assessment of it. Summarize the points that are most relevant to your topic. Then assess the source’s ethos (credibility). Does this source come from a scholarly journal? Is the author an expert in his or her field? If the source seems less credible, then what has convinced you to use it? Does the source prove a specific point in your paper, or are you arguing against the article? Finally, explain how this source relates to your other sources (Is it saying the same thing? Is it arguing against your other sources?) and how you plan to use it (Are you relying on it mostly for certain information, and if so, what information is that? How will this article help you?).
How long should my annotations be?
Each annotation should be about 200 words in length. Some annotations will be longer either because the source you are annotating is longer, or because that source is more important to your paper and thus requires more careful analysis.
What should my annotated bibliography look like?
Your annotated bib should be in typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, and should be in MLA format complete with a header, page numbers, etc. Where you would usually list the title of your research paper, you should write the tentative title of your paper, then “Annotated Bibliography.” A more specific title might be: “An Analysis of Media Bias: Annotated Bibliography.”
Potential areas to explore via Opposing Viewpoints Database. Keep in mind you can use a different Database, like Academic Search Complete, if you’d like.
