Annotated Bibliography: Assignment and Model



Annotated Bibliography Assignment

A research tool, an annotated bibliography is a list of sources, in alphabetical order, that you will summarize, analyze, and assess to form a thesis in response to a particular question that you are researching or a position on an issue that you are developing.

The bibliography should list the reference information about your sources in a conventionally accepted style (e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago). English classes use MLA style.

Purpose

Annotated bibliographies are useful research and drafting tools. Their purpose is to help you collect and assess material for larger research/writing projects such as your argument. They provide an outline of your research and your assessment of that research.

Content

Your assignment is to write an annotated bibliography of five sources that address the issue that you are exploring. Your sources should represent 3 perspectives on your research question/issue. Push for more than just a pro/con set of positions. (NOTE: You will look at and take notes on ten or more sources before you choose 5 to use for the annotated bibliography). Use the information provided below to develop and organize your material.

Introduction

You should have an introduction that states the question/issue that you are researching, explains why you are interested in the question, and explains its significance (Use “So What? Who Cares?” from Chapter 7 to help you craft your introduction).

Annotations

• Provide author, title, and publication information for each source in MLA style just as you would provide it in a Works Cited entry. NOTE: the sources should be alphabetized in alphabetical order.

• Summarize source material that is relevant to your focus: What information does the source contain? Identify the main point and summarize subordinate points relating to your topic/focus.

• Analyze key rhetorical features of the source to show why it is an authoritative or valid research source. For example, who is the author? Is s/he credible? What is the genre of the source? Where was the source published and what does that tell you about the audience? What kinds of data or results (evidence) are included and how does this evidence help you to determine the validity of the points in the source? Use your Questions for Rhetorical Analysis document to help you analyze key rhetorical elements.

• Assess the source’s importance for your project by explaining how it has affected your thinking about your issue/research question, and how it relates to one or more of your other annotated sources.

The summary, rhetorical analysis, and assessment should each be at least a paragraph long.

Conclusion

You should have a conclusion that provides a brief overview of what you have learned from your research and a statement of your thesis (or answer to your research question). It could also pose questions you may still have about your issue and, perhaps, suggest directions for further research.

Structure

Here is the structure of the annotated bibliography: double-space within each entry, quadruple space between each entry.

Introduction

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

First source citation alphabetized by author’s last name, or if there is no author, by title,

using MLA style. The citation should look just like a Works Cited entry (see

for help)

Summary: ______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rhetorical Analysis: _____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Assessment:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second - fifth source citation, alphabetized by author’s last name, or if there is no author,

by title, using MLA style. Then add the annotations: summary, rhetorical analysis,

assessment, as above.

Conclusion

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Criteria

Make sure you

• Introduce the issue/question you are researching, explain why it interests you, and why it is significant.

• Annotate the source in the three ways described: summarize, rhetorically analyze, assess.

• Conclude by providing an overview of what you have learned, stating a thesis, and or posing questions you have yet to answer or need to further research.

• Structure the annotated bibliography as described, using MLA format.

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