Annotated Bibliography must consist of 5 sources
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.
Types of Annotations
An evaluative annotation includes a summary as listed above but also critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Evaluative annotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project. The focus is on description and evaluation.
Writing an Evaluative Annotation
1. Cite the source using MLA style.
2. Describe the main ideas, arguments, themes, theses, or methodology, and identify the intended audience.
3. Explain why each source is useful for your research topic and how it relates to your topic.
4. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
5. Identify the observations or conclusions of the author.
Remember: Annotations are original descriptions that you create after reading the document. When researching, you may find journal articles that provide a short summary at the beginning of the text. This article abstract is similar to a summary annotation. You may consult the abstract when creating your evaluative annotation, but never simply copy it as that would be considered plagiarism.
Basic Tips on Writing and Formatting
* Each annotation should be one paragraph, between three to six sentences long (about 150- 200 words).
* Start with the same format as a regular Works Cited list.
* All lines should be double-spaced. Do not add an extra line between the citations.
* If your list of citations is especially long, you can organize it by topic.
* Try to be objective, and give explanations if you state any opinions.
* Use the third person (e.g., he, she, the author) instead of the first person (e.g., I, my, me)
Sample Evaluative Annotation
London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 1982, pp. 81-69.
Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He does not refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/index.html ( Purdue Owl)
