Annotated Bibliography Assignment
What is an annotated bibliography? Cornell University defines one as, “…a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation.”
What is the purpose of an annotated bibliography? The purpose is to explain to the reader the relevance and quality of the sources used in a research assignment.
Assignment Steps
Step One: Choose a Chapter of the Book and a topic from that chapter that interests you.
Example: Chapter 10 – Externalities
Step Two: Formulate a research question based on your topic.
A research question should lead to an argument. It is not a yes or no question.
Example: Because of the large positive externalities, what should be done to encourage more people to get more education or training beyond high school?
Step Three: Research 4 sources related to your question. You may use:
1. visual work (graph, video, map, artwork, cartoon etc.)
**include a copy with your completed paper as an Appendix
2. written, primary source (electronic or print)
3. entry from a database (e.g. EBSCO, JSTOR etc.) and not a common knowledge source
4. website
Step Four: Assess your sources and their information and then write your thesis.
The thesis is the answer to your research question. It is one sentence.
Remember that you are not writing a report, you are trying to prove something.
Thesis Example: The best way to encourage people to obtain more education or training beyond high school would be for government to pay for it.
Step Five: Write the source annotations. Each of the elements below is required for each of the four sources.
A. ChicagoMLAAPA style formatted bibliography citation (You must be consistent and use the same style across all sources.
B. Provide one paragraph per source that provides a summary (main points/thesis) of the source, evaluates the authority/background/POV (Point of View) of the author, and explains how helpful (or not) the source was in answering your research question (effectiveness, usefulness of the source, connection to the subject).
C. Provide two pieces of data or facts to provide evidence to support your thesis.
Step Six: Write an abstract for this proposed paper.
An abstract is one page that summarizes the argument that you would make in a full paper. It should include your question (context), thesis, and a brief description of your findings.
The abstract should not contain: background information, abbreviations, slang, first or second person, quotations or footnotes.
The overall point value for this assignment is 100 points.
Research question and thesis – 12 points
Sources and bibliography – 8 points
Paragraph and data points for each source – 16 per source
Abstract – 16 points
Annotated Bibliography Template
Name
Instructor
ECO 251X-XXXX
Date
Topic:
Research Question:
Citations:
List your source citations in alphabetical order and underneath each one list what type of source it is.
Don’t forget to include URL addresses where appropriate. You may use Chicago, MLA, or APA format styles.
Thesis:
Abstract:
Abstract should be on its own page.
Paragraph Summary of each Source:
You may have multiple summaries on each page.
