Your Annotated Bibliography is the next step in writing your research project. Now that you have done your research, you are ready to write a clear, specific thesis for your research project and an annotated bibliography.
Your thesis statement should work with your research question from your topic proposal. Put it at the beginning of your annotated bibliography, so I have an idea of what your thesis is as I read your annotations. See my example if you need help with formatting your thesis in relation to your annotations.
You will write five (5) bibliography entries and annotations that you will use for your research project. These 5 bibliographic entries and annotations need to be from different sources. You cannot use the same source for two entries. The annotated bibliography should fit the same MLA formatting guidelines as a standard essay. The citations should appear as they would on your Works Cited page and completing this assignment will provide the bulk of the research for your research paper and a nearly-complete Works Cited page.
Pay careful attention to the MLA formatting. That is one of the most important aspects of this assignment. The citation should look like the models in the MLA handbook. Again, you will use this research for your final project.
Your annotated bibliography should meet the following criteria:
Clearly-stated, specific claim laid out in your thesis statement.
Supported by logical reasoning and reputable evidence.
At least five appropriately-cited outside sources. If the statements that you make are not common knowledge or commonly believed, you will need sources to support your statements. This includes quotations, summaries, paraphrases, and even borrowing ideas.
Common Mistakes:
Citations do not fit MLA format
Citations are not applicable to stated thesis
Citations are not from reputable sources
Citations demonstrate significant biases
Annotations do not accurately describe sources
Annotations do not explain how source will be used to support thesis
