Answered By: Josh Weber
Last Updated: Sep 15, 2021     Views: 197

An annotated bibliography is a list of your sources by their full citation with annotations about the source.  

  See if your professor provided specific instructions on how they want you to cover in an annotated bibliography.   If they don't here is what you need to cover. 

You'll need to list your sources alphabetically by the first word in the citation

You may also need to write a brief introduction to your topic along with your thesis or research question (check with your professor on what they expect)

To create an entry on a source you'll need to:

1) First you need to cite your source in the appropriate format.   If this is an English Class then its MLA.  You'll need to check with you professor on whether you're using MLA 7 or MLA 8.  We have guide on both formats here:  http://www.sunywcc.edu/student-services/library/ask-a-librarian/citation-help/

2)After creating the citation  you'll need to write your annotation

An annotation should:

1.) Summarize the source.

What is the point of this book or article?

What are the main arguments?

What topics are covered?

2.) Assess the source.

Is the information reliable?

Is it biased, controversial, or objective?

How does it compare with other sources for your paper?

3.) Reflect on this source.

How does this source fit into your research?

In what way is it useful to your paper or how do you plan on using it?

How does it help you shape your argument?

Has this source changed the way you think about your topic?

 

For more help (and to examples of annotated bibliographies) consult the WCC research guide on Annotated Bibliographies

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