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English - Fort Wayne

Steps to Follow

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources that includes extra information about each source. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you think about your research and how it fits within your argument and topic. Note: Your instructor will specify what they want included in your annotations. Review your assignment information or ask your instructor for more details.

Your annotations may include these steps 

Statement of Scope

  • Describe your research project. Give relevant background about the problem.
  • Explain your goal for the research, what you hope to prove. Include your thesis statement

1. Cite

The first step in any bibliography is to cite your source. Use the citation style assigned by your instructor. In most English classes, this will be MLA Style, but you may also find yourself using APA or Chicago styles as well.

2. Summarize

Write a brief summary of your source. 

3. Evaluate

This section will take a critical look at your resource. Explain how you know this is a good source for your research.

Some things to consider:

  • Who is the author? Are they affiliated with an organization?
  • Usefulness of the source material toward your project 
  • What information does the source add to your knowledge of the subject?

Video Explanation

Examples

MLA 

Cooper, Mary Ann. Lightning Injury Research Program. University of Illinois at Chicago, lightninginjury.lab.uic.edu/.

This is an educational site with research information, tables, and charts. The links on the left side lead you to related links and to research articles. Some of the research articles have been previously published in medical journals. Some of the articles contain bibliographies. The dates of the material on the site range from 1995 through 2003. The author is an MD employed by the University of Illinois at Chicago. I found no grammatical or spelling errors. The source seems credible, reliable, and objective. The layout of the site is uncluttered. There were no pop-up ads or advertisements. There is a Contact Us option with an address, e-mail, and phone number.

APA

Bell, C., & Holder, M. (2019, January/February). The Interrelationship between Race, Social Norms, and Dietary Behaviors among College-attending Women. American Journal of Health Behavior43(1), 23-36.

This article examines a study conducted to compare racial identity and dietary habits of women on college campuses. The findings of the study found that women with perceived differences and social/family norms were more likely to develop unhealthy dietary habits in college,most specifically related to fruit and vegetable consumption. This resource is useful because it examines self-perception of race and how that can impact behavior in ways that influence one's health in the future.