Context.

You have spent the last few weeks thinking and researching. Your annotated bibliography gives you an opportunity to take stock of your sources so that you see what sources you have, whether or not they are reliable and relevant, how you might use them in your article, and what sources you still need to find.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

There are many different types of annotated bibliographies and professors use the term in a variety of ways. Essentially, though, an annotated bibliography is a document that lists sources on a particular topic/question and offers a brief discussion of each source, summarizing that source and discussing how it connects to the other sources and to the researcher's own thinking-in-progress, including her working thesis.

Why Write an Annotated Bibliography?

Creating an annotated bibliography gives structure and purpose to the (otherwise messy) research process. Writing an annotated bibliography requires you, the researcher to read, think about and analyze each of your sources, so that you are clear about how you will use them in your article. Often while working on an annotated bibliography, a researcher realizes he/she cannot use a source and/or needs additional (or different) sources. This kind of setback can be frustrating, but necessary as you, the researcher, figure out what you really want to knowand argue.

What are the Components of an Annotated Bibliography?

• An Overview. This will be a paragraph or two in which you:
  • Explain your topic, question and claim or working thesis (a "working" thesis is what your thesis would be if you were to write the paper right now. It's called "working" because it might change)
  • Summarize what you have found out so far from your sources what you still want/need to find outand where you might look.
• Then, list each of your sources in MLA format and, below EVERY source, write 1-2 paragraphs where you:
  • Explain why this is a relevant and reliable source (you may find sources that are not relevant or reliablebut these are not worth listing in your annotated bibliography).
  • Summarize the basic claim of the source.
  • Respond to the source. What do "you" say?
  • Plan. Explain how you will use this source in your research article. Be specific.
  • Synthesize. Explain the way this work fits withor challengesother information you have about the topic.

How many sources do I need?

You need enough sources to address your research question from a variety of perspectives;5 is the minimum. Annotated Bibliographies with fewer than 5 sources will result in a 0.

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