Annotated Bibliography Instructions

Annotated Bibliography Instructions

For this assignment only, there is no draft option. You should simply submit your required final copy whenever you are ready.  This assignment is designed to inform your larger research project. 

Topic and Structure:

Annotated Bibliography – Review four potential sources for your research paper project (you should already have your research essay topic chosen), and select two to explore further, with at least one qualifying as a periodical.

Here are some possible places to search for credible sources:

•  Truman State University’s Pickler Memorial Library (this source lists periodical databases only, so you may choose your periodical here): http://library.truman.edu/Free/free.asp


• Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/ (note that this is different from regular Google)


• Microsoft Academic Search: http://academic.research.microsoft.com/


• Cornell University’s arXiv (open access sources in math, biology, physics, and other fields): http://arxiv.org/


• Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE): http://www.base-search.net/


• Your local library 

This assignment does not follow the standard introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion format; instead, you will simply create three well-developed paragraphs per source, each with a specific objective, for six paragraphs total. For each of your two chosen resources, you will summarize the material, assess the source’s content, and reflect on its value for your research paper project. Some sources are long and contain main ideas and subtopics, so be sure to focus your assignment on ideas that are relevant to your research paper topic. Learn more about summarizing, assessing, and reflecting here.

This essay also requires a particular format in which you will summarize, assess, and reflect on one source in full before you move to the next one. See the sample hereunder “Sample MLA Annotation” for format details.

Notes

• Make the title of your annotated bibliography your research paper project’s topic.


• On the line under your title, but left-aligned on the page, include your proposed research essay’s thesis so that graders can provide some preliminary feedback.

The guidelines and requirements for this assignment are as follows:

Remember to apply the concepts you're learning in the course, including elements of grammar, punctuation, thesis development, and other skills. 

Length: This piece should be approximately 1-2 double-spaced pages or 500 words.

Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:

• Your first and last name 


• Course Title (Composition I) 


• Assignment name (Annotated Bibliography) 


• Current Date

Format:

• Last name and page number in upper-right corner of each page 


• Double-spacing throughout


• Title, centered after heading


• Standard font (TimesNewRoman or Calibri)


• 1” margins on all sides


• MLA-style citations and Works Cited list for any sources used


• Save the file as .docx or .doc format

Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.