RS1 - Research Sources and the Annotated Bibliography Lesson

Earlier in the course, we discussed how important reliable sources are to the integrity of a writer's argument. When a writer has evidence that supports his or her claims from various trustworthy sources, readers are more likely to agree with the writer's ideas. Therefore, a well-developed piece of writing will always include support, or evidence, from reliable sources.

Review the following information about website reliability:

.edu - produced by an educational organization and generally considered reliable

.us - produced by public schools and local state government agencies and generally considered reliable

.gov  - produced by a government organization and generally considered reliable

.org -  produced by a profit or nonprofit organization and generally considered reliable

.com or .net - produced by anyone and while it could be reliable, it should always be questioned (use with extreme caution)

Databases such a Gale and GALILEO - excellent reliability - curated for scholarly research

Check with your instructor if you have questions about a specific site. Also, in general, do not consider Wikipedia as a reliable source.

The Annotated Bibliography

What is an Annotated Bibliography? An Annotated Bibliography is an alphabetical listing of sources accessed and considered while researching that includes a short evaluative summary.

What is the purpose of an Annotated Bibliography? It helps the writer/researcher keep track of their sources serving as a reminder of what each source entails. It illustrates the quality of research performed. Also, it helps other researchers by providing a snapshot of available sources on a particular topic.

What are the parts of an annotated bibliography?

1. A source citation in MLA format. Note: Each different type of source has a specific format
2. A well-developed annotation (summary) of the source (5-8 sentences). Explain what the source is about or what he writer details in the source un your own words.
3. A brief explanation of how the source helps to support the claims in the essay (1-2 sentences). Explain the purpose of the source and what about the source will specifically help support the chosen thesis.

Note that there is a difference between a Bibliography and a Works Cited. The Bibliography is a list of sources the writer reads for possible evidence, and the Works Cited is a list of sources the writer actually uses (quotes, paraphrases, references) for evidence in the final piece of writing.

Before moving on, download and examine the sample Annotated Bibliography. Links to an external site.

Notice that the Annotated Bibliography requires the same general MLA formatting used by all English courses: MLA format. Review the expectations for using MLA format:

• 12 point size
• Times New Roman font
• Double space the text of the essay
• Heading in the upper left-hand corner that includes the writer’s name, the instructor’s name, the course and the date
• Center title below heading
• 1 inch margins on each side of the document
• Header that includes the writer’s last name followed by a space and then the page number in the upper right-hand corner of the essay 1/2 from the top
• Indent first lines of each paragraph

An essay in proper MLA format should look like this:

Source Citations

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.