Before your essay is due, you must also complete an
annotated bibliography of your topic.
This annotated bibliography is essentially
a Works Cited page, with a short paragraph for each citation in which you summarize the article and explain whether it is useful for your essay. Your annotated bibliography must include
at least four citations, with a paragraph-long summary of each source.
The annotated bibliography must be submitted through Canvas, and
neither the rough draft nor the final draft will not be accepted if the annotated bibliography is not turned in completed and on time. The annotated bibliography is worth 50 points.
An annotated bibliography accomplishes two things:
(a) It allows you to complete your research, pick out quotes, and write Works Cited entries before you begin writing your paper. This allows you to focus on writing when you are working on your rough draft.
(b) Whenever you are asked to research a topic, whether in this class, another class, or even in the workplace, an annotated bibliography is a way to demonstrate that you have completed the research. It’s hard evidence that you looked up your topic, read some articles, and understood what they were saying.
Getting started:
Start by looking at the list of topics for the essay. Next, log into the library’s online databases. Search for your topic using both
CQ ResearcherLinks to an external site.
and
the search box on the Learning Commons websiteLinks to an external site.
. Be sure to try using different search terms to get different results. Also search NPR.org and PBS.org/Newshour.
Once you have read a few articles, it is time to complete your annotated bibliography. Use the citation features in both
CQ Researcher and the library databases to copy and paste a MLA citation into a Word document. (Make sure that you are grabbing a MLA citation and not some other format!) Then add the hanging indent and correct any formatting errors in the citation, using the examples in the MLA module as a guide. Next, use mybib.com to create the citations for your web articles from NPR and PBS Newshour. Pay particular attention to small details like punctuation and italics.
Once you have formatted your citations, write a short paragraph (6-7 sentences) about each article. Your paragraph should include:
· A summary (4-6 sentences) of either the entire article or the parts that are relevant to your thesis.
· At least two direct quotes with correctly formatted in-text citations.
· A sentence or two about whether the article will be useful in your essay.
You need four (4) citations for your annotated bibliography. A bibliography with fewer than four citations will receive a zero. You will not receive partial credit for submitting fewer than four sources.
Use a correctly formatted MLA heading, and title your work “Annotated Bibliography,” centered beneath the heading, just as you would with an essay. Indent your paragraphs the same way you would in an essay.
