An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to the articles, book and other documents you plan on using to support your essay. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. It will not only help me to see the range and depth of the sources you have gathered, but it will also help you to document and process the information in these sources.Assignment Description You should have already considered the credibility of the source you have chosen, which will establish your own ethical character as a writer. Using information you may have already gathered, write at least one paragraph that includes a brief summary of the source and a response to the following questions:• What is the argument or main message of this source?• What makes your source relevant or credible?• What types of evidence does this source use to support its thesis?• What information from the source do you plan on using in your essay?• How will this information aid your position? Tips1.When writing the summary of the author’s points, include an active verb that explainswhat the source is “doing.”2.Use your own words to summarize the main ideas of the source.3.You do not need to describe the author’s evidence in detail; you only need to show anawareness of how the argument is being supported.4.Be accurate. Misrepresenting the author will hurt your credibility.5.If you do use any of the author’s exact language, place quotation marks around thosewords and place an in-text citation at the end of the quote, but use quotes sparingly.6.Use verb tenses consistently instead of shifting between past and present tense.7.For examples and more information see “Annotative Bibliography” section from The Little Seagull Handbook posted on our website under “Handouts”.
