Annotated Bibliography Instructions
This assignment is designed to help you evaluate and summarize sources of information
for research. An annotated bibliography includes all of the citation information needed to
find a source and a paragraph describing the source.
1. Find a minimum of FIVE sources on your topic – these should be your best
sources so that means you will likely have reviewed at least twice this many
2. For the five sources – Only 3 can be web sites, the other 2 should be scholarly
peer-reviewed articles from EBSCO or another library database.
3. ONLY use MLA citation formatting and use it consistently in the assignment
4. Look for reliable, valid sources that discuss research and use academic language
5. As you write your annotated paragraph include both a summary of the source
AND an evaluation of the validity of the source and its usefulness. Paragraphs
should be in full sentences 70-200 words long. Length of the entry is often linked
with the length of the source.
a. Introduce the author’s credentials, affiliations, any awards, or
qualifications.
b. Summarize the content of the source – be descriptive and specific
What is the author’s thesis?
What is the author’s major supporting arguments?
c. Evaluate the accuracy and validity of the source
Is the source up-to-date?
d. How does it address your specific topic and provide an answer to your
thesis question?
6. The format should list the citation, then the appropriate paragraph annotation
followed by the next citation and annotation. All entries should be typed and
double-spaced.