Annotated Bibliography


We stated this project must be a learning stretch. Therefore, research must be performed prior to any work on your project. As you prepare and do your senior project, you need to learn how to do it correctly. Research can be found in many ways, including but not limited to reading articles, books (sections and chapters of books), manuals, and documents viewing videos or documentaries and questioning people with experience in the field of your project.

An annotated bibliography is a documentation of your research done in a very precise way. We’re using the MLA style you’ve used before in your English and social studies classes. Each source’s citation (publication information) is followed by an annotation.

Simply stated, the citation is how you let your reader know where the information came from. It is the first thing you see when you look at an annotated bibliography (it has the author’s name, title of the work, etc.). The annotation is the paragraph that explains why the source was useful, and in what way you used or will use the information as you complete your project.

Typed Citations
  • Refer to the MLA Sample Citation Entries (pages 30-32) and the sample Annotated Bibliography on the next page for format guidelines and examples. Your senior project teacher has a copy of the MLA Handbook if you have less common sources you need to cite.
  • Only list sources that were helpful with your project.
  • List your 5+ varied sources alphabetically. You must use at least three different types of sources including one personal interview.
  • Your list of at least ten prepared questions and answers and any additional follow up questions and answers must bet turned in with your interview annotation.
  • Double space the entire document.


Typed Annotations Conventions
  • Begin you annotation at the end of your citation (do not skip any lines).
  • Type a double-spaced summary (annotation) of your source, at least 125 words.


Content
  • Be descriptive, explaining what was learned form the source.
  • Explain which project proposal goal(s) the research will help you accomplish.
  • If the source does not relate to a specific goal, state that and then explain how it will assist you with your project.
  • Inform the reader of the accuracy and quality of each source.
  • Explain how you will use the research when working on your project.

How Do You Determine Source Credibility?

Below is a guide to help you answer that question. After answering the questions below as they relate to authority, content and links, you can then decide (implies yes/no) if a site is credible and appropriate.

Authority
  • Who created the page?
  • Who is the author?
  • What credentials does the author have?
  • Is the author listed and/or is an email address included?
  • What is the authority or expertise of the author who created this site?
  • How accurate and complete is the information presented?
  • Does the domain (edu., com., gov., org., etc.) on the page influence your evaluation of the site?
  • Are you positive that the information on this site is true
  • What can you do to prove that it is true?
  • When was the page created and last updated? Is this reasonable?


Content
  • What is the title of the page?
  • Is the title indicative of the content?
  • Is the purpose of the page indicated on the home page?
  • Is the page organized so it is easy to use?
  • Who is the audience for this page?
  • Is the information useful for your purpose?
  • Does the author project any kind of bias?
  • Does the information contradict something you found elsewhere?
  • Would information form elsewhere be different?

Links
  •  How accurate and complete are the links provided?
  • Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site?
  • How up-to-date are the links?