Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is your chance to look at your sources critically. By noting, assessing, and reflecting on how it may or may not help your paper, you become a stronger researcher and are better prepared to write your paper.

What is an annotated bibliography?

Remember, instructors will often ask for specific elements in their assigned annotated bibliographies. Always read the assignment and ask questions, so you know exactly what your instructor wants.

These are the usual elements:

• entries from an MLA Works Cited page or APA References page
• a description of the author
• a summary of the source as a whole
• notes on the main points and the thesis
• a record of the methods and evidence used in the source
• details of the strengths and weaknesses
• an assessment of the conclusion
• criticism of any bias
• cited quotes or paraphrase that you may use later in your paper

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