This document provides guidance on creating an annotated bibliography. It defines an annotation as a summary and/or evaluation of a source. An annotation should have three parts: a description, evaluation, and reflection. The description provides a short summary, the evaluation determines the source's quality and usefulness, and the reflection determines how the source fits with other research. Annotated bibliographies help writers keep track of sources and identify useful sources. The length depends on circumstances, but annotations typically include a citation in MLA format and a paragraph summarizing and evaluating the source. The document provides a sample citation and rubric for grading annotations, and instructions on making a hanging indent for citations.

1. ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHIES

2. What is an Annotation?
 “An annotation is a summary and/or
evaluation”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614
/01/

3. Sample

4. An Annotation has Three Parts
1. Description
 Provide a short summary of the resource.
2. Evaluation
 Determine its quality and who would find it most
useful.
3. Reflection
 Determine how the source fits in with the rest of
your research.

5. Purposes of an Annotated
Bibliography
1. To provide the audience with an overview of
the source used.
2. To help the writer keep track of his or her
sources and identify sources that could be
useful in the future.

6. How Long Should it Be?
The length of an annotation depends on the type
of source used (book, journal article, etc.), the
extensiveness of the information provided in
your source, and the amount of evaluation and
reflection put into the annotation.
In other words: It depends on the circumstances. If
your source is short and sweet then you probably
won’t have a lengthy annotation.

7. Assignment: DUE 3/22 Tuesday
 Assignment: DUE Tuesday 3/22 by 8 a.m.
 The purpose of this assignment is to practice doing a citation in MLA format
and writing an annotation for that citation. I will review them and respond
via email and cc your professor.
 EMAIL: Nancy.Little@aic.edu
 Subject: Annotation Prof. Varnum (include as Word doc attachment)
 ONE citation (in MLA format) and annotation of ONE literary criticism from a
peer-reviewed journal about the poem you have chosen for this
assignment.
 Citation must be in MLA format. It must include a hanging indent.
 Sample citation:
 McPhillips, Robert T. "Diverging and Converging Paths: Horizontal and
Vertical Movement in Robert Frost's Mountain Interval." American Literature
58.1 (1986): 82. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
 Annotated bibliographies:
 https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/

8. Rubric
0-Unaccepable 1-Poor 2-Fair 3-Good 4-Excellent Score
Citations Citation is not
formatted in a
recognizable style
More than 5
mistakes in
formatting of the
citation
4-5 mistakes in
the formatting of
the citation
2-3 ,mistakes in
the formatting of
the citation
1 or 0 mistakes in
the formatting of
the citation
Annotation Annotation is
completely
missing
Annotation is
missing either a
descriptive or
evaluative
element
Annotation at
least partially
includes both
descriptive and
evaluative
elements
Annotation
includes a
complete
description of the
article provides
an idea of why
the article is
chosen and is
mostly clearly
and thoughtfully
written
Annotation
includes a
succinct and
complete
description of the
article,
demonstrates why
that article was
chosen and is
clearly and
thoughtfully
written
Technical Not enough
original writing
was given to
evaluate grammar
or spelling
More than 5
mistakes in
grammar or
spelling
4-5 mistakes in
grammar or
spelling
2-3 mistakes in
grammar or
spelling
1-0 mistakes in
grammar or
spelling
Source The source
material used is
not a journal
from the library
database
The source
material used is a
journal from the
library database
Format Document is
double-spaced.
Document is in
12 point font.
Document is in
Times New
Roman, 12 point
font.
Document is in
Times New
Roman, 12 point
font, double-
spaced, 1”
margins.

9. How to make a hanging indent:
 In Word:
 Paragraph
 Indentation
 Special
 Choose hanging
 Click OK.