This document provides guidance on creating an annotated bibliography for an Extended Essay. An annotated bibliography consists of a bibliographic entry in MLA format for each source, followed by a 4-6 sentence evaluation. The evaluation should identify the author and type of source, summarize the main argument or purpose, assess the source's value in answering the research question, and note any limitations. An example entry is given analyzing a chapter from Howard Zinn's book that discusses how economic and racial oppression impacted African Americans after the Civil War.

1. Extended Essay Annotated Bibliography
Your EE Annotated Bibliography consists of two parts:
1) A proper bibliographic entry in MLA form (all extended essays should use MLA).
2) A 4-6 sentence evaluation of the source.
The goal of an annotated bibliography is to give a brief assessment of a source so that you can
identify its strengths and weaknesses in helping you address a research question.
Origin
● is the author a journalist or a professor? or a professional in the field?
● is it primary or secondary?
● what type of source is it? (i.e., newspaper, book, journal article, website, photograph)
Purpose
● what does the source argue? what point is it trying to make?
Value
● in what ways does this source help you answer your question?
● why is this source valid and reliable (well-known author? well-respected author? expert
on the topic?)
Limitations
● in what ways is this source not helpful in answering your question?
● why is this source not particularly valid or reliable? (bias? inexperienced author? author
who is not an expert on the topic?
Example of an Annotated Bibliography Entry in MLA
Research Question: To what extent did life improve for African Americans after the Civil War?
Zinn, Howard. ""Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom"" A
People's History of the United States: 1492-2001. New ed. New York: Harper Perennial
Modern Classics, 2005. Print.
Howard Zinn, a renowned historian and social activist, wrote this book to tell
some major stories of history from the perspective of the underdog. A political science
professor at Howard University, Zinn (he’s deceased) argued in this chapter that
economic power and racial oppression worked together to keep African-Americans
enslaved prior to the Civil War and to help create systems of oppression after the end of
Reconstruction. This chapter is valuable to this investigation because he is a well-known
historian who provides excellent detail explaining the developments that both helped and
hurt African-Americans. The chapter also uses many well-known historians and primary
sources, making it well-researched. The chapter is limited because Zinn writes from a
socialist perspective, focusing on the ways in which African-Americans were oppressed
economically and blaming capitalism for many of the problems they faced.