Annotated Bibliography Assignment
DUE DATE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 16th
WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of citations to research sources such as books, articles, and
documents. In addition to the bibliographic data, each citation is followed by a brief evaluative paragraph justifying the
relevance of the source to your research, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the
relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
*NOTE, a bibliography is also known as a work cited page*
THE PROCESS
1. Cite the book, article, document, or item using the appropriate MLA citation style. (1pt/source)
2. Write an evaluative paragraph that will explain how the source illuminates your topic. Include one or more sentences
that remark on the following.
(a) Who is the author? What is the author's background? For example, is the author a professor or scientist? (1
pt/source)
(b) Comment on the purpose of the work. (2 pts/source)
• What is the reason that you’ll be using the source? Identify how it addresses the research question (or thesis, or
hypothesis).
Is it an overview to inform you?
Is it a critical analysis or editorial comment?
Is it scholarly, something written by an expert in the field?
**YOU WILL NEED 5 SOURCES TOTAL for a total of 20 points**
Sample Annotated Bibliography
Brown, David. “Victorian and Victorianism.” The Victorian Web. N.p., 8 Feb.
2005. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
The essay, “Victorian and Victorianism” will help me define “Victorian” and understand ideas and events of the Victorian period.
Created by George P. Landow, Professor of English at Brown University, The Victorian Web is a collection of essays about all things
Victorian. The essay, “Victorian and Victorianism”, along with other essays from The Victorian Web, provides a much needed
background for topics of the Victorian period related to Jane Eyre, including religion, gender, philosophy, science & technology.
Eagleton, Terry. “Jane Eyre: A Marxist Study.” Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre’.
Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1987. 29-45. Print.
Terry Eagleton, an Oxford University lecturer, analyzes Jane Eyre in terms of Marxist theory. In the section “Jane Eyre: A Marxist
Study”, Eagleton makes a connection between romantic elements in the novel and Jane’s assuming power in her relationship with
Rochester.
Schact, Paul. “Jane Eyre and the History of Self-Respect.” Modern Language
Quarterly (Dec. 1991): 423. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 18 Jan.
2007.
In “Jane Eyre and the History of Self-Respect”, Paul Schact, Professor of English at the State University of New York Genesco, talks
about how self-respect is representative of the economic, political, and social condition of the 19th century in Jane Eyre. This article
will help me highlight Jane Eyre’s struggle for independence, self-control, and how Rochester fails to intimidate her.
Annotated Bibliography adapted from http://www.bancroftschool.org/
WHAT TYPE OF SOURCES
Goal to find a mix of primary and secondary sources…
Primary Sources - A primary source is a piece of information about a historical event or period in which the creator of
the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment. The purpose of primary sources is to
capture the words, the thoughts and the intentions of the past. Primary sources help you to interpret what happened
and why it happened.
Examples of primary sources include documents, artifacts, historic sites, songs, or other written and tangible items
created during the historical period you are studying.
Secondary Sources - A secondary source is a source that was not created first-hand by someone who participated in the
historical era. Secondary sources are usually created by historians, but based on the historian's reading of primary
sources. Secondary sources are usually written decades, if not centuries, after the event occurred by people who did not
live through or participate in the event or issue. The purpose of a secondary source is to help build the story of your
research from multiple perspectives and to give your research historical context.
An example of a secondary source is Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson, published in
1988.
Helpful Resources:
1. http://hapgoodlibrary.webs.com/onlinedatabases.htm
BLA’s library website gives you many useful links to additional history databases to find both primary and
secondary sources. You will need your BPL library card number for some to the websites
a. ABC-CLIO Database
b. History Resource Center
c. Newspapers –Proquest
2. http://www.archives.gov
The national archives has overwhelming amount of primary sources on topics covering U.S History. The easiest
way to start is to browse the website through their topic search: http://www.archives.gov/research/topics/
3. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/
George Mason Universe has a catalog of primary sources secondary sources, and reliable websites on U.S
History. The easiest place to start is the keyword search at the top right hand corner of the page
4. http://millercenter.org/president/speeches
Catalog of all presidential speeches from Washington to Obama with text, audio, and even video. You can
browse the titles of the speeches to find out what the president was telling the American Public at a particular
time.
5. Presidential Libraries
You do not need to take another field to have access to many of the primary sources available surrounding many
of out most recent presidents from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. (Links to the libraries can be accessed
through the National Archives
- www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries
6. U.S Census Data
These cites provide demographic data taken from U.S census’s dating all the way back to 1790. The data is
particularly useful when analyzing average income, homeownership, education level, language, ethnicity, race,
or family size
- http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu (user friendly browser for data from 1790-1960)
- www.census.gov (catalogs all census data from 1790- 2010)