W233
Instructor Name
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
According to Writing Research Papers, by Lester and Lester, Jr., an annotated
bibliography “describes the essential details of a book or article.” It is placed just after
the bibliographic facts about that source and should do the following:
 Explain the main purpose of the work
 Briefly describe the contents
 Indicate the possible audience for the work
 Note any special features
 Warn of any defect, weakness, or suspected bias
The annotated bibliography should contain enough information in a single paragraph to
adequately describe the main points of the piece for the reader. This particular kind of
bibliography can be part of a given work, or in this case, be an independent exercise in
collecting information for a researched paper, which will later be integrated in your last
paper, as part of your review of the literature.
Assignment
1. Using the same or focused topic you’ve written about in your first paper, read,
annotate, and summarize 6 scholarly journal articles. Each article must be 5 pages long
and published within the past 5 years. No more than 3 of your 6 sources may come from
the same journal.
2. Review the handouts on scholarly journals we’ve discussed in class, as well as those
available electronically.
3. When using such databases as EBSCOhost, check the “full page image” (or PDF File)
first, if available. If not, check the HTML. Be sure to also check both the “full text” and
the “scholarly” (or “peer reviewed”) boxes to ensure you have selected scholarly journals
only. Some databases also use the term “refereed” when describing their scholarly
journals.
4. When searching for scholarly journal articles in other databases, carefully read your
choices on the screen, ask a librarian, or check with me if you have questions. (Consider
consulting with one of the Reference Librarians on staff whose expertise could help you
with a particular computer database search. They can be accessed through the Library
Home page.)
5. You’ll need to confirm all 6 of these sources with me before you begin drafting.
Purpose and Audience
1. Your overall purpose will be to summarize each journal article in a concise, but
substantial paragraph.
2. Your audience will be educated persons (either upper level or graduate students
majoring in this particular academic field in which your topic lies) or professionals
who have considerable knowledge about your topic.
1
Sources
All 6 of your sources need to be considered scholarly journal articles (not books).
“Scholarly” will be determined by a general consensus of what is considered scholarly by
me and those in the field. You can also determine what constitutes scholarly by reviewing
the various handouts and other materials available on the library course guide, as
indicated above.
Length and Format
1. Your final draft will be a minimum of 6 substantial paragraphs, word processed,
and double spaced, with 1" margins, using a standard type and font. (I will
consider “standard” to mean a 12 point font, in Times New Roman, or a
comparable style.)
2. Formal documentation, using APA is required. No title page is needed this time;
you will just use the working title of “Annotated Bibliography,” along with the
journal-style format we’ve been using throughout the semester.
Guidelines/Suggestions for Writing your Annotated Bibliography:
 When writing up your bibliographies, consider using the following or comparable
kinds of statements to cite your sources. You will use the appropriate past tense
generally used for APA as well as active voice, in most cases.
1. Dr. Smith discussed (investigated) (reported) (argued) (stated) (concluded) . . .
2. The author conducted a study which indicated . . .
3. The empirical research proposed that . . .
4. Jones seemed well acquainted with the subject . . .
5. Background information established . . .
6. Johnson’s bias was evident when he mentioned . . .
7. The author wrote to an educated audience of . . .
8. This article summarized the use of . . .
9. The authors proposed that . . .
10. Approximately three pages of the entire twenty-page article discussed . . .
11. A length account of . . .
12. Smith provided a detailed account of . . .
13. The index included was very helpful in locating additional information on . . .
14. This was a valuable primary source, as Black used an original survey to propose...
15. While this was not a specialized source, it did provide background information
on…
16. A variety of statistics were used to support the author’s theory that . . .

Avoid using vague terms as “good” or “well-written,” unless you qualify that term
and use supportive information from the texts to evidence such remarks, as to how or
why they were well written.

When summing up these articles, consider looking for answers to such questions as
why they were interesting, what kind of information was included in the articles, how
they were written, what was well done about them, etc.
2

There is no need to use the first person, I, in this annotated bibliography.

According to the handout “Guidelines For an Annotated Bibliography,” provided by
IPFW’s Writing Center, “Consider the author’s credentials, sources, research
methodology, significance and clarity of purpose, and affiliation with a professional
organization,” when determining its credibility.
Your Annotated Bibliography Should Meet the Following Criteria:
1. Each item on your bibliography is documented correctly, according to APA. Consult
your Lester and Lester text, any reputable online source (such as Purdue’s OWL or
IPFW’s Writing Center ), the APA home page (www.apa.org), as well as the student
papers available at the library reserve desk.
2. The bibliography is organized in alphabetical order, according to the guidelines for
formal documentation. There will be no introduction, thesis, or conclusion. Double space
the entire document, from first word to last.
3. Each summary in your bibliography accurately and successfully reflects the source’s
main points. There will be no direct quotations used, just a blending of summary and
paraphrase, if needed. In other words, there will be no parenthetical references used.
4. Your bibliographies will include evaluative remarks regarding the sources’ merits,
structure, and so on (refer to pages 1 and 2 of this assignment).
5. A mixture of active verbs and transitions is used to cite each source. (Refer to the
handouts available on REX, entitled “Transitions” and “Signal Verbs.”)
6. The paper illustrates the skills of summarizing, organizing, evaluating, analyzing and
developing a paragraph.
7. Each of the 6 sources should be annotated and otherwise “marked up,” based on our
readings and previous classroom discussions on critical reading. Part of your overall
grade for this project will be bases on the thoroughness of your annotations.
8. The final writing project/folder contains all of the appropriate materials and the
requirements of the assignment, including number and types of sources, preliminary
and final draft, peer responses, and any other items listed on the previous page.
9. Submit all work in a labeled folder, with the following items:
Left Pocket
Right Pocket
Writer’s Memo
Final, 3rd draft
2nd draft
1st draft
All sources, in alphabetical
order, stapled, with the
annotations visible
3
Peer response sheet
4