ENGL 1013 Writing Studies – Module 6 Guide

Module 6 Assignment: Annotated Bibliography

To aid in the research process as you write Essay 3, you will complete an Annotated Bibliography. Your Annotated Bibliography should include the 2-3 credible sources that you are planning to use in Essay 3 that you have found from your own research. At least one of the sources included in your Annotated Bibliography needs to be peer-reviewed (from a scholarly journal).

These 2-3 sources should be ones you find through your own research. You do NOT need to include the sources from the course readings.

To find sources

• Use the library resources (JSTOR, EBSCO) to find credible, scholarly/peer-reviewed sources and popular sources (periodicals).
• If you’re using popular sources, use national newspapers/magazines that have editorial boards or TED Talks.
• For websites that are not magazines/newspapers/TED Talks, make sure you’re running the CRAAP Test to vet the credibility of the site and the author.
• All sources you choose should have clear arguments. Do not use news stories that just provide facts, encyclopedias, informational websites, pro/con fact sheets, or other sources without clear authors or arguments.

For each one of your sources, complete the following (you should have 2-3 entries):

1. The Citation

The bibliographic citation is the first part of the bibliography.

• Use MLA style to create your citations—see the resources on Canvas and the Purdue OWL website for how to make a Works Cited entry for a source.
  • Note: JSTOR and EBSCO do this for you—copy the citation generated by the “Cite” tool on those databases.

2. The Annotation

The annotation for each source is made up of three short paragraphs (each paragraph should be at least 4 sentences long). There should be NO quotations in the annotated bibliography—it is all paraphrase and summary.

Paragraph 1—Summarize

• Summarizing helps you pick out keywords or main ideas and pinpoint the central argument
  • While reading, think about the following:
    • What is the article about?
      • What are the keywords or themes?
      • What is the overall argument or conclusion?

Paragraph 2—Evaluate

Evaluating helps you succinctly summarize the strengths and/or weakness of the arguments and this source.

• While reading, think about the following:
  • Are the arguments and conclusions convincing and well-reasoned?
    • What type of evidence does the author use to prove the argument?
    • What types of rhetorical appeals is the author using?
    • What audience is the author addressing? Where is the article published/who would be reading this? Is the article persuasive for this audience?
    • What are the author’s credentials (Google them if the source doesn’t include a bio)? Does he/she have authority to speak on this subject?

Paragraph 3—Connect

Connecting is an essential part of the research process. This paragraph asks you to think about how the source’s argument connects with your own thesis/opinion. It also asks you to think about how this source connects to the other sources you plan to use in your essay.

• While reading, think about the following;
  • How does that article help you? What evidence or credibility does this author give you to use in your own essay?
    • Do you agree, disagree, or a combination of the two with this article’s argument?
    • What unique arguments or evidence does this article present, in comparison to the other sources you plan to use in the essay? In other words, what does this author add to the conversation between your other sources (vs. just saying the same thing as your other sources)?