JWoodsDistrict205

Prepare Five MLA Annotated Bibliographies

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

MLA Annotative Bibliography Assignment

Prepare five (5) of your own annotated bibliographies. Remember to follow the MLA format for the bibliographical information. Use the hanging indent format for the citation (bibliographical information). The annotative portion is a brief paragraph that describes and evaluates the book, article, website, etc. Use the following types of sources (one of each) for this assignment: book, book article or chapter (from textbook), journal article from a data base (Gale Discovery Collection), website.

THE PROCESS

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

Cite the book, article, or document using the MLA style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

The following example uses the MLA format for the book citation. NOTE: Standard MLA practice requires double spacing with citations.

Rinaldi, Ann.  Wolf by the Ears. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1991.

Wolf by the Ears is a historical fiction based on research Rinaldi conducted regarding the children of Thomas Jefferson and his slave-mistress Sally Hemings.  Although Harriet Hemings and her siblings have never been called slaves by anyone on the plantation, they aren’t truly free. Harriet’s brother dreams of attending the university founded by his father. The man who wrote the Declaration of Independence has other slaves on his plantation.  There seems to be a difference between his affection for Sally’s children and is affection for his grandchildren. His daughter Martha does not seem to be aware that Sally’s children are her brothers and sisters. However, her husband takes an interest in Harriet’s future.