The annotated bibliography is written in paragraph form and composed of 4 parts: the citation, the summary of the content, an evaluation of the source, and a reflection on its use. Follow these steps.
1. Citation - Create a standard MLA citation for the source. Remember to indent every line except the first line. Double space the citation but single space the annotated information. Your citations should be in alphabetical order and follow MLA format. For websites, you will need to search the website and home page for information about the author; publication, copyright or last update; and the sponsor of the site. Some website may not provide an author and you will then alphabetize by title.
2. Summary - Write 2-4 sentences summarizing the content of the material. Be sure to include all the main points but add detailed information as you critically examine the entire source.
3. Evaluation – Add 2-5 sentences evaluating the information and author. The information should be detailed and specific and reflect your critical reading and analysis of the source. Is the author a respected authority on the subject? Can you trust the facts provided? What type of audience was this source written for? Is the author biased in their point of view? Does this information from this source corroborate with information from other sources?
4. Reflection - Add 1-3 sentences reflecting on the usefulness of this source. Did this source provide you with a major portion of information about your topic or miniscule amounts? Did the source contain interesting information? Did the source enlighten you on an aspect of your topic you weren’t aware of?
