Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Assignment Details

Create an annotated bibliography with eight published sources in your topic area (five of which should be scholarly, peer-reviewed), four to six pages long (about half a page per annotation). Your research should include diverse perspectives, and you should have a rough draft of at least four completed citations and annotations for in-class peer workshop on Friday, February 14th. The final draft of the bibliography will be due Friday, February 21st before the end of the day.

List sources alphabetically according to your chosen citation conventions and provide an annotation for each source that includes all of the following descriptive information:
Author's name, credentials, and background (briefly)
Name the kind of source and the main topic it addresses (report, study, website, book, podcast, blog, newspaper, museum exhibition, etc.)
Include description, or summary of the source, and the conclusions most pertinent to your research questions or project goals (add a quote or paraphrase with in-text citation to make more useful—see the sample citation below)
Evaluate and describe how you can/might use this source in your essay


Depending on your purpose and the text, you will also want to evaluate and include:
Audience of a source (if intended audience is unusual or important to understanding the text)
The methods of research (how research was conducted, how source reached its conclusions)
The limitations or biases of the text (mention if a source is outdated, questions about credentials, conflicts of interest, or other reasons source may be reliable, unreliable, or of limited value for purpose)
Compare and contrast to other sources in bibliography (point to agreement or disagreement, or to note minor or major deviations between your sources)
Style and Format

Annotations are written in a concise, accurate, and informative manner. The style and organization of your annotated entries should be consistent, and every word and sentence should be advancing all or part of the relevant information (use the bulleted items in the assignment directions as a guide).

Be true to the source first (the bulk of the entry). Your comments or evaluations should come after and should be clearly marked as your contribution. Readers should not confuse what your source says with what you say. Use appropriate documentation style and format the assignment according to your chosen citation and formatting guidelines (ask your instructor for specific preferences).

Audience

Because the care and thought you put in your annotated bibliography will directly affect the quality of your research paper, you are the primary audience for this work.  Also keep in mind that annotated bibs are often shared among researchers interested in similar topics (as are some of your classmates perhaps), so your secondary audience will appreciate adherence to format and style that produces accurate, concise, and informative entries. Finally, your instructor is an important audience, as the annotated bibliography will most likely be assessed for the quality of writing, sources, entries, and usefulness towards your final research project.

Tips

Make sure that your annotations are conclusive in addition to being descriptive. To do this, include quotes, details, claims, findings, statistics, or other meaningful passages from the source with an in-text citation; this will make the annotation substantive and offer information that can be used immediately when writing your paper.
Have a good mix of sources and with differing perspectives from key stakeholders in the issue. Keep in mind the wide applicability of sources that are not directly about your topic but which might offer insight into your topic area.
Briefly review the items you think will provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
Read abstracts; however, do not copy and paste abstracts into your summaries, as they serve a different purpose. If you do borrow language from the abstract, be sure to cite it.
Scan introductions and conclusions, prefaces, table of contents and indexes, and read the library detailed record, which includes summaries of chapters, topics addressed, and keywords.