Assignment: Annotated Bibliography

Topic ideas: Family Budgeting, Alcohol and Drug addiction, being a father. PM with other ideas.

Can't be abortion, marijuana, war.

Purpose

The annotated bibliography helps you locate and evaluated sources. Additionally, you'll be able to practice your citations.

Task

For this assignment, you will annotate at least 5 sources you plan to use for your research presentation on the topic of your choice. At least one of the sources you annotate must be a peer-reviewed academic journal article, and at least one must be a book (e-books are fine). The other sources you annotate may be scholarly or not, but all should be credible.

Keep in mind that the more scholarly sources you have, the more credible your body of research. Do not limit yourself to sources that support your position only; you will need a rebuttal, so sources that disagree with you may be useful. Also, note that you will need resources to support your proposed solution(s) to the problem you identify, so make sure at least one of your sources is related to solutions.

Additional Details

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources complete with annotations. Each annotation for each source includes three parts: a summary, an analysis, and a reflection. Each part of the annotation should be a short paragraph (around 3-5 sentences or so). The annotation should also include the bibliographic information for the source (either MLA or APA format).

Here is a sample MLA-style citation.

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.

Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic. In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun.

Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.

Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.

You will find this sample and more information about annotated bibliography entries by going to the OWL website.