Annotated Bibliography

Guidelines
• Find Sources
• Scan Sources
• Evaluate Sources
A Bibliography is . . .
• A list of books

• A list of sources on a
particular subject

• A list of the sources you

used to write a paper
An Annotation is . . .
• Summary
• Explanation
• Commentary
• Evaluation
• Criticism
• What is it about? Why is it
important to your topic?
Who is the author?
Annotated
Bibliography =
A list of sources (books, articles, web
pages, etc.) on your topic, with
commentary on each source written by
you. This commentary might summarize
what the source is about, how it relates to
your topic, which parts are particularly
relevant, why the author is believable, and
whether or not you agree with the
information presented.
 Annotated Bibliography
Your entries will look like this:
Author name. Title of Source. Publication
information. (MLA Citation of Source)

All sources will be formatted MLA style.

Underneath each source you will be including a
paragraph summarizing the source. The more
detailed this paragraph, the better and a critique
paragraph evaluating the source. The slides that
follow in these lecture notes describe the
guidelines for finding the sources and writing the
notes. It is especially important to use
appropriate sources when doing academic research.
 Purpose
• The purpose of an annotated
bibliography is to help you keep
a running log of the research
you have done and be able to
quickly look back at its contents
and
their usefulness.
 Purpose
• An annotated bibliography also
provides a starting point when
researching a topic you want to
discover more about.
Starting the process
• Your Annotated
Bibliography is the
starting point for your
research. As you look for
information, make a list
of the sources you find
and evaluate each one.
Starting the process

• You may want to print out any

internet sources and highlight
information that you find
interesting.
 Annotated Bibliography
• You should begin exploring in
search of sources for your Annotated
Bibliography / paper.
• You should begin collecting
sources and taking notes.
• You will need to find the number of
sources your teacher identifies for
your Annotated Bibliography.
 Annotated Bibliography
• To illustrate what to do for the
Annotated Bibliography, the next
few slides will present an example
of a source for an Annotated
Bibliography about “38 Who Saw
Murder.”
 Jot it down!
The following guidelines are good to follow for any research process:

• As you explore sources,

make certain to write down
the following information
about any sources you are
considering…
 Jot it down!

 Author’s name, title, and credentials

 Title of the article
 Publication information, including:
• name of database
• newspaper/ magazine/ journal/ encyclopedia/
anthology name…
• Volume numbers
• city of publication, publisher
• organization connected to the source
• date of publication, date viewed by student, page
numbers, website address
 Jot it down!
Example source on
“38 Who saw Murder”
• Author’s name, title, and credentials
– Jim Rasenberger
– author & journalist for The New York Times

• Title of the article:

– “Nightmare on Austin Street.”
• Publication information
– American Heritage
– 57.5 (2006): 65-66
– TCC database: Academic Search Complete.
EBSCO
Plug information in to MLA format

Format the jotted-down information

MLA style by following the
guidelines in your Handbook or
any other credible MLA guide.
See the next slide for the source formatted
MLA style
Plug information in to MLA format
• Here is the source in MLA format:

Rasenberger, Jim. “Nightmare on Austin Street.”

American Heritage. 57.5 (2006): 65-66. Academic
Search Complete. EBSCO. TCC Library,
Portsmouth, VA. 12 Nov. 2008.
<http://search.ebscohost.com>.
 The
Summary
Write 4–6 complete sentences that
accomplish all/most of the following:
 The
Summary
Write 4–6 complete sentences that
accomplish all/most of the following:
 The Summary
• Provide the background and credibility
of the author

• State the main focus or purpose of the

work.

• Briefly describe the contents.

• Indicate the possible audience for the

work.
 The
Evaluation
Write 4–6 complete sentences that
accomplish all/most of the following:
The Evaluation
• Describe any special features of the work that
were unique or helpful ( Aims & Research
Methods).

• Point to any defect, weakness, or suspected

bias. (fallacies or limitations)

• Mention important conclusions or

observations reached by the author

• Evaluate the usefulness or relevance to your

research topic (Reflection/Usefulness to your research or
topic Will you use this source? and/or why it did not meet your
expectations..)
 The Annotation
A sample:
Jim Rasenberger, an author and journalist for the New York Times, asserts
that the events as described by Gansberg in “38 Who Saw Murder” could not
have happened the way Gansberg described them. Rasenberger states that
although 38 people may have heard or seen the initial attack, Genovese was
attacked three times. The most serious attack occurred in the back foyer of her
apartment building, and could have been witnessed by five or six people at
most.
He concludes his article by saying that if Gansberg’s account had been
accurate, countless articles and books would never have been written about
the incident and Americans’ apathy would not have been studied as thoroughly.
He seems pleased that the initial and most famous account was flawed.
Rasenberger’s article is interesting, but contains few facts and little research to
support his assertions. The article is helpful as a starting point for a critical view
of Gansberg’s article.
 • On the next slide, you will see the
same paragraphs color-coded by
specific criteria…

Background & credibility of author Possible Audience

Main idea Contents Usefulness to my topic/research
 The Annotation
Jim Rasenberger, an author and journalist for the New York Times, asserts that the
events as described by Gansberg in “38 Who Saw Murder” could not have
happened the way Gansberg described them. Rasenberger’s assumes his
audience is familiar with Gansberg’s famous and widely published article.
Rasenberger states that although 38 people may have heard or seen the initial
attack, Genovese was attacked three times. The most serious attack occurred in
the back foyer of her apartment building, and could have been witnessed by five
or six people at most.
He concludes his article by saying that if Gansberg’s account had been
accurate, countless articles and books would never have been written about the
incident and Americans’ apathy would not have been studied as thoroughly. He
seems pleased that the initial and most famous account was flawed.
Rasenberger’s article is interesting, but contains few facts and little research to
support his assertions. The article is helpful as a starting point for a critical view
of Gansberg’s account of events.

Background & credibility of author Possible Audience

Main idea Contents Usefulness to my topic/research
 Completed Example Annotated Bibliography entry
Rasenberger, Jim. “Nightmare on Austin Street.” American Heritage. 57.5 (2006): 65-66. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. TCC

Library, Portsmouth, VA. 12 Nov. 2008. <http://search.ebscohost.com>.

Jim Rasenberger, an author and journalist for the New York Times, asserts that the events as

described by Gansberg in “38 Who Saw Murder” could not have happened the way Gansberg

described them. Rasenberger states that although 38 people may have heard or seen the initial

attack, Genovese was attacked three times. The most serious attack occurred in the back foyer of

her apartment building, and could have been witnessed by five or six people at most.

He concludes his article by saying that if Gansberg’s account had been accurate, countless articles

and books would never have been written about the incident and Americans’ apathy would not

have been studied as thoroughly. He seems pleased that the initial and most famous account was

flawed. Rasenberger’s article is interesting, but contains few facts and little research to support his

assertions. The article is helpful as a starting point for a critical view of Gansberg’s article.
Annotated Bibliography

Your Mission…
 Your Mission:
• Locate 2 sources on your topic.
• Write an MLA Works Cited style entry for each source.
(some people keep their notes on index cards—if this helps you, great!)
• Look for any biographical info./credentials you can
find about the author and note them.
• Scan the source and note the content on your
paper/index card.
• Look at a few specific passages that catch your eye—
summarize them. Do you detect any bias? Is the source
written for a particular audience (scholars,
professionals in the field, general adult audience,
educators, social workers, parents, teenagers, the poor,
religious etc…)?
• Write your annotated bibliography from your notes.
 FAQ’s – frequently asked questions
Q: Are the sources in my
annotated bibliography the
same as the ones in my
paper?
A: That’s up to you. Your annotated bibliography
is simply a sampling of sources—it’s your
exploring what’s out there. You may have horrible
sources for your annotated bibliography—many
researchers find the bad sources first, reject them,
and then ultimately find the best sources. Your
annotated bibliography & your paper may/may
not have any sources in common – do not feel
that just because a source is in your annotated
bibliography it must also be in your paper!
FAQ’s – frequently asked questions
Q: Should I turn in 3 or 5 sources? Why
turn more than 3?
A: About the number of sources--Bibliographies with fewer
than 2 sources will automatically receive a failing
grade. A bibliography with 2 sources should have well-
developed notes. A 5-source bibliography may have
(slightly) shorter notes. The more you give me, the
more I can provide in return, so if you need help with
research/MLA, your annotated bibliography will show
me what you’re doing correctly and incorrectly. If
you’re looking for an A or B grade, having more (and
well-written) entries is what you should aspire to. (Doing
the absolute bare minimum rarely results in excellence.)
 FAQ’s – frequently asked questions
Q: Do my notes have to look like the
ones in the example?
A: No, not exactly. However, the sample notes are
excellent--very comprehensive, well written, and
perceptive—definitely “A” level work. So...if you’re
looking for an “A” (exceptional, demonstrated
excellence in effort and ability), your notes should look
similar. That said, I don’t expect everyone’s notes to look
just like the sample. I do, however, expect you to write
as a college student in any college would. Bibliographies
with extremely brief or missing notes will receive a
failing grade.
 FAQ’s – frequently asked questions
Q: What types of sources are you looking for?
Can we use any sources we want?
A: I am so glad you asked! Please review the lecture notes “Why
Evaluate Sources?” and other documents from this week that discuss
research. As a college-level scholar, you should expect that your
professors (not just me!) require knowledge and use of relevant,
scholarly sources rather than information from any website that pops up
on Google or Yahoo.
Your tuition dollars pay for access to huge databases
filled with reviewed, scholarly sources that indicate to your professors
that you know what you’re doing when you conduct research.

All of these wonderful sources are right at your

fingertips, accessible from your home PC!
 Sources
Where can college students
find reliable, scholarly sources?
Old habits…

• Many students do “research” by

using a general search engine
such as Google or Yahoo.

• This type of search is a habit that

does not work well when doing
college research.
Why not Google or Yahoo?

On the Internet….

•No selection process:

Documents do not undergo
any selection process but
rather are placed there at
will by anyone with access to
a web server. 
Why not Google or Yahoo?

•No standards: There is no

overall effort, nor any rules or
standards, to organize
information to facilitate retrieval.
Often, commercial sites or
sites soliciting donations
dominate search results.
Why not Google or Yahoo?

• No validation: No one
reviews sites for
accuracy. The internet is
filled with hoaxes, scams,
parodies, and hate
speech disguised as
“fact.”
 Sources
General Guidelines:
You MUST use a web evaluation on
any web sources not from an approved
academic site.
• (note: sources means more than one)
 Sources
General Guidelines:
You MUST use MSU Camden Carroll
Library sources:
• Databases
• Librarian approved/reviewed sources
found on the MSU CCL site
• (note: sources means more than one)
 Sources

Scholarly sources from outside MSU are OK

• university studies (.edu)
• reports written by scholars (Master’s degree +)
for scholars (any college student/graduate in
scholarly field/faculty)
• government sources/publications (.gov)
obtained from the original source are fine.
Sources
NO WIKIPEDIA!!!

#
 Sources –
where to find them
on the TCC LRC site
Learning Resources Centers
Ask A Librarian
>How do I ..?
Find books & articles
> Cite sources
> Evaluate sources
> Access from off-campus
TCC Library Catalog
Other libraries
Go to:
> WorldCat.org
Databases of Articles
> Title list
> Subject list
> Descriptions
http://www.tcc.edu/lrc/
> Publication name search
> QuickSearch
> E-books and you will see the box to the left.
Reference
Subject Guides to Topics
> Art Resources (VAC)
> Controversial Topics
> Government Sources
> Literature
> Statistics
> Writing & Citations
 Full text databases
in which you can find full-text articles from numerous sources!

Select a general subject area

SUBJECT LIST OF DATABASES LRC@TCC
Learning Resources Centers to find a list of databases
• Ask A Librarian Arts & Humanities Health Sciences
>How do I ..? Business & Economics Languages & Literature
Science (Applied & Math)
• Find books & articles Science (Natural & Physical)
Education News & Current Issues
> Cite sources General & Reference Public Affairs & Law
Social Sciences
> Evaluate sources
> Access from off-campus
• TCC Library Catalog OR Choose one of the databases
• Other libraries Favorites below in red to begin
> WorldCat.org
• Databases of Articles Academic Search Complete Gale Virtual Reference
JSTOR
MasterFILE Premier
Ethnic NewsWatch OmniFile Full Text Select
• > Title list Factiva Lexis-Nexis Academic Opposing Viewpoints
> Subject list
> Descriptions General & Reference
> Publication name search
> QuickSearch Academic Search Complete
Biography Reference Bank
> E-books AP Images of the Associated Press
Encyclopaedia Britannica
ArticleFirst
• Reference Cambridge University Press Gale Virtual Reference Library
MasterFILE Premier
• Subject Guides to Topics Conference Papers Index
Oxford English Dictionary
Consumers Index
> Art Resources (VAC) Dissertation Abstracts Online Oxford African American Studies
> Controversial Topics EBSCOHost Center
Oxford Reference Online Premium
> Government Sources Essay & General Literature Index
Factiva STAT-USA
> Literature Facts.com Wiley InterScience
World Almanac
> Statistics Facts on File
Fuente Academica World Factbook
> Writing & Citations Issues and Controversies on File World News Digest
JSTOR
LexisNexis Academic
OmniFile Full Text Select
PapersFirst
ProceedingsFirst
WorldCat
 Click on “Subject Guides
Learning Resources Centers
to Topics”
Subject Guides LRC@TCC
• Ask A Librarian
>How do I ..? Click on any general subject area to find an
• Find books & articles
> Cite sources
> Evaluate sources
abundance of reliable sources!
> Access from off-campus
• TCC Library Catalog
• Other libraries SUBJECT GUIDES LRC@TCC
> WorldCat.org
• Databases of Articles Health Sciences Public Affairs & Law
Arts & Humanities
• > Title list Internet Guides Science (Applied & Math)
Business & Economics
> Subject list Sciences (Natural &
> Descriptions Education Language & Literature
News & Current Events Physical)
> Publication name search General
> QuickSearch Social Sciences
> E-books
• Reference
• Subject Guides to Topics
> Art Resources (VAC)
> Controversial Topics
> Government Sources See the next few slides for more details on
> Literature
> Statistics these resources…
> Writing & Citations

A 100+ list of subjects/resources!

 General Guide to Topics
Learning Resources Centers
• Ask A Librarian General
>How do I ..?
• Find books & articles
> Cite sources Biography Primary Sources
> Evaluate sources Book Reviews
> Access from off-campus Public Opinion
• TCC Library Catalog Careers Speeches
• Other libraries Copyright
> WorldCat.org Statistics
• Databases of Articles Kids' Sites Writing & Citations
• > Title list
> Subject list
> Descriptions These are links to
> Publication name search
> QuickSearch many excellent
> E-books
resources for A wealth of
• Reference
current, accurate information about
• Subject Guides to Topics
> Art Resources (VAC) information and writing & citing
> Controversial Topics research papers.
> Government Sources statistics
> Literature
> Statistics
> Writing & Citations
 Internet Guides to Topics
Learning Resources Centers
• Ask A Librarian
>How do I ..? Internet Guides: recommended for
• Find books & articles
> Cite sources their research quality.
> Evaluate sources
> Access from off-campus
• TCC Library Catalog Best Information on the Net
Environment Web Directory
Scout Report Archives
• Other libraries
> WorldCat.org FirstGov.gov Searching the Internet*
• Databases of Articles Google Scholar Subject Guides (ODU)
• > Title list Subject Guides (VCCS)
> Subject list
Librarians' Index to the Internet
> Descriptions
> Publication name search
> QuickSearch * A TCC site about
> E-books
• Reference These are links to where to find the
• Subject Guides to Topics many excellent best online
> Art Resources (VAC)
> Controversial Topics resources for information
> Government Sources current, accurate
> Literature
> Statistics resources
> Writing & Citations
 CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS SUBJECT GUIDE LRC@TCC
Learning Resources Centers
• Ask A Librarian
>How do I ..?
• Find books & articles
> Cite sources
> Evaluate sources
> Access from off-campus
• TCC Library Catalog
• Other libraries
> WorldCat.org
• Databases of Articles
• > Title list
> Subject list
> Descriptions
> Publication name search
> QuickSearch
> E-books
• Reference
• Subject Guides to Topics
> Art Resources (VAC)
> Controversial Topics
> Government Sources
> Literature
> Statistics
> Writing & Citations
Keep scrolling on the Controversial Topics page for many
more resources!
Great resources
for many topics!
Periodical and Newspaper articles
Congressional Digest Each issue is devoted to one topic with
pro/con opinions from congressional members. (VB, PO, CH
campuses) Indexed: Academic Search Complete and an annual
cumulative index in the December issue.
CQ Researcher Each issue focuses on a specific topic
presenting alternative views and a bibliography. Indexed: Academic
Search Complete and an annual cumulative index in the bound
volume. This title is also available on our shelves.
Issues and Controversies on File Articles provide the
history or development of an issue, a current overview, varying
opinions, a prediction of future developments, and a short
bibliography. Self-indexed. Annual cumulative index in bound volume
(VB Campus). This title is also available on our shelves.
Opposing Viewpoints Access viewpoint articles, topic
overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to web sites, and full-
text magazine and newspaper articles. Examples: Adoption,
America's prisons, Censorship, Death penalty, Euthanasia.
 GOVERNMENT SOURCES GUIDE LRC@TCC

Learning Resources Centers

• Ask A Librarian
>How do I ..?
• Find books & articles Library Resources(r):
> Cite sources
> Evaluate sources
> Access from off-campus LexisNexis Congressional Full text congressional reports, track
• TCC Library Catalog bills, laws, federal register, etc.
• Other libraries Government Resources from the member libraries of VIVA.
> WorldCat.org
Subject guides for Law and Statistics.
• Databases of Articles
• > Title list
> Subject list Quick Search:
> Descriptions
> Publication name search
> QuickSearch Government Resources index to federal, international,
> E-books state, maps, and data services information. (Northwestern University)
• Reference
• Subject Guides to Topics Find your state and federal representatives at congress.org
> Art Resources (VAC)
> Controversial Topics
> Government Sources
> Literature
> Statistics Keep scrolling down on the
> Writing & Citations
“Government Sources” page
for links to many helpful
government resources
 Final Notes…

Your Handbook (Chapter 34) contains MLA

style documentation.
You may also explore the TCC-LRC
website for MLA help.
http://www.tcc.edu/lrc/guides/research.htm
Free, friendly, & candid advice:
Want to irritate your future professors? Complain that
you cannot find any sources on your topic.
Want to impress your future professors? Mention
enthusiastically how you have so many ideas and sources
from your research that you’re trying to decide which
angle to take on the topic.
End of Presentation