An annotated bibliography is a list of sources with brief summaries and commentary on each. You are not writing a research paper; you are doing the research and outlining the sources that are the foundation of writing a good research paper. You‘ll need to review many sources to end up with a final list of well-chosen materials.
Process:
• Make sure you’re staying on track with a topic related to identifying a problem that can and should be addressed by a public awareness campaign.
• Narrow down the topic so that it would be appropriate for a 6-9 page paper. This will likely require some preliminary researching, reading, and brainstorming.
• Develop a working thesis statement. Be prepared to revise your thesis as you continue to research.
• Create an outline with a thesis statement and a minimum of five main points supportings. Your main points need to be expressed in phrases or sentences: a single word does not express a main point. Your main points will come from the research and reading you do to support your thesis. Keep track of where your information and ideas come from as you are researching.
• Find a minimum of six credible, academic sources that support your thesis statement. General reference works, dictionaries, etc, are not appropriate sources for this assignment. Use appropriate reading and annotation strategies to keep track of information as you are researching.
• For this assignment, you will format the annotated bibliography as follows:
o One outline including your thesis statement followed by a minimum of five main points
o An annotated bibliography in which each source will have an MLA Works Cited entry
o Sources should be arranged in alphabetical order in the Works Cited
o The annotated bibliography should be typed, double-spaced, in 12 point font
Requirements:
• An outline with a thesis statement, and a minimum of five main points.
• A separate Works Cited page listing the six sources you used, in MLA format.
• After the Works Cited entry, add a 5-6 sentence summary of your entire source (do not “cherry pick” quotes or facts) and a 1-2 sentence explanation of how the source supports your argument. Both together will be 60-70 words long, for each source.
Topic Guidelines: Your research essay must focus on the identifying a specific and narrowly focused social issue that is worthy of greater public awareness – it must either be little known, or largely misunderstood. Think about how certain problems affect identity, culture, perspective, awareness, community, and meaning. Think about how the power of public awareness can help to shape issues through public pressure including advocacy, protest, petitioning local, state, or the federal government, raising money, or otherwise changing the world.
