How to write an Annotated Bibliography

The Annotated Bibliography Project:BSC Library Overview

An Anno-What? An Annotated Bibliography sounds a lot more intimidating than it actually is:

Bibliography=list of sourcesAnnotated=with notes

Heres what you have to do:Think of a research question.

Find seven sources (one book, three database journal articles, and three websites).

Cite your sources in APA or MLA format and alphabetize them.

Write a description, evaluation and reflection for each source.

STEP ONE: Decide on Your Research QuestionYou dont want to pick something really BROAD--You will be overwhelmed with information! Be specific. Narrow it down.

Also be aware that if you pick a current event, there may not be many articles or books written specifically on that topic yet.

If you are having trouble, ask your instructor or the Librarian for help.

STEP TWO: Find a BookUse the library catalog, located on the BSC Library webpage under Find A Book

If you dont have a specific title in mind, try searching by all words

If you cant find a book that focuses solely on your topic, its okay to use a book that focuses on your topic in one section or a few chapters.

If you cant find any books on your topic, try your local public library, or you can request a book through inter-library loan.

Step three: find three articles using the library databasesThere are many to choose from

Using the databases: some tipsIf you only want to see articles with full-text availability, select the full-text option

To limit your results to journal articles (and not newspapers and magazines), select the peer-reviewed or scholarly journal articles option

Every database (except Lexis and JSTOR) will generate a citation for you!

Remember to click on the remote access link when you are using the databases off-campus!

STEP FOUR: Find three websitesTry limiting your results by domain name ex: Type II diabetes and teenagers site:.gov

You can use the ~ sign to get synonyms for a word in your search results ex: ~death penalty will give you results for capital punishment, too

Always evaluate websites for credibility of the author/organization, purpose of the site, and date updated!

STEP FIVE: cite your sources

STEP SIX: Write Your AnnotationsEach source must have a DESCRIPTION, EVALUATION, and REFLECTION.

Each annotation needs to be 75-150 words long.

See the Librarys handout for some ideas on what you could include in your annotations.

Thats all there is to it! Please contact the Library if you need help:

library@baystate.edu617-217-9449Stop by the Library!