Where is the author of this article getting their information? Do they cite sources at the end? Or do they refer to sources they used throughout the text? Do their sources look reliable/official or biased or not authoritative? If the author cites no sources, are they relying on their own expertise or first-hand experience (refer back to author's qualifications)? Maybe look for other sources that present a different viewpoint to counteract the bias). that would make them biased on this topic? Are they only telling you one side of the argument? Are they giving objective facts or opinion? Where are they getting their information from (what are their sources)? Are their sources biased? ( Hint: pretty much everything is biased, and it's possible you can still use a biased source as long as it isn't too biased, and you can take the bias into account when using the information in your paper. How biased is this source? Look at the author and the publisher - are they associated with a company, organization, institution, agency, etc. What do you know about them? Have you heard of them? Are they reputable? Well-known in this field? Biased on the topic? ( Hint: you can ask a librarian or your instructor about the publisher's reputation if you're not sure.) Ask a librarian if you need help researching an author.Įxamine the publisher of the book, periodicals or website. You might find their LinkedIn page, resume, university profile or personal webpage. Who is this author? What do you know about their credentials? Why are they a reliable source of information on this topic? Are they an expert in this subject? Do they have an advanced degree from a university? Do they have lots of experience in this subject? To learn more about your author, Google their name.

If you cannot find this information about your source, then it may not be a good source to use. You may not always find everything, but these are key points to consider. Look for the following information about your source. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis.

To help you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information. Collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully.

To learn about your topic: Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. This will help you become a better researcher.

To evaluate sources: Ask yourself what it is and whether it's a good source. What is the Purpose of an Annotated Bibliography? It usually includes a short summary of the source, an evaluation of the source's credibility, and an assessment of how you're going to use the source (or not) in your research paper (see below for more information). (usually in MLA format).Īn annotation is a paragraph that goes underneath each citation. It's like a Works Cited page at the end of a paper - listing your source's author, title, publisher, etc. A bibliography is a list of citations for your sources (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.).

A great example of an annotated article