WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents.

Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.

THE PROCESS Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research. First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style (MLA in this case). Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic. From: Cornell University Library, http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm#annot

For an annotated bibliography, use standard MLA format for the citations, then add a brief abstract for each entry, including:

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2 to 4 sentences to summarize the main idea(s) of the item, and 1 or 2 sentences to relate the article to your research topic or to add a critical description.

Basic MLA Style Format for an Annotated Bibliography

Format your citations in the same manner as for a normal reference list, then follow these instructions for adding an annotation.

1. 2.

Hanging Indents are required for citations in the bibliography, as shown below. That is, the first line of the citation starts at the left margin. Subsequent lines are indented. As with every other part of an MLA formatted essay, the bibliography is double spaced, both within the citation and between them. Do not add an extra lines between the citations.

3.

The annotation is a continuation of the citation. Do not drop down to the next line to start the annotation.

4.

The right margin is the normal right margin of your document.

Sample Annotated Bibliography (12 point font, Times New Roman)

Fryer, Sarah Beebe. "Beneath the Mask: The Plight of Daisy Buchanan." Critical Essays on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1984. 153166. This is a feminist essay that argues that Daisy is trapped in cultural Rich Wife and Pretty Girlshe chooses the "unsatisfactory stability" of constructions of

her marriage because of those constructions. Fryer's only mention of Jordan is a foil to Daisy "Like Jordan, Daisy is affected" (156). Kerr, Frances. "Feeling Half-Feminine: Modernism and the Politics of Emotion in The Great Gatsby." American Literature 68 (1996): 405-31. A brilliant analysis of the homoeroticism in the novelNick's attraction to McKee and to Gatsby. Kerr thinks the tennis girl with sweat on her lip is Jordan (which I think is wrong); she notes that Jordan has more control over her emotions than the other women in the novel (Daisy and Myrtle). Kerr argues that Nick's narrative about his dumping her "leads the reader to believe that it is Jordan's indifference, shallowness, and dishonesty that prompt his move. The psychological subtext of Gatsby, however, suggests a motivation entirely different. Nick Carraway identifies with and feels most romantically drawn not to 'masculine' women but to 'feminine' men" (418). Mandel, Jerome. "The Grotesque Rose: Medieval Romance and The Great Gatsby." Modern Fiction Studies 34 (1988): 541-558. Mandel argues that Gatsby follows many of the conventions of medieval romance, and analyzes East and West Egg as competing courts, Buchanan as a prince/Lord with Daisy as unattainable queen/fair lady. Gatsby and Nick are both construed as knights; Jordan is only mentioned in passing as a sort of attendant figure on Queen Daisy. This whole analysis seems somewhat farfetched.
From Lesley University, http://www.lesley.edu/library/guides/citation/mla_annotated.html