It doesn’t have to be an actual research paper.

You will create an annotated bibliography of five sources that cites and describes four of the best Internet resources on a specified topic and one of the best library database resources.

Below is an example,

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.

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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 may describe the author’s point of view, authority, or clarity and appropriateness of expression.

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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 webpages 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 webpage using the appropriate style.

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.

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Sample Annotated Bibliography Entries

The following example uses APA style (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, 2010) for the journal citation:

Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51, 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

This example uses MLA style (MLA Handbook, 8th edition, 2016) for the journal citation:

Waite, Linda J., et al. “Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults.” American Sociological Review, vol. 51, no. 4, 1986, pp. 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

Below is a evaluation checklist to go by,

Resource Evaluation Checklist

1. What is the title and URL of the resource? 2. Type of Site

• government
• organization
• commercial
• educational
• Library database

3. Type of resource

• Is it a personal home page?
• Is it a government report?
• Is it a newsgroup posting?
• Is it clearly opinion or fact?
• Is it an advertisement?
• ebook, or article?

4. Does the resource include features that you need such as illustrations, glossaries, or maps? 5. Source

• Who is the information source (organization or author)?
• Is the site part of a larger website (i.e., a university or organizational page)?
• Can you tell if the author, organization or group has the knowledge/expertise to present information on this topic?

6. Bias, Objectivity

• How credible is the information?
• Does the information seem reliable?
• Is there any indication where the information came from?
• Does it appear that the organization or author could have a biased point of view? If so, is the bias clearly stated?

7. Currency

• How current is the information?
• What is the date of the information or when was the site last updated?
• Is the information too old or too new for your research needs?

8. Consensus

• How does the site information compare with other sites, print sources, etc.?
• Does the information agree or disagree with an accepted point of view?