How to Work with Annotated Bibliography in MLA Style
Table of contents
An annotated bibliography is similar by its format to the MLA Works Cited list. However, it also includes the annotation (a deeper description) of each source. Therefore, it can be either a part of your research paper or a separate task assigned to you by your instructor.
The content of each entry, apart from all the obligatory pieces of information about the source, includes the short description of the content and even brief evaluation of its usefulness for your work.
Formatting in the MLA Style
The title of this part is ‘Annotated Bibliography,’ or you can also name it ‘Annotated List of Works Cited.’ Choose one variant according to your instructions or professor’s requirements. Do not entitle this list as a simple ‘Bibliography’ because, in research work, it means that you just make a list of sources relevant to your topic, but they may not be cited in your paper.
There are several ways of source organization. You can do it alphabetically as you do for the simple Works Cited list. You may also arrange this list chronologically or even by subject. This organization may depend on the assignment and specific purposes of your work.
The factual information about the source is arranged in the same way as in the simple Works Cited entries:
- it should be left-aligned
- use double spacing
- apply a hanging indent of 0.5 inches
Then, write an annotation on the next line. It is also aligned left and double-spaced. However, the whole annotation should have one more indent of 1 inch, meaning that it is indented 1.5 inches from the left to make it distinct from the entry information.
Remember that if the annotation is only one paragraph long, you do not need the additional indent at the beginning of the paragraph. Though, if your annotation contains two or more paragraphs (that is generally undesirable), the first line of each paragraph should be indented an additional 0.5 inch, starting from the first paragraph.
Annotation Content
According to the MLA guidelines, the annotations should be concise and written with observation of certain rules. You can use either full sentences or short phrases that are not grammatically complicated. Such phrases are not allowed in the main text, but they can be used when the subject is clear from the context of the annotation. So, it’s up to you how to write because both variants are correct.
- ✔️ Extended research of linguistic trends related to the use of future forms in fiction.
- ✔️ Johnson presents the extended research of the linguistic trends related to the use of future forms in fiction.
Nevertheless, you need to ask your instructor before creating the Annotated Bibliography. If the requirement is to write it in full sentences, follow it.
The recommended number of paragraphs is usually one because your annotation has to be concise. Though, you can write two or three paragraphs if you need them. Your assignment can require longer annotations, too. So, read it carefully before you start making the list.
Main Tips on How to Format the Annotated Bibliography in the MLA style
- Each entry for the annotation should be one paragraph long, with 150-200 words or 3-6 sentences.
- The general information about the source is formatted in the same way as in a regular Works Cited list.
- There is no extra line before every citation. All the lines are double-spaced.
- If the list of annotated entries is pretty long, you arrange it by topics.
- Don’t be biased while analyzing the sources - provide only objective information.
- Avoid the first person (I, my, me, we, our, us) but use the third person (he, his, she, her) instead.
Types of Annotations
You can describe or evaluate sources in the MLA style or do both. Do not quote or describe minor details, but write about the source in general.
Therefore, the types of annotations you can use can be descriptive, evaluative, and reflective. You need to talk to your professor about which type of annotation is preferable for your paper.
Descriptive or summary annotations speak about the author, the topic, when and where the source was written and published, what its purpose was, and what interesting content it includes. Therefore, you need just to describe the source objectively.
Evaluative annotations are the most widely required and used type. You include the overall information about the source and describe it too, but then assess it critically. Speak about the quality, relevance, usefulness, and accuracy of information presented in the source. If you use an evaluative annotation, it should give an idea of your research content and thesis statement and why the source is pretty helpful for it.
Tips on How to Write an Evaluative Annotation Correctly
- Use the MLA style to provide general information about the source.
- Speak about the main ideas, themes, methodology, and arguments of the source.
- Describe the author’s point of view, expertise, correctness of arguments, or possible mistakes.
- Highlight the similarities and differences with the other sources used for your research.
- Explain why this source is useful for your topic and how relevant it is.
- Assess the strong and weak points of the source.
- Focus on the author’s conclusions and why they were made.
Reflection annotations may appear similar to evaluative annotations; they concentrate most of the attention on the relevance and practicality of research. Such annotation can be used in cases when there is a need to collect different sources in one planned project or assess the proper use of the sources in an already finished project.
Keep in mind that annotations should be original and unique descriptions of sources you create after reading them. When you read articles from scientific journals, you may see the short summaries of abstracts in front of them. You may use them for information, but never copy them or rewrite them because such entries will be considered plagiarized. Focus on the description and evaluation that is relevant to your research.
Johnstone, Frederick A. Class, Race, and Gold: A Study of Class Relations and Racial Discrimination in South Africa. London: Routledge, 1976.
Johnstone describes the working experience of black people in the gold mines of South Africa. He uses a sociological approach supporting the ideas that the labor system structure originates from industrial capitalism. Johnstone uses the main postulates of a Marxist analysis to argue that low-income nonwhites were considered pawns by mine owners who were representatives of the bourgeois society. The research has a well-organized bibliography, and it provides a lot of useful statistics for further research.
Final Thoughts
You can see that working with annotated bibliographies in the MLA style is not a complicated assignment as long as you know how to do it and make use of all the guidelines and instructions.
If you are not sure what to do and how to make your annotated bibliography more relevant to your professor or institution’s requirements, talk to your instructors. Your work will be highly appreciated then.