GUIDELINES

What is an annotated bibliography?

·  A brief summary and description of books, articles, and documents relevant for your research paper.

·  “The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited” from (http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm).

How do I write an annotated bibliography?

·  Locate and choose sources that are most

relevant for your paper topic.

·  Cite the source appropriately (as you

would in an end-of-text bibliography)

·  After the citation, write a brief evaluation

and description of the source (in 3-5

sentences). In addition, explain how this

source will be useful to you for your

paper.

·  Your annotation may also compare and

contrast your source to another source you

have chosen for your paper.


EXAMPLES

Two examples of annotated bibliographies…

(using MLA citation style)

______

Watts, Michael. “Development Ethnographies.”

Ethnography 2.2 (2001): 283-300.

The author, geographer at the University of California, Berkeley, engages in a review of the recent literature on development. He argues that practices of orthodox development are framed in particular, political ways. In contrast, an earlier work by Jones (1990), cited below, suggests that politics are not significant in shaping development practices. I will use Watts’ article in my paper to support my argument that the Aswan High Dam project in Egypt was politically motivated, rather than motivated by altruistic goals.

Kwon, Goohoon, Lavern McFarlane, and Wayne

Robinson. “Public Debt, Money Supply,

and Inflation: A Cross-Country Study and its

Application to Jamaica.” IMF Working

Paper, IMF. 2006. Electronic Document.

Accessed May 17, 2006 at <http://www.imf.

org / external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=

19133.0>.

The authors use quantitative methods to argue that an increase of public debt in developing countries is associated with increased rates of inflation. Their findings are significant in showing that other factors (such as institutions) mediate the relationship between debt and inflation. I will use this source in my paper in my introduction to talk about Jamaica’s debt. I will also use this source in the analysis of my case study (Jamaica) to argue that inflation compounded the extent Jamaica’s indebtedness to the IMF.