MLA Formatting and Style Guide
OWL: The Annotated Bibliography
From the OWL: Annotated Bibliographies
Examples and Samples
MLA Handbook
MLA Handbook by Call Number: Reference Collection LB2369 .M52 2021The MLA Handbook is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of research papers, and anyone citing sources.
Steps in the Process
According to the MLA Handbook (section 5.132), an annotated bibliography is a list of sources (in the same style as a list of works cited) with annotations that "describe or evaluate sources or do both." Some recommended steps for creating an annotated bibliography appear below.
Step 1. Conduct library research
- Locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic.
- Use MLA Bibliography to find scholarly articles or chapters in books.
- Search for recent scholarly books using the Library search box or WorldCat
- Use Interlibrary Loan to request books, chapters in books, or articles our library does not have.
Step 2. Briefly examine and review the actual items
- Books should be from a reputable and scholarly publisher. Look for books published by a University Press, a scholarly organization or a known scholarly independent press.
- Is the author an expert in the field? Look at the book jacket, foreword or preface of the book to locate the author's credentials and scholarly association. Google the author(s) to assess their credentials.
Step 3. Choose works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic
Step 4. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article or chapter.
In accordance with your professor's instructions, your annotation should address:
- The claim that the author of the source is making
- Main evidence used to support the claim
- Reliability or authority of the source
- Your reaction to the source
- Aspects of the argument you might wish to respond do
Step 5. Cite the book, article, or chapter using MLA style.
This example uses MLA style (MLA Handbook, 9th edition, 2021) 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.
Steps in process adapted from: "How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography: The Annotated Bibliography." Site located at Olin Library Reference, Research & Learning Services,Cornell University Library, Ithaca, NY, USA
