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Jump to:  Annotated Bibliography  | Bibliography Format - MLA (chart)  |  Bibliographic Format - APA | Style Guides 

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (8/94)

A bibliography is a list of books, articles, or other print or non-print materials systematically arranged and having some relationship to each other (for example, all entries contain information on a particular topic, or cover a certain period of time, etc.). An ANNOTATED bibliography includes a description of each entry.

The PURPOSE of an annotation is to describe, evaluate, or explain the contents of a book or an article. It provides some idea of the value and scope of each listed title, in order to assist a reader in determining which titles might meet his/her research needs. (It is NOT the same as an ABSTRACT, which summarizes the main points.)

An annotation should do one or more of the following:

bulletState the general content of a source -- what is the author's central thesis and/or scope of information covered?
    
bulletMake a judgment or evaluation.
    
bulletPoint out particular features or qualities.
    
bulletState the author's viewpoint or bias.
    
bulletTell something about the author, if it is important to the usefulness of the work.
 Some writing guidelines:

  1. Be brief AND clear. (If instructor requires long annotations, you can still be clear -- your annotations should be both informative and understandable.)
        

  2. Avoid repetition of information already apparent in the title of the work being annotated. (If a book is called Nuclear Power in the '90's, do not start off by saying "this book is about nuclear power.")
        

  3. Format: The annotation should begin immediately after the end of the citation entry, continuing subsequent lines in indented form seen in sample below.
    EXAMPLE:    (Note: this is a brief annotation.)
        
    Piaget, Jean. Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. New York: W. W. Norton & Company,
        1990. Detailed study of the development of representational thinking in children, including the
        structure and symbolism of games and dreams. Recommended level: college/adult,
        with some background in the study of psychology.
        

  4. Arrangement: Bibliographies may be arranged a variety of ways, but generally, the entries are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name. Some subject bibliographies may use subheadings to break the subject into smaller areas, but within each section, the entries would still be listed alphabetically by author.
        

  5. For additional information and examples, look in a style manual or a writing handbook.
        

BIBLIOGRAPHY MLA FORMAT (chart)    printable version (pdf)

General format for a bibliography (see the MLA Handbook for detailed information):

bulletArrange entries in alphabetical order by author’s Last Name (or Title, if no author).
Note: Author's name is always shown Last name, First name.
bulletDouble-space the Works Cited list (same as rest of paper).
bulletUse a hanging indentation format for each entry (first line at margin, rest are indented 5 spaces -- see examples ).
bulletAbbreviate the Names of the months except for May, June and July.
    

type of source

data and format

sample entry

mla section
article from magazine - no author

"Article Title." Title of Magazine Date Month Year of publication: inclusive page numbers.

"Nineteen State Wilderness Bills Pass Congress During 1984." National Park. Jan./Feb. 1985: 36.

 
5.7.9

article from magazine - with author

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Magazine Date Month Year of publication: inclusive page numbers.

Antilla, Susan. "Wall Street Woos the Nation's Most Powerful Women."  Working Woman  Jan. 1985:38.


5.7.6

article from magazine  - from online database

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Magazine Date Month Year of publication: inclusive page numbers. Database Title. Vendor of database. Name of library with online subscription. Date of access <URL of database homepage>.

Dang, Janet. “UC’s Connerly, Takaki Debate Race.” Asian Week 20 May 1998: 12. Ethnic Newswatch. Proquest. Contra Costa College Library. 24 Apr. 2001 <http://www.proquest. umi.com>.

 

5.9.7a

article from magazine - FROM website

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Magazine Date Month Year of publication. Date Month Year of Access <URL>.

Johnson, Mark. "Investigating Bovine Disease Outbreaks in Scotland."  Emerging Infectious Diseases  10 Nov. 1999. 31 Dec. 2000 <http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol6no6/infect.html>.


5.9.4c & 5.7.6
article from journal  - each issue paged separately

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume number.Issue number (Year of Publication): inclusive page numbers.

NOTE: If no issue number, include abbreviated name of month with year of publication.

Iley, Karen. "The Impact of Asthma on Children's Lives: a Social Perspective." Primary Health Care 17.8 (2007):25-29.


5.7.2
article from journal  - with continuous pagination - 7 or more authors

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal Date Month Year of publication: inclusive page numbers.

Klomp, Helena, et al.. "Examining Asthma Quality of Care Using a Population-Based Approach." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 178 (2008):1013-1021.


5.7.1
article from scholarly journal  - from online database

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal Date Month Year of publication: inclusive page numbers. Database Title. Vendor of database. Name of library w/online subscription, City, State (abbreviated). Date of access <URL of database homepage>.

Klomp, Helena, et al.. "Examining Asthma Quality of Care Using a Population-Based Approach." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 178 (2008):1013-1021. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. EBSCO. Contra Cost Coll. Lib., San Pablo, CA 24 Apr. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com>.

 

5.7.2 & 5.9.7a

article from scholarly journal  - from website

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume. Issue (Year of pub-lication): page numbers. Date Month Year of access <URL>.

Mayr, Gerald and Burkhard Pohl, D. Stefan Peters. “A Well-Preserved Archaeopteryx Specimen with Theropod Features." Science 310. 5753 (2005):  1483-1486. 6 Dec. 2005 <http://www.science mag.org/cgi/content/short/310/5753/1483>.

 

5.9.4a & 5.7.1-3

article from newspaper

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Newspaper Date Month Year of publication: section and page number (no space).

Lindgren, Kristina.  "Gasoline Leaks Polluting Drinking Water Supplies."  Los Angeles Times 20 April 1985: A1+.

 

5.7.5

book with one
author

 

Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title Place (City) of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

Tuchman, Barbara W. The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam New York: Knopf, 1984.

 

5.6.1

book with two
authors

Author #1 Last Name, First Name, and Author #2 First Name Last Name. Book Title. Place (City) of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

Askin, Jayne, and Bob Oskan. Search: A Handbook for Adoptees and Birthparents. New York:  Harper and Row, 1982.

 

5.6.4

book w/author – from online subscription (E-BOOK)

Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Place (City) of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. Title of Internet Site. Date of electronic publication, if avail-able. Name of library with online subscription. Date of access <URL>.

Perkinson, Robert R. Treating Alcoholism. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. NetLibrary. 2004. Contra Costa College Library. 6 Dec. 2005 <http://www.netlibrary.com/ urlapi.asp?action= summary&v =1&bookid =20094097>.

 

5.9.3 & 5.9.7a

book of essays  - with editor

Editor's Last Name, First Name, ed. Book Title. Place (City) of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

Lee, A. Robert, ed. Herman Melville:  Reassessments. New York:  Barnes and Noble, 1984.

 

5.6.2

book of essays - citing an essay w/author in book with editor

 

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Book Title. Ed. Editor's Name. Place (City) of publication: Publisher, year of publication. Page range.

Franklin, Howard Bruce.  "From Empire to Empire:  Billy Budd, Sailor."  Herman Melville:  Reassess-ments. Ed. Robert Lee.  New York:  Barnes and Noble, 1984. 35-38.

 

5.6.7

book of essays - citing an essay w/ author from  book w/ editor - from online database

Author Last Name, First Name. "Essay Title." Title of Book. Ed. Editor’s Name. Series, if one. Place (City) of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. Database Title.  Vendor of database. Name of library with online subscription. Date of access <URL of database homepage>.

McMasters, Paul. "Government Restriction of Media Violence Threatens Free Speech."  Media Violence. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Opposing Viewpoints Ser. Farmington Hills, MI: Green-haven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale Group. Contra Costa College Library. 16 Dec. 2004 <http://galenet. galegroup.com/servlet /OVRC>.

 

5.9.3b & 5.6.6

e-mail message

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of message from subject line." Email to recipient Name. Date Month Year of message.

Jones, Davey. "Re: Statistics for Contra Costa County." Email to Jane Doe. 18 Aug. 2001.

 

5.9.9j

encyclopedia article

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Encyclopedia Title. Edition number, if given. Year of publication. ed. (use after year if don’t have edition number)

Howe, Everett D. "Solar Energy."  Collier's Encyclopedia. 1984 ed.

 

5.6.8

government publication

Country. Government Department and Agency. Publication Title. Place (City) of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

United States. Dept. Of Labor, Bureau of Labor Stati-stics. Career Guide to Industries. Washington: GPO, 1992.
 

 

5.6.21

interview (by researcher)

Last Name, First Name of person interviewed. Kind of interview (personal, telephone, email). Date Month Year of interview.

Crawford, Kaye.  Personal interview. 7 Mar. 1985.

 

5.8.7

online posting
(blog, listserv, discussion list)

Author Last Name, First Name. ” Title from Subject Line.”  Online posting. Date Month Year of message. Name of Listserv. Date Month Year of access <URL>.

Bell, Stephen. “Population Projections.” Online posting. 16 Sept. 1992. Business Libraries Discussion List. 24 Oct. 1992 <http://www. princeton.edu /~jdoe/ buslib-L.html>.

 

5.9.9k

video recording

 

Videotape Title. Prod. Producing Group Name, if appropriate. Videocassette. Distributor, year of release.

Drought Survival Guide. Prod. Sunset Magazine, KPIX-TV, Group W Television. Videocassette. Lane Publishing Company, 1991.

 

5.8.3

webpage

Author Last Name, First Name, if available. “Title of Web Page.” Full Name of Web Site. Date of posting/Last revision. Name of Sponsoring Institution or Organization. Date Month Year of access <URL>.

"Computer Use Policies." Contra Costa College Library. 22 Feb. 2001. Contra Costa College. 20 Sep. 2001 <http://www.contracosta.edu/library/ compus.htm>.

 

5.9.1-4
ONLINE STYLE GUIDES

Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper - Duke University Libraries

NoodleTools -- a set of interactive tools that can help design your online research. Some tools are by subscription only, but others are free: NoodleLinks, Quick Cite (generates an MLA- or APA-style bibliographic citation), NoodleQuest (develops a web-based search strategy), and Choose a Search Engine (based on your specific information needs). Use this NoodleTools link for remote access.

ONLINE! Citation Styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, CBE & Others) - Bedford-St. Martin's Press

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

bullet

Printable handout for APA Format (pdf) - Contra Costa College Library
    

bullet

American Psychological Association (APA) Style - Bucknell University
    

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style

bullet

MLA format chart - Contra Costa College Library
    

bullet

MLA Citation and Format Style Guide - Bucknell University

Strunk's Elements of Style (1918 ed.)

Turabian Citation and Format Style Guide  - Bucknell University

    

Last updated 12 July 2008

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