Sample MLA Annotated Bibliography

1. Sample MLA Annotated Bibliography
Battle, Ken. "Child Poverty: The Evolution and Impact of Child Benefits." Ed. R. B. Howe
and Katherine Covell. A Question of Commitment: Children's Rights in Canada.
Waterloo: Willford. Laurier University, 2007. 21-44. Print.
Ken Battle draws on a close study of government documents, as well as his own research
as an extensively-published policy analyst, to explain Canadian child benefit
programs. He outlines some fundamental assumptions supporting the belief that all
society members should contribute to the upbringing of children. His comparison of
child poverty rates in a number of countries is a useful wake-up to anyone assuming
Canadian society is doing a good job of protecting children. Battle pays particular
attention to the National Child Benefit (NCB), arguing that it did not deserve to be
criticized by politicians and journalists. He outlines the NCB’s development, costs,
and benefits, and laments that the Conservative government scaled it back in favor
of the inferior Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB). However, he relies too heavily
on his own work; he is the sole or primary author of almost half the sources in his
bibliography. He could make this work stronger by drawing from others' perspectives
and analyses. However, Battle does offer a valuable source for this essay, because the
chapter provides a concise overview of government-funded assistance currently
available to parents. This offers context for analyzing the scope and financial
reality of child poverty in Canada.

2. What do I need to include in my annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography might be an overview of a topic, or it might be
something you write in preparation for a specific research essay. Many
annotated bibliographies include:
• A citation to the article, chapter, or other work
• Qualifications of the author or authors
• Mention of the methods the authors used
• A summary of the argument and/or findings
• Evaluation of the work, for example the logic of the arguments or
value of the evidence
• How this work supports your own research
Note that both APA requires text to be double-spaced, but your instructor
might provide other instructions.
General guidelines
Some annotations are merely descriptive, summarizing the authors'
qualifications, research methods, and arguments. Many annotations
evaluate the quality of scholarship in a book or article. You might want to
consider the logic of authors' arguments, and the quality of their
evidence. Your findings can be positive, negative, or mixed. Your professor
might also want you to explain why the source is relevant to your
assignment.
Rules! rules! rules!
The Publication Modern Language Association (6th Ed.) states the following
formatting rules:
• The text and the reference list should be double-spaced unless your teacher
instructs you otherwise.
• Numbering starts on the title page, at the top right of the page.
• Reference list entries must have a hanging indent
• There should be 1 inch margins all around (top, bottom, left, and right) on
each page.
• Use Times Roman font, or a similar serif font, size 12.
• Each paragraph should be indented.
• Annotated bibliographies are usually 150-200 words.
• This annotated bibliography is 200 words.
• Citations are place in alphabetical order.
• Use a hanging indent for citation and annotation, unless otherwise instructed