Homelessness in big cities (New York, Los Angeles)

When embarking on a research project, we encounter a lot of different sources. It can be hard to keep them straight. To help us organize our thoughts, keep track of our work, and clarify our thinking, we will be drafting annotated bibliographies.
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources with which you have engaged. Each source is cited
according to MLA formatting, which can be found here:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla
_formatting_and_style_guide.html
Following each citation, you write a paragraph that does the following three things:
1. Describes the content of the source material. Is it a nonfiction book, a study, an interview?
Who is the author? What are their claims?
2. Evaluates the quality of the source. What does the source seek to do? What are its strengths
or weaknesses as a source?
3. Explains the source’s relevance to your research process. Why might this piece be useful
to your paper? Why might it not be? Did it direct you to other sources, or help you clarify
something about your topic?
To complete this assignment, you must cite at least seven sources, at least two of which must come
from peer-reviewed sources such as a book, an academic article, or study.

You can also find sample annotated bibliographies on OWL site, which may be of use. Remember,
however, that you are being graded according to how well you fulfill the expectations delineated in this
handout– not according to how well you mimic the OWL Purdue site.

Rubric
1. Number of Sources
Do you have at least seven sources? Are at least two of them peer-reviewed sources?
2. Quality of Sources
Are the sources you are citing reputable and substantive? Can they contribute meaningfully to
an academic project? Can one trust their accuracy?
3. Describe, Evaluate, Explain
Do you effectively describe the contents of the source, evaluate the source’s quality, and
explain the relevance of the source to your research process? You must do all three of these
things in this exact order, and all three elements must be present in every citation.
4. Grammar and Conventions
Do you use grammar correctly? Do your diction, phrasing, and sentence structure abide by
academic language conventions?