Many professors will ask you to complete a brief proposal where you tell them what your research questions are, how you’ve begun to research them, and the kinds of sources you’ve found.  The annotated bibliography is an excellent way to prepare for the research paper itself.

What to Include in the Research Proposal

Here are the various parts your professor expects in this paper:

What to Include in the Annotated Bibliography

Here is what your professor probably expects in an annotated bibliography:

Here is an example of an entry for an annotated bibliography:

Ch’eng-wu, Fei.  Brush Drawing in the Chinese Manner.  London:  Studio
           
            Publications, 1957.

This book provides some answers about why Sung Dynasty art is so contemplative:  an art critic Ching Ho (c. 900-960) stipulated that superficiality was the worst fault a painting could have (no spirit).  He also told a story of an ink maker from the Tang Dynasty who improved ink quality so much that he was given the imperial family name!  Therefore, great value was put on writing/art.

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