Directions from Assignment
Using the Internet
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Find a source you think is appropriate, trustworthy, and persuasive to include in your essay
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Use the Source Evaluation Checklist to to analyze the quality, bias, and appropriateness of the source. Respond to the questions to write a paragraph. Be sure to include a quote that captures the main idea of the source and cite it properly in MLA format. This paragraph is your annotation.
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Use the instructions below or a citation generator to generate an MLA style citation.
Citing Websites
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General Format for Websites Author(s). “Title of the Page.” Title of the Website, Publisher or Sponsor, Date of publication, url. |
Examples
Website
Strong, Michael. “Forget the World Bank, Try Wal-Mart.” TCS Daily, Tech Central Station,
22 Aug. 2006, www.ideasinactiontv.com/tcs_daily/2006/08/forget-the-world-bank-try-wal-mart.html.
- Include the website url, but omit http:// or https://.
Website with no author
“Parenting Corner Q&A: Immunizations.” American Academy of Pediatrics, Feb. 2009.
www.aap.org/en-us/about-the- aap/aap-press-room/pages/american-academy-of-pediatrics-urges-parents-to-
vaccinate-children-to-protect-against-measles.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-
000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR:+No+local+token.
- If the website name and the website publisher are the same, omit the publisher.
Website with no website name and no date
Mazer, Cary M. "Bernard Shaw: A Brief Biography." Dept. of English, U of Pennsylvania,
www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/mis1.html. Accessed 21 June 2016.
- If the website content has no clear date, or the date of the content is subject to editing, provide the date you accessed the site.
Internet Search
ZBib Citation Generator
Zbib or Zotero Bib is my preferred citation generator. Simply copy and paste the URL of the website you'd like to cite in to Zbib, select MLA 8 from the citation styles menu, and then copy and paste your citation into your Annotated Bibliography.
Evaluating Web Resources A.B.C. Rubric
When evaluating websites or any other information sources, use the following ABC Test to help evaluate the information you find:
Authority: The source of the information.
- Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
- What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
- Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
- Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
- Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? Examples:
- .com - commercial site
- .edu - school or university site
- .gov - government website
- .org - for-profit or non-profit organization site
Bias: The reason the information exists.
- What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
- Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
- Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
- Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
- Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?
Credibility: The reliability, correctness, and believability of the content.
- Where does the information come from?
- Who or what are the sources of the information?
- Is the information supported by evidence?
- Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
- Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
- Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
- Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?
- When was the information published or posted?
- Has the information been revised or updated?
- Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
- Are the links functional?
- Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?