Extended Essay: Writing & Citing

Annotated Bibliography for the Extended Essay

Early in the Extended Essay process, are required to submit an annotated bibliography summarizing and evaluating five sources. For each source you need to provide full bibliographic information (a compete MLA8 citation), and write a detailed annotation (paragraph) demonstrating your understanding of the source and its relevance to your larger research project. To structure your annotations, choose one of the following models:

OPCVL (best for History, Economics and Business & Management):

• The origin of the source. (Who wrote it? Who published it? When? Where?)
• The purpose of the source, particularly relevant for primary sources. (Who is the intended audience of the source? What are they meant to get from it)
• A summary of the content of the source
• The value of the source for your research (How does this source help you to explore your research question? How might you use it in your final paper?)
• The limitations of the source. (What questions does this source raise? What perspective does the source take? Does the information contrast with other sources? Does it present a balanced view?) 

Purdue Online Writing Lab guidelines (available here):

• Summarize the main argument or the main ideas in the source. What is it about?
• Assess the reliability of the source. Who wrote it? Is it current, relevant, authoritative, accurate and what is the author’s purpose?
• Reflect on the usefulness of this source to your extended essay. How will you use it to help you answer your research question? Where does it fit or how does it compare to other sources you’ve used? How has it changed or expanded your thinking? Does it raise new questions for your research?

The following is taken directly from the Purdue Online Writing Lab:

SHORT QUOTATIONS

To indicate short quotations (four typed lines or fewer of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page number (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the in-text citation, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation.

Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage, but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.

For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples:

According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.

According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184).

Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)?

LONG QUOTATIONS

For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)

For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples:

Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: 

They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

The Harvard Writing Center has "concise advice on some fundamental elements of academic writing." You can find advice on each stage of the writing process on their site.

During the later stages of writing, you should take the time to visit the entries Ending the Essay: Conclusions, Revising the Draft, and Editing the Essay Part 1, and Part 2.

Use the citation tool in Google

Book

Hao, Chunwen 郝春文. Tang houqi wudai Songchu Dunhuang sengni de shehui shenghuo 唐后期五代宋初敦煌僧尼的社会生活 [The social existence of monks and nuns in Dunhuang during the late Tang, Five Dynasties and early Song]. Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe, 1998.

Journal article

Kondō, Shigekazu 近藤成一.  " Yēru Daigaku Shozō Harima no Kuni Ōbe no Shō Kankei Monjo ni tsuite" イェール大学所蔵播磨国大部庄関係文書について [On Harima no Kuni Ōbe no Shō Kankei Monjo at Yale University Collection]. Tōkyō: Tokyō Daigaku Shiryō Hensanjo  Kenkyū  Kiyō 23  (March 2013) : 1-22. 

Newspaper article

Joo, Yong-jung 주용중, and Chung, Woo-sang 정우상. “Miseo gwangubyeong bal-saeng-hamyeon suip jungdan” 美서 광우병 발생하면 수입 중단 [Will Suspend the Import if Mad Cow Disease Attacks in the United States]. Chosun Ilbo 朝鮮日報 8 May, 2008: A1.

Database article

Beijing Airusheng shuzihua jishu yanjiu zhongxin 北京爱如生数字化技术研究中心. Zhongguo jiben guji ku 中国基本古籍库 [Database of Chinese Classic Ancient Books], [include the URL]. Accessed [date].

Note: formatting should adhere to MLA requirements with the first line flush with the left margin and the second and subsequent lines indented. I was unable to replicate that formatting here.