Final answer:
The first step in completing an annotated bibliography is to gather and evaluate sources, including articles, journals, and visual sources.
Annotating the sources involves summarizing, evaluating, and reflecting on their usefulness. It is important to track and credit the sources in your report.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step in completing an annotated bibliography for your research paper is to gather and evaluate sources. These sources can come from various types, including articles from reputable newspapers and magazines, academic and professional journals, government sources, and visual sources.
It is important to choose reliable and unbiased sources. You can also consider conducting surveys, interviews, or experiments depending on your topic.
To annotate your sources, you can start with a summary of one to three sentences, followed by a discussion of the unique features, an evaluation of the source's credibility, and a reflection on how it is useful to your research. Use a graphic organizer like Table 14.3 to collect the necessary information and organize your thoughts.
Make sure to track and credit the sources of information you gather, whether from printed or digital material or from interviews, and always cite them in your report. This will help you in referencing the sources and avoiding plagiarism.