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• What Is an Annotated Bibliography? | Examples & Format

What Is an Annotated Bibliography? | Examples & Format

Published on March 9, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 23, 2022.

An annotated bibliography is a list of source references that includes a short descriptive text (an annotation) for each source. It may be assigned as part of the research process for a paper , or as an individual assignment to gather and read relevant sources on a topic.

Scribbr’s free Citation Generator allows you to easily create and manage your annotated bibliography in APA or MLA style. To generate a perfectly formatted annotated bibliography, select the source type, fill out the relevant fields, and add your annotation.

An example of an annotated source is shown below:

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Table of contents

Annotated bibliography format: apa, mla, chicago, how to write an annotated bibliography, descriptive annotation example, evaluative annotation example, reflective annotation example, finding sources for your annotated bibliography, frequently asked questions about annotated bibliographies.

Make sure your annotated bibliography is formatted according to the guidelines of the style guide you’re working with. Three common styles are covered below:

In APA Style , both the reference entry and the annotation should be double-spaced and left-aligned.

The reference entry itself should have a hanging indent . The annotation follows on the next line, and the whole annotation should be indented to match the hanging indent. The first line of any additional paragraphs should be indented an additional time.

In an MLA style annotated bibliography , the Works Cited entry and the annotation are both double-spaced and left-aligned.

The Works Cited entry has a hanging indent. The annotation itself is indented 1 inch (twice as far as the hanging indent). If there are two or more paragraphs in the annotation, the first line of each paragraph is indented an additional half-inch, but not if there is only one paragraph.

Chicago style

In a  Chicago style annotated bibliography , the bibliography entry itself should be single-spaced and feature a hanging indent.

The annotation should be indented, double-spaced, and left-aligned. The first line of any additional paragraphs should be indented an additional time.

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For each source, start by writing (or generating ) a full reference entry that gives the author, title, date, and other information. The annotated bibliography format varies based on the citation style you’re using.

The annotations themselves are usually between 50 and 200 words in length, typically formatted as a single paragraph. This can vary depending on the word count of the assignment, the relative length and importance of different sources, and the number of sources you include.

Consider the instructions you’ve been given or consult your instructor to determine what kind of annotations they’re looking for:

• Descriptive annotations : When the assignment is just about gathering and summarizing information, focus on the key arguments and methods of each source.
• Evaluative annotations : When the assignment is about evaluating the sources , you should also assess the validity and effectiveness of these arguments and methods.
• Reflective annotations : When the assignment is part of a larger research process, you need to consider the relevance and usefulness of the sources to your own research.

These specific terms won’t necessarily be used. The important thing is to understand the purpose of your assignment and pick the approach that matches it best. Interactive examples of the different styles of annotation are shown below.

A descriptive annotation summarizes the approach and arguments of a source in an objective way, without attempting to assess their validity.

In this way, it resembles an abstract , but you should never just copy text from a source’s abstract, as this would be considered plagiarism . You’ll naturally cover similar ground, but you should also consider whether the abstract omits any important points from the full text.

The interactive example shown below describes an article about the relationship between business regulations and CO 2 emissions.

Rieger, A. (2019). Doing business and increasing emissions? An exploratory analysis of the impact of business regulation on CO 2 emissions. Human Ecology Review , 25 (1), 69–86. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26964340

An evaluative annotation also describes the content of a source, but it goes on to evaluate elements like the validity of the source’s arguments and the appropriateness of its methods .

For example, the following annotation describes, and evaluates the effectiveness of, a book about the history of Western philosophy.

Kenny, A. (2010). A new history of Western philosophy: In four parts . Oxford University Press.

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A reflective annotation is similar to an evaluative one, but it focuses on the source’s usefulness or relevance to your own research.

Reflective annotations are often required when the point is to gather sources for a future research project, or to assess how they were used in a project you already completed.

The annotation below assesses the usefulness of a particular article for the author’s own research in the field of media studies.

Manovich, Lev. (2009). The practice of everyday (media) life: From mass consumption to mass cultural production? Critical Inquiry , 35 (2), 319–331. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/596645

Manovich’s article assesses the shift from a consumption-based media culture (in which media content is produced by a small number of professionals and consumed by a mass audience) to a production-based media culture (in which this mass audience is just as active in producing content as in consuming it). He is skeptical of some of the claims made about this cultural shift; specifically, he argues that the shift towards user-made content must be regarded as more reliant upon commercial media production than it is typically acknowledged to be. However, he regards web 2.0 as an exciting ongoing development for art and media production, citing its innovation and unpredictability.

The article is outdated in certain ways (it dates from 2009, before the launch of Instagram, to give just one example). Nevertheless, its critical engagement with the possibilities opened up for media production by the growth of social media is valuable in a general sense, and its conceptualization of these changes frequently applies just as well to more current social media platforms as it does to Myspace. Conceptually, I intend to draw on this article in my own analysis of the social dynamics of Twitter and Instagram.

Before you can write your annotations, you’ll need to find sources . If the annotated bibliography is part of the research process for a paper, your sources will be those you consult and cite as you prepare the paper. Otherwise, your assignment and your choice of topic will guide you in what kind of sources to look for.

Make sure that you’ve clearly defined your topic , and then consider what keywords are relevant to it, including variants of the terms. Use these keywords to search databases (e.g., Google Scholar ), using Boolean operators to refine your search.

Sources can include journal articles, books, and other source types , depending on the scope of the assignment. Read the abstracts or blurbs of the sources you find to see whether they’re relevant, and try exploring their bibliographies to discover more. If a particular source keeps showing up, it’s probably important.

Once you’ve selected an appropriate range of sources, read through them, taking notes that you can use to build up your annotations. You may even prefer to write your annotations as you go, while each source is fresh in your mind.

An annotated bibliography is an assignment where you collect sources on a specific topic and write an annotation for each source. An annotation is a short text that describes and sometimes evaluates the source.

Any credible sources on your topic can be included in an annotated bibliography . The exact sources you cover will vary depending on the assignment, but you should usually focus on collecting journal articles and scholarly books . When in doubt, utilize the CRAAP test !

Each annotation in an annotated bibliography is usually between 50 and 200 words long. Longer annotations may be divided into paragraphs .

The content of the annotation varies according to your assignment. An annotation can be descriptive, meaning it just describes the source objectively; evaluative, meaning it assesses its usefulness; or reflective, meaning it explains how the source will be used in your own research .

A source annotation in an annotated bibliography fulfills a similar purpose to an abstract : they’re both intended to summarize the approach and key points of a source.

However, an annotation may also evaluate the source , discussing the validity and effectiveness of its arguments. Even if your annotation is purely descriptive , you may have a different perspective on the source from the author and highlight different key points.

You should never just copy text from the abstract for your annotation, as doing so constitutes plagiarism .

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Engl 1020: research & argumentative writing: annotated bibliography.

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Annotated Bibliography

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What is an annotated bibliography?    A bibliography is a list of the sources consulted while doing research about a specific topic. Adding annotations will help you learn about a topic in a deeper and more critical way. It will also help you and the readers of your bibliography to evaluate the relevance of each source in relation to the research topic or question.

Common parts of an annotated bibliography:

Citation -- publication information given in a specific format  usually assigned by your instructor (ex: MLA , APA , Chicago )

Annotation --

Summary -- a few sentences summarizing the source content and main points 

Assessment / Evaluation --  determine the usefulness and credibility of the source [This is always done but it is sometimes omitted from the written annotation.]

Reflection -- a few sentences summarizing how the source was helpful for your specific research topic or research question

How did the source help you understand a research topic or answer a research question? How did the source differ from others on the topic? What was special about it? How did the source change or influence your thinking about the research topic? How did it affect you?

Important Note: Not all annotated bibliographies have separate annotations; some only contain a citation and summary for each source. Read your assignment instructions carefully. Multiple formatting examples are shown on the Purdue OWL Writing Center website and the EasyBib website.

Short Example in MLA 8 [image from EasyBib ; for educational use only] 

Annotated Bibliography: Tutorials

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Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources, each of which is followed by a brief note or “annotation.”

These annotations do one or more of the following:

• describe the content and focus of the book or article
• suggest the source’s usefulness to your research
• evaluate its method, conclusions, or reliability
• record your reactions to the source.

How do I format the bibliographic citations?

Check with your instructor to determine which documentation style is required for your class: APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, CBE, Numbered References, APSA, etc.

Then, remember that the bibliography is an organized list of sources used. The annotation may immediately follow the bibliographic information on the same line, or it may begin on a new line, two lines below the publication information.

But, since style manuals differ, check with your instructor about which one to use concerning form, spacing, and consistency.

If you are using APA documentation, the Writing Center offers a short workshop called “APA Documentation”.

What goes into the content of the annotations?

Below are some of the most common forms of annotated bibliographies. Click on the links to see examples of each.

This form of annotation defines the scope of the source, lists the significant topics included, and tells what the source is about.

This type is different from the informative entry in that the informative entry gives actual information about its source.

In the indicative entry there is no attempt to give actual data such as hypotheses, proofs, etc. Generally, only topics or chapter titles are included.

Indicative (descriptive–tell us what is included in the source) Griffin, C. Williams, ed. (1982). Teaching writing in all disciplines. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Ten essays on writing-across-the-curriculum programs, teaching writing in disciplines other than English, and teaching techniques for using writing as learning. Essays include Toby Fulwiler, “Writing: An Act of Cognition”; Barbara King, “Using Writing in the Mathematics Class: Theory and Pratice”; Dean Drenk, “Teaching Finance Through Writing”; Elaine P. Maimon, “Writing Across the Curriculum: Past, Present, and Future.” (Bizzell and Herzberg, 1991, p. 47)

Informative

Simply put, this form of annotation is a summary of the source.

To write it, begin by writing the thesis; then develop it with the argument or hypothesis, list the proofs, and state the conclusion.

Informative (summary–tell us what the main findings or arguments are in the source) Voeltz, L.M. (1980). Children’s attitudes toward handicapped peers. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 84, 455-464. As services for severely handicapped children become increasingly available within neighborhood public schools, children’s attitudes toward handicapped peers in integrated settings warrant attention. Factor analysis of attitude survey responses of 2,392 children revealed four factors underlying attitudes toward handicapped peers: social-contact willingness, deviance consequation, and two actual contact dimensions. Upper elementary-age children, girls, and children in schools with most contact with severely handicapped peers expressed the most accepting attitudes. Results of this study suggest the modifiability of children’s attitudes and the need to develop interventions to facilitate social acceptance of individual differences in integrated school settings. (Sternlicht and Windholz, 1984, p. 79)

In this form of annotation you need to assess the source’s strengths and weaknesses.

You get to say why the source is interesting or helpful to you, or why it is not. In doing this you should list what kind of and how much information is given; in short, evaluate the source’s usefulness.

Evaluative (tell us what you think of the source) Gurko, Leo. (1968). Ernest Hemingway and the pursuit of heroism. New York: Crowell. This book is part of a series called “Twentieth Century American Writers”: a brief introduction to the man and his work. After fifty pages of straight biography, Gurko discussed Hemingway’s writing, novel by novel. There’s an index and a short bibliography, but no notes. The biographical part is clear and easy to read, but it sounds too much like a summary. (Spatt, 1991, p. 322) Hingley, Ronald. (1950). Chekhov: A biographical and critical study. London: George Allen & Unwin. A very good biography. A unique feature of this book is the appendix, which has a chronological listing of all English translations of Chekhov’s short stories. (Spatt, 1991, p. 411)

Combination

Most annotated bibliographies are of this type.

They contain one or two sentences summarizing or describing content and one or two sentences providing an evaluation.

Combination Morris, Joyce M. (1959). Reading in the primary school: An investigation into standards of reading and their association with primary school characteristics. London: Newnes, for National Foundation for Educational Research. Report of a large-scale investigation into English children’s reading standards, and their relation to conditions such as size of classes, types of organisation and methods of teaching. Based on enquiries in sixty schools in Kent and covering 8,000 children learning to read English as their mother tongue. Notable for thoroughness of research techniques.

Which writing style should I use in the annotations?

The most important thing to understand is that entries should be brief.

Only directly significant details will be mentioned and any information apparent in the title can be omitted from the annotation.

In addition, background materials and references to previous work by the same author usually are not included.

Listed below are three writing styles used in annotated bibliographies. Click on a link to see examples of each.

Telegraphic

(phrases, non-sentences)

Get the information out, quickly and concisely. Be clear, but complete and grammatically correct sentences are unnecessary.

Telegraphic (phrases, non-sentences) Vowles, Richard B. (1962). Psychology and drama: A selected checklist. Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Literature, 3,(1), 35-48. Divided by individual authors. Reviews the research between 1920 and 1961. (Bell and Gallup, 1971, p. 68)

Complete sentences

In this style you must always use complete sentences.

The length of the sentences varies. Subjects and conjunctions are not eliminated even though the tone may be terse. Avoid long and complex sentences.

Complete sentences Kinter, W. R., and R L. Pfaltzgraff. (1972). Assessing the Moscow SALT agreements. Orbis, 16, 34l-360. The authors hold the conservative view that SALT can not halt the slipping nuclear advantage of the United States. They conclude that the United States needs a national reassessment of defense policy. They further conclude that the only utility of SALT is in developing a dialogue with the Soviets. This is a good conservative critique of SALT I. (Strenski and Manfred, 1981, p. 165)

When using this form of annotation, you must write a full, coherent paragraph.

Sometimes this can be similar to the form of a bibliographic essay. It goes without saying that you need to use complete sentences.

Paragraph (a little more formal) Voeltz, L.M. (1980). Children’s attitudes toward handicapped peers. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 84, 455-464. As services for severely handicapped children become increasingly available within neighborhood public schools, children’s attitudes toward handicapped peers in integrated settings warrant attention. Factor analysis of attitude survey responses of 2,392 children revealed four factors underlying attitudes toward handicapped peers: social- contact willingness, deviance consequation, and two actual contact dimensions. Upper elementary-age children, girls, and children in schools with most contact with severely handicapped peers expressed the most accepting attitudes. Results of this study suggest the modifiability of children’s attitudes and the need to develop interventions to facilitate social acceptance of individual differences in integrated school settings. (Sternlicht and Windholz, 1984, p. 79)

Additional information

If you have additional questions, ask your course instructor or consider scheduling an appointment with a Writing Center instructor.

The Writing Center also has information on different documentation systems, such as MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, CBE, Numbered References, and APSA styles of citation.

If you are using APA documentation, you are in luck! The Writing Center offers a short class called “The Basics of APA Documentation”!

References for examples used

Bell, Inglis F., and Jennifer Gallup. (1971). A reference guide to English, American, and Canadian literature . Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

Bizzell, Patricia, and Bruce Herzberg. (1991). Bedford bibliography for teachers of writing . 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press.

Center for Information on Language Teaching and The English Teaching Information Center of the British Council. (1968). A Language-teaching bibliography . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Spatt, Brenda. (1991). Writing from sources . 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Sternlicht, Manny, and George Windholz. (1984). Social behavior of the mentally retarded. New York and London: Garland Press.

Strenski, Ellen, and Madge Manfred. (1981). The research paper workbook . 2nd ed. New York and London: Longman.

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Annotated Bibliographies

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Guides on Annotated Bibliographies from OWL Purdue University Library:

How to write an annotated bibliography, good overview of the parts of an annotated bibliography, its format, and why they are important, example of an annotated bibliography, example which explains in detail how to write each section and its purpose., sample annotated bibliographies, three sample annotated bibliographies: mla, apa, and chicago.

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VII. Researched Writing

7.6 Writing an Annotated Bibliography

Emilie Zickel; Melanie Gagich; and Terri Pantuso

As you are gathering sources in your research, you will want to keep track of which information comes from what source. While other strategies have been discussed such as note taking, some researchers use an annotated bibliography for long term reference purposes. As the name implies, an annotated bibliography is the bibliographical reference of a given source along with key information from that source that you may use for future reference. As assignment parameters will vary by instructor, generally speaking the annotations are 150-200 words in length per source and do not include quoted material. The purpose of the annotations is to summarize the material within the context of your thesis statement.

Annotated Bibliographies follow a common structure and format. Below is an explanation of the elements and format of an annotated bibliography.

Components of an Annotated Bibliography

An annotation often offers a summary of a source that you intend to use for a research project as well as some assessment of the source’s relevance to your project or quality and credibility. There are two key components for each source: the citation and the annotation.

The Annotated Bibliography Samples page [1]  on the Purdue OWL offers examples of general formatting guidelines for both an MLA and an APA Annotated Bibliography.

You will provide the full bibliographic reference for the source: author, title, source title, and other required information depending on the type of source. This will be formatted just as it would be in a typical Works Cited for an MLA paper or a References page for an APA paper.

Tone and Style

Some elements can vary depending on the style you are using (e.g., APA or MLA). Be sure to review your style guide along with your assignment sheet. Generally speaking, use the following as a guide:

• Use signal phrases to refer to the author(s).
• Always maintain a neutral tone and use the third-person point of view and correct tense according to style guide (present tense for MLA, past tense for APA) (i.e., Tompkins asserts… ).
• Keep the focus of the summary on the text, not on what you think of it, and try to put as most of the summary as you can in your own words. If you must use exact phrases from the source that you are summarizing, you must quote and cite them.
• Annotations should not be a replication of the abstract provided by the source.

What to Include in Annotations

• After the bibliographical information, begin to discuss the source. Begin with a general summary of the source. Describe the key sections of the text and their corresponding main points. Try to avoid focusing on details; a summary covers the essential points and typically does not include quoted material.
• Evaluate the source’s credibility or relevance. Is the author an expert on the topic? How do you know? Is the source peer-reviewed or otherwise credible in nature? How do you know? What makes this source a good one to use?
• Discuss how you plan to integrate the source in your paper. Do you need to point out similarities or differences with other sources in the annotated bibliography? How does it support (or refute) your intended thesis?

Review your Annotated Bibliography assignment sheet for additional content requirements . Instructors often require more than a simple summary of each source, and specific requirements may vary. Any (or all) of these aspects may be required in an annotated bibliography, depending on how or if your instructor has designed this assignment as part of a larger research project.

This section contains material from:

Gagich, Melanie, and Emilie Zickel. “Keeping Track of Your Sources and Writing an Annotated Bibliography.” In A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing . Cleveland: MSL Academic Endeavors. Accessed July 2019. https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/csu-fyw-rhetoric/chapter/annotated-bibliography/ . Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .

OER credited in the text above includes:

Jeffrey, Robin. About Writing: A Guide . Portland, OR: Open Oregon Educational Resources. Accessed December 18, 2020. https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/aboutwriting/ . Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .

• "Annotated Bibliography Samples," Purdue Online Writing Lab, accessed December 20, 2021, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/annotated_bibliography_samples.html . ↵

A statement, usually one sentence, that summarizes an argument that will later be explained, expanded upon, and developed in a longer essay or research paper. In undergraduate writing, a thesis statement is often found in the introductory paragraph of an essay. The plural of thesis is theses .

7.6 Writing an Annotated Bibliography Copyright © 2022 by Emilie Zickel; Melanie Gagich; and Terri Pantuso is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

EXPOS 20: The Social Construction of Gender

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It's a Strategic Tool!

An annotated bibliography is one of the best tools to help you write your essay. It helps you remember the sources you have consulted and is a good starting point for organizing your argument. Annotated bibliographies can fulfill any and all of these functions:

For guidance on how to create your annotated bibliography, check out these resources:

Creating an Annotated Bibliography (Trinity University)

Writing an Annotated Bibliography (University of Toronto)

How to Prepare an Annotate Bibliography (Cornell University)

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How to Write an Annotated Bibliography - APA Style (7th Edition)

What is an annotation, how is an annotation different from an abstract, what is an annotated bibliography, types of annotated bibliographies, descriptive or informative, analytical or critical, to get started.

An annotation is more than just a brief summary of an article, book, website, or other type of publication. An annotation should give enough information to make a reader decide whether to read the complete work. In other words, if the reader were exploring the same topic as you, is this material useful and if so, why?

While an abstract also summarizes an article, book, website, or other type of publication, it is purely descriptive. Although annotations can be descriptive, they also include distinctive features about an item. Annotations can be evaluative and critical as we will see when we look at the two major types of annotations.

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources (like a reference list). It differs from a straightforward bibliography in that each reference is followed by a paragraph length annotation, usually 100–200 words in length.

Depending on the assignment, an annotated bibliography might have different purposes:

• Provide a literature review on a particular subject
• Help to formulate a thesis on a subject
• Demonstrate the research you have performed on a particular subject
• Provide examples of major sources of information available on a topic
• Describe items that other researchers may find of interest on a topic

There are two major types of annotated bibliographies:

A descriptive or informative annotated bibliography describes or summarizes a source as does an abstract; it describes why the source is useful for researching a particular topic or question and its distinctive features. In addition, it describes the author's main arguments and conclusions without evaluating what the author says or concludes.

For example:

McKinnon, A. (2019). Lessons learned in year one of business.  Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting ,  30 (4), 26–28. This article describes some of the difficulties many nurses experience when transitioning from nursing to a legal nurse consulting business. Pointing out issues of work-life balance, as well as the differences of working for someone else versus working for yourself, the author offers their personal experience as a learning tool. The process of becoming an entrepreneur is not often discussed in relation to nursing, and rarely delves into only the first year of starting a new business. Time management, maintaining an existing job, decision-making, and knowing yourself in order to market yourself are discussed with some detail. The author goes on to describe how important both the nursing professional community will be to a new business, and the importance of mentorship as both the mentee and mentor in individual success that can be found through professional connections. The article’s focus on practical advice for nurses seeking to start their own business does not detract from the advice about universal struggles of entrepreneurship makes this an article of interest to a wide-ranging audience.

An analytical or critical annotation not only summarizes the material, it analyzes what is being said. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of what is presented as well as describing the applicability of the author's conclusions to the research being conducted.

Analytical or critical annotations will most likely be required when writing for a college-level course.

McKinnon, A. (2019). Lessons learned in year one of business.  Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting ,  30 (4), 26–28. This article describes some of the difficulty many nurses experience when transitioning from nursing to a nurse consulting business. While the article focuses on issues of work-life balance, the differences of working for someone else versus working for yourself, marketing, and other business issues the author’s offer of only their personal experience is brief with few or no alternative solutions provided. There is no mention throughout the article of making use of other research about starting a new business and being successful. While relying on the anecdotal advice for their list of issues, the author does reference other business resources such as the Small Business Administration to help with business planning and professional organizations that can help with mentorships. The article is a good resource for those wanting to start their own legal nurse consulting business, a good first advice article even. However, entrepreneurs should also use more business research studies focused on starting a new business, with strategies against known or expected pitfalls and issues new businesses face, and for help on topics the author did not touch in this abbreviated list of lessons learned.

Now you are ready to begin writing your own annotated bibliography.

• Choose your sources - Before writing your annotated bibliography, you must choose your sources. This involves doing research much like for any other project. Locate records to materials that may apply to your topic.
• Review the items - Then review the actual items and choose those that provide a wide variety of perspectives on your topic. Article abstracts are helpful in this process.
• The purpose of the work
• A summary of its content
• Information about the author(s)
• For what type of audience the work is written
• Its relevance to the topic
• Any special or unique features about the material
• Research methodology
• The strengths, weaknesses or biases in the material

Annotated bibliographies may be arranged alphabetically or chronologically, check with your instructor to see what he or she prefers.

Please see the  APA Examples page  for more information on citing in APA style.

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Annotated Bibliographies

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain why annotated bibliographies are useful for researchers, provide an explanation of what constitutes an annotation, describe various types of annotations and styles for writing them, and offer multiple examples of annotated bibliographies in the MLA, APA, and CBE/CSE styles of citation.

Introduction

Welcome to the wonderful world of annotated bibliographies! You’re probably already familiar with the need to provide bibliographies, reference pages, and works cited lists to credit your sources when you do a research paper. An annotated bibliography includes descriptions and explanations of your listed sources beyond the basic citation information you usually provide.

Why do an annotated bibliography?

One of the reasons behind citing sources and compiling a general bibliography is so that you can prove you have done some valid research to back up your argument and claims. Readers can refer to a citation in your bibliography and then go look up the material themselves. When inspired by your text or your argument, interested researchers can access your resources. They may wish to double check a claim or interpretation you’ve made, or they may simply wish to continue researching according to their interests. But think about it: even though a bibliography provides a list of research sources of all types that includes publishing information, how much does that really tell a researcher or reader about the sources themselves?

An annotated bibliography provides specific information about each source you have used. As a researcher, you have become an expert on your topic: you have the ability to explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with them. Think of your paper as part of a conversation with people interested in the same things you are; the annotated bibliography allows you to tell readers what to check out, what might be worth checking out in some situations, and what might not be worth spending the time on. It’s kind of like providing a list of good movies for your classmates to watch and then going over the list with them, telling them why this movie is better than that one or why one student in your class might like a particular movie better than another student would. You want to give your audience enough information to understand basically what the movies are about and to make an informed decision about where to spend their money based on their interests.

What does an annotated bibliography do?

A good annotated bibliography:

• encourages you to think critically about the content of the works you are using, their place within a field of study, and their relation to your own research and ideas.
• proves you have read and understand your sources.
• establishes your work as a valid source and you as a competent researcher.
• situates your study and topic in a continuing professional conversation.
• provides a way for others to decide whether a source will be helpful to their research if they read it.
• could help interested researchers determine whether they are interested in a topic by providing background information and an idea of the kind of work going on in a field.

What elements might an annotation include?

• Bibliography according to the appropriate citation style (MLA, APA, CBE/CSE, etc.).
• Explanation of main points and/or purpose of the work—basically, its thesis—which shows among other things that you have read and thoroughly understand the source.
• Verification or critique of the authority or qualifications of the author.
• Comments on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the topic being researched and/or your own research project.
• The point of view or perspective from which the work was written. For instance, you may note whether the author seemed to have particular biases or was trying to reach a particular audience.
• Relevant links to other work done in the area, like related sources, possibly including a comparison with some of those already on your list. You may want to establish connections to other aspects of the same argument or opposing views.

The first four elements above are usually a necessary part of the annotated bibliography. Points 5 and 6 may involve a little more analysis of the source, but you may include them in other kinds of annotations besides evaluative ones. Depending on the type of annotation you use, which this handout will address in the next section, there may be additional kinds of information that you will need to include.

For more extensive research papers (probably ten pages or more), you often see resource materials grouped into sub-headed sections based on content, but this probably will not be necessary for the kinds of assignments you’ll be working on. For longer papers, ask your instructor about their preferences concerning annotated bibliographies.

Did you know that annotations have categories and styles?

Decisions, decisions.

As you go through this handout, you’ll see that, before you start, you’ll need to make several decisions about your annotations: citation format, type of annotation, and writing style for the annotation.

First of all, you’ll need to decide which kind of citation format is appropriate to the paper and its sources, for instance, MLA or APA. This may influence the format of the annotations and bibliography. Typically, bibliographies should be double-spaced and use normal margins (you may want to check with your instructor, since they may have a different style they want you to follow).

MLA (Modern Language Association)

See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for basic MLA bibliography formatting and rules.

• MLA documentation is generally used for disciplines in the humanities, such as English, languages, film, and cultural studies or other theoretical studies. These annotations are often summary or analytical annotations.
• Title your annotated bibliography “Annotated Bibliography” or “Annotated List of Works Cited.”
• Following MLA format, use a hanging indent for your bibliographic information. This means the first line is not indented and all the other lines are indented four spaces (you may ask your instructor if it’s okay to tab over instead of using four spaces).
• Begin your annotation immediately after the bibliographic information of the source ends; don’t skip a line down unless you have been told to do so by your instructor.

APA (American Psychological Association)

See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for basic APA bibliography formatting and rules.

• Natural and social sciences, such as psychology, nursing, sociology, and social work, use APA documentation. It is also used in economics, business, and criminology. These annotations are often succinct summaries.
• Annotated bibliographies for APA format do not require a special title. Use the usual “References” designation.
• Like MLA, APA uses a hanging indent: the first line is set flush with the left margin, and all other lines are indented four spaces (you may ask your instructor if it’s okay to tab over instead of using four spaces).
• After the bibliographic citation, drop down to the next line to begin the annotation, but don’t skip an extra line.
• The entire annotation is indented an additional two spaces, so that means each of its lines will be six spaces from the margin (if your instructor has said that it’s okay to tab over instead of using the four spaces rule, indent the annotation two more spaces in from that point).

CBE (Council of Biology Editors)/CSE (Council of Science Editors)

See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for basic CBE/CSE bibliography formatting and rules.

• CBE/CSE documentation is used by the plant sciences, zoology, microbiology, and many of the medical sciences.
• Annotated bibliographies for CBE/CSE format do not require a special title. Use the usual “References,” “Cited References,” or “Literature Cited,” and set it flush with the left margin.
• Bibliographies for CSE in general are in a slightly smaller font than the rest of the paper.
• When using the name-year system, as in MLA and APA, the first line of each entry is set flush with the left margin, and all subsequent lines, including the annotation, are indented three or four spaces.
• When using the citation-sequence method, each entry begins two spaces after the number, and every line, including the annotation, will be indented to match the beginning of the entry, or may be slightly further indented, as in the case of journals.
• After the bibliographic citation, drop down to the next line to begin the annotation, but don’t skip an extra line. The entire annotation follows the indentation of the bibliographic entry, whether it’s N-Y or C-S format.
• Annotations in CBE/CSE are generally a smaller font size than the rest of the bibliographic information.

After choosing a documentation format, you’ll choose from a variety of annotation categories presented in the following section. Each type of annotation highlights a particular approach to presenting a source to a reader. For instance, an annotation could provide a summary of the source only, or it could also provide some additional evaluation of that material.

In addition to making choices related to the content of the annotation, you’ll also need to choose a style of writing—for instance, telescopic versus paragraph form. Your writing style isn’t dictated by the content of your annotation. Writing style simply refers to the way you’ve chosen to convey written information. A discussion of writing style follows the section on annotation types.

Types of annotations

As you now know, one annotation does not fit all purposes! There are different kinds of annotations, depending on what might be most important for your reader to learn about a source. Your assignments will usually make it clear which citation format you need to use, but they may not always specify which type of annotation to employ. In that case, you’ll either need to pick your instructor’s brain a little to see what they want or use clue words from the assignment itself to make a decision. For instance, the assignment may tell you that your annotative bibliography should give evidence proving an analytical understanding of the sources you’ve used. The word analytical clues you in to the idea that you must evaluate the sources you’re working with and provide some kind of critique.

Summary annotations

There are two kinds of summarizing annotations, informative and indicative.

Summarizing annotations in general have a couple of defining features:

• They sum up the content of the source, as a book report might.
• They give an overview of the arguments and proofs/evidence addressed in the work and note the resulting conclusion.
• They do not judge the work they are discussing. Leave that to the critical/evaluative annotations.
• When appropriate, they describe the author’s methodology or approach to material. For instance, you might mention if the source is an ethnography or if the author employs a particular kind of theory.

Informative annotation

Informative annotations sometimes read like straight summaries of the source material, but they often spend a little more time summarizing relevant information about the author or the work itself.

Indicative annotation

Indicative annotation is the second type of summary annotation, but it does not attempt to include actual information from the argument itself. Instead, it gives general information about what kinds of questions or issues are addressed by the work. This sometimes includes the use of chapter titles.

Critical/evaluative

Evaluative annotations don’t just summarize. In addition to tackling the points addressed in summary annotations, evaluative annotations:

• evaluate the source or author critically (biases, lack of evidence, objective, etc.).
• show how the work may or may not be useful for a particular field of study or audience.
• explain how researching this material assisted your own project.

Combination

An annotated bibliography may combine elements of all the types. In fact, most of them fall into this category: a little summarizing and describing, a little evaluation.

Writing style

Ok, next! So what does it mean to use different writing styles as opposed to different kinds of content? Content is what belongs in the annotation, and style is the way you write it up. First, choose which content type you need to compose, and then choose the style you’re going to use to write it

This kind of annotated bibliography is a study in succinctness. It uses a minimalist treatment of both information and sentence structure, without sacrificing clarity. Warning: this kind of writing can be harder than you might think.

Don’t skimp on this kind of annotated bibliography. If your instructor has asked for paragraph form, it likely means that you’ll need to include several elements in the annotation, or that they expect a more in-depth description or evaluation, for instance. Make sure to provide a full paragraph of discussion for each work.

As you can see now, bibliographies and annotations are really a series of organized steps. They require meticulous attention, but in the end, you’ve got an entire testimony to all the research and work you’ve done. At the end of this handout you’ll find examples of informative, indicative, evaluative, combination, telescopic, and paragraph annotated bibliography entries in MLA, APA, and CBE formats. Use these examples as your guide to creating an annotated bibliography that makes you look like the expert you are!

MLA Example

APA Example

CBE Example

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

American Psychological Association. 2010. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Bell, I. F., and J. Gallup. 1971. A Reference Guide to English, American, and Canadian Literature . Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

Bizzell, Patricia, and Bruce Herzburg. 1991. Bedford Bibliography for Teachers of Writing , 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford Books.

Center for Information on Language Teaching, and The English Teaching Information Center of the British Council. 1968. Language-Teaching Bibliography . Cambridge: Cambridge University.

Engle, Michael, Amy Blumenthal, and Tony Cosgrave. 2012. “How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography.” Olin & Uris Libraries. Cornell University. Last updated September 25, 2012. https://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/content/how-prepare-annotated-bibliography.

Gibaldi, Joseph. 2009. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , 7th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America.

Huth, Edward. 1994. Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers . New York: University of Cambridge.

Kilborn, Judith. 2004. “MLA Documentation.” LEO: Literacy Education Online. Last updated March 16, 2004. https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/mla.html.

Spatt, Brenda. 1991. Writing from Sources , 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin’s.

University of Kansas. 2018. “Bibliographies.” KU Writing Center. Last updated April 2018. http://writing.ku.edu/bibliographies .

University of Wisconsin-Madison. 2019. “Annotated Bibliography.” The Writing Center. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/annotatedbibliography/ .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography: The Annotated Bibliography

• The Annotated Bibliography
• Fair Use of this Guide

Explanation, Process, Directions, and Examples

What is an annotated bibliography.

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

Annotations vs. Abstracts

Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they may describe the author's point of view, authority, or clarity and appropriateness of expression.

The Process

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

Critically Appraising the Book, Article, or Document

For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, see How to Critically Analyze Information Sources . For information on the author's background and views, ask at the reference desk for help finding appropriate biographical reference materials and book review sources.

Choosing the Correct Citation Style

Check with your instructor to find out which style is preferred for your class. Online citation guides for both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles are linked from the Library's Citation Management page .

Sample Annotated Bibliography Entries

The following example uses APA style ( Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th edition, 2019) for the journal citation:

Waite, L., Goldschneider, F., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51 (4), 541-554. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

This example uses MLA style ( MLA Handbook , 9th edition, 2021) for the journal citation. For additional annotation guidance from MLA, see 5.132: Annotated Bibliographies .

Waite, Linda J., et al. "Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review, vol. 51, no. 4, 1986, pp. 541-554. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

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ENG 112: Essays and Annotated Bibliography (Moore - Loudoun)

• Argument Essay
• Topic Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Lateral Reading
• Citation & Plagiarism
• Recommended Databases

For individual research help, schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian.

• The "Ws" and You
• Confirmation Bias
• Implicit Bias
• More about Bias
• Check On It

Image via teachhub.com

To evaluate whether a post, article, or video is trustworthy, you can ask yourself: Who created it? What type of information is it? Where did you find it? When was it created and when was it last updated? Why is this a good source?

Once you have answered these questions (with the help of lateral reading--see the box below for more), you still need to check with one more source: yourself. What biases might you be holding? Click over to the next tab, Confirmation Bias, to find out.

See also: Evaluating Sources with the 5 Ws  from the Woodbridge Campus Library.

Watch this video from Derek Muller of Veritasium , and see if you can guess his number pattern.

How are the video participants experiencing confirmation bias ?

Watch this video, which uses peanut butter and jelly to explain the concept of implicit bias.

You can also go deeper by answering questions available on the PBS website while you watch.

• Headline Roundups AllSides Headline Roundups™ bring you the day's top news stories from the left, center and right of the political spectrum — side-by-side so you can see the full picture. Comparing coverage across the spectrum allows us to present diverse perspectives and expose media bias by showing how different news sources spin or sensationalize the same story.
• Red Blue Translator Controversial terms tend to shut down dialogue because they mean different things to different people. The AllSides Red Blue Translator™ cuts the confusion by revealing how people across the political spectrum think and feel differently about the same term or phrase. "Translated" terms include Abortion, Bailout, Capital Punishment/Death Penalty, Debate, Economy, and hundreds more.
• Fake News, Misinformation, and Media Bias The ability to tell accurate news from misinformation is an important skill that you'll use for the rest of your life. This guide from NOVA Libraries (Alexandria) will give you valuable insight in telling fact from fiction online.
• 16 Types of Media Bias This list from AllSides.com includes Spin, Unsubstantiated Claims, Opinion Statements Presented as Facts, Sensationalism/Emotionalism, Mudslinging/Ad Hominem, Mind Reading, Slant, Flawed Logic, Bias by Omission, Omission of Source Attribution, Bias by Story Choice and Placement, Subjective Qualifying Adjectives, Word Choice, Negativity Bias, Photo Bias, and Elite v. Populist Bias.

Here are 3 things to do to check a claim (for more details see How to Check a Claim from Alexandria Campus Library):

• Check with Fact-Checkers  - others may have already investigated this claim.
• Go to the Source  - who published the claim?
• What Do Others Say about the Source (Lateral Reading)?

Based on "Four Moves" from Michael A. Caulfield's  Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers .

Test your ability to spot fake pandemic-related news by playing the online game Factitious: Pandemic.

• What Is Lateral Reading?
• How to Read Laterally

"Lateral" means "from side to side." Picture your web browser with several tabs open. You can switch between these tabs to look up different information about an article that you are trying to evaluate. Before you can evaluate the content of the article, you want to know if you can trust the publisher and the author. Use different tabs in your web browser to check up on the publisher and the author: who is paying them; what are they trying to sell you; how qualified are they?

Click on "What Is Lateral Reading?" and "How to Read Laterally" (tabs above this text) for how-to videos.

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CCCC Writing Center

CCCC has an excellent writing center that can help you navigate the writing process including drafting your paper, creating a thesis and citing your research. Use the link below to learn how the writing center can help you! 

• CCCC Writing and Reading Center The Writing and Reading Center at Central Carolina Community College offers students assistance with building strong foundations of essential writing skills and effective reading comprehension skills. Students have access to a range of free services including one-on-one coaching, content specific workshops, and the added convenience of online assistance for distance and evening students. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are preferred and receive priority.

Writing an Annotated Bibliography: the Process

Take it step by step... 

Look for books and journal articles relevant to your topic. Choose works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.

Go to the Library's Summon Search link will open in a new window  to get started on this.

Make sure you're using the appropriate citation style!   Purdue OWL's citation guide link will open in a new window  can help you with formatting questions.

Who are the authors?  Do they have the expertise to be writing on this topic? Check out this guide's Citing Sources section link will open in a new window  for more information on this.

Was the article or book written for scholars or a general audience with little in-depth knowledge of the topic? How does the audience affect the information? 

How do the articles or books you're citing fit together?  Do they reference one another?  Do they form a dialog or                              conversation?

Determine how each article or book sheds new light on your topic.  What information do you learn from each resource that you didn't have before?

Putting it all together...

Put all these pieces together into a summary of each article or book you're citing.  Your summaries, or annotations, should be about 150 words in length.

For more help with your citations, check out the recommended resources below...

• MLA Format (Purdue OWL)
• Citation Machine

Contact your librarian 

Or use the links below to get more in-depth help and information.

• UNC-CH Writing Center's Guide to Annotated Bibliographies
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The Art of the Audio Essay PWR 2 Winter Quarter 2006 Jonah G. Willihnganz Stanford University

The Annotated Bibliography and Research Essay Outline Due Sunday Feb 12 at 6pm on Courseforum. Also bring 1 hard copy to class Monday Feb. 13.

Now that you have made a pitch, done some initial research, and begun to gather materials and audio for your essays, you are ready to assess your sources and how you will use them. This annotated bibliography is intended to help you begin to see (or hear) how your sources might best be positioned relative to one another and the point of view you are taking. It should also help you better identify the direction your piece is taking—almost always somewhat different from the initial direction you imagined. This prepatory work will make writing your script much easier.

What they are:

An Annotated Bibliography (4-6p) is a descriptive list of sources that help you construct a point of view about a particular subject. Each source is listed as it would be in a formal bibliography, following MLA style format, and followed by a short entry that identifies that source's main point of view and other elements depending on the nature of the source (see below). The bibliography should be single-spaced and formatted as below.

A Research Essay Outline is a brief (1-2 page) outline of the argument as you would make it in an research-based academic essay (e.g., in PWR1).The outline will help you develop an initial map for developing your essay's point of view. It will serve as a base-line for writing your script. The outline should be single-spaced and formatted as below.

The Annotated Bibliography: 1. Draft an annotated bibliography of 8 sources . The minimum number of secondary sources is 4; the minimum number of primary sources is 2. The maximum number of internet-only sources (web sites, eg) is 2. For each secondary source you should write at least 3 sentences in each of the following categories. For each primary source you should omit the Evaluation section but write more for the Argument and Methodology sections. Your argument section will state your interpretation of the source, the methodology section will describe how that meaning is produced.

For each source, give the full bibliographic entry (using proper MLA citation style) and then use these headings—e.g., “Argument: Jones suggests that juggling descended from the apes. . Methodology: Jones provides three kinds of evidence. . .” Each annotation should appear inset (indented) underneath each full bibliographic entry.

Argument . What is the main issue or problem addressed and how is it framed? What is the principal claim? If a primary source, what is your interpretation of the work’s meaning—its “argument” in literary/aesthetic form? Methodology . What kind of arguments, evidence and appeals are used to discuss an issue, or make a claim? If a primary source, consider the way the source constructs its message. This is essentially a short rhetorical analysis of the source, be it a history book, TV show or interview. Evaluation . What is the source’s credibility? What is its scope and level of specialization? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the case it makes? How do other sources or reviewers regard it and why? Value (to your project). What is the source’s relation to your project? How does it support, challenge, or alter your provisional thesis? What is it good for? How might you use it? This is the most important part of your annotation. Be sure to discuss how and where you might use the source in your piece.

Write one paragraph at the end of the bibliography that situates your provisional argument among these sources . Which sources allow you to describe the context and stakes of your argument? Which sources aid your claim? At what point in your essay do you imagine using some of the most important sources?

The Research Essay Outline

2 . Write a brief outline (1-2p) of the argument as you would make it in a conventional print essay. The outline indicate at the top the essay's title and the central question it is investingating and then be written as two columns. In the left-hand column provide a bullet-point progression of the essay, using section headings and brief sentences to indicate major points. In the right-hand column provide the purpose of each section and point—a meta-narrative about your rhetorical choices.

For example, you might in one section bring in expert testimony to corroborate a line of thinking. In the left-hand column you might write "Jurgen Habermas indicates the limits of a public sphere in capitalism" and in the right-hand column you might write "this helps introduce the critique I will develop of communitarian appraoches to social reform."

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How to write a good annotated bibliography?

Choose your format, evaluate your sources, write the annotation, proofread the annotated bibliography, view samples, how to evaluate your work.

An annotated bibliography is a piece of writing where you list sources, quotations and a short description from you. The goal of this task is to show your readers that your research is worth reading and it provides some specific value. You will also provide your readers with the information of how accurate and reliable your research is. Listing the sources is easy, but if you have over a hundred items, you will have difficulties with writing short descriptions and finding the best suiting citations. We value your time, so we can offer you our help with this task.

We’re offering you an annotated bibliography writing service where we will take a list of your books, articles and other sources and do this task for you. Here’s how we do it:

• You place an order on the site or send us a pm;
• We get the list of books from you and you give us your requirements;
• We analyze your sources, pick up the right quotes and craft short stories;
• You get the annotated bibliography essay on time.

You will save your time and you won’t need to try to fit a huge amount of information into a tiny paragraph. We guarantee a high quality of our work as we have a team of experienced writers.

How to write a bibliography essay: a step-by-step guide

There are three main approaches that you need to follow if you want to cope with the task yourself:

• A brief story;
• A thorough analysis;
• A complete library research.

Start with noting down or taking photos of the books, documents, other papers or any other resources that you have on the list. You will have plenty at the end to choose from. You will use these notes and photos to express your thoughts the right way.

There are two major types of the style that you can use in your academic papers: APA or MLA It’s good to find out which one you have to use before you start as you will spend much time trying to correct everything. The difference between the styles is in the position of the name of the author, book title, the publishing year and so on. The format for the annotation is one for both styles. The length of the annotation can be from one sentence to a few pages. The best way to find out how much you need to write is to ask you professor.

Don’t rush and think critically regarding the information that is presented in the book or the article. The process of evaluation is the following:

• You like it or not;
• You get the core message of the book or not;
• The information is related to the topic or not;
• The information is reliable or not;
• There are phrases or sentences for citations or not;
• There are any evaluation reviews for this source or not;
• You can find out the author’s credentials or not;
• The source is upt-date or not;
• Your professor approves this source or not.

Start writing your bibliography essay with a summary of the book. Think of the main ideas, arguments and topics that are described in the source. Ask yourself what this very source is about and think how would you answer to someone else. Think if it provides any value for people. Mention why you have chosen this source and if the information in it is reliable. Write how this source is related to the topic of your research and add a few words how it helped you to research the topic.

It’s an obvious step but there are many students that ignore it. The thing here is that you should be pretty much attentive to every period, coma, bracket or any other punctuation mark that you are using. The bibliography can be short and easy for revising. But if you have a list of 50 sources with long annotations, you will need a few days for proofreading.

You won’t be able to use any software. You will need to check every single detail especially if it’s your first try. Once you think that the job is done, take a nap or rest a while and come back to proofreading again. We recommend you to do at least three checks with some rest in between. This will make your brain notice even the slightest drawbacks.

It’s better to take this step before you write your own text or when you feel you’ve run out of ideas. You can see the style and you can see the way someone has crafted the annotation. Keep in mind that the bibliography for essay differs from the one in dissertation. Take a look at the structure of the annotation, what comes first and how the author expresses personal position. Of course, you can find some bad samples that will guide you to the wrong way, so don’t treat all the samples to be examples to follow.

Most of the students feel unsure about the value of their own work. Of course, you can choose the annotated bibliography writing service to assist you, but let’s talk about the evaluation of your own work. The first thing to do is reading your annotation as if you were someone else. Read aloud and record your reading. Ask anyone from your friends to listen to your reading. If you think that everything is awful, have some rest and show your annotation to your professor. And you will surely know what to do next.

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Writing an Annotated Bibliography

Definition: An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources, followed by a brief not, or annotation, that includes a summary and evaluation of each of the sources. Annotations describe the source’s content, assess the source for its usefulness to your research, and evaluate its validity and reliability.

Purpose: Annotations are written for a variety of reasons; they allow the writer as well as the reader to see what has been done in the literature, and where your own research fits in. They help the writer gain a better perspective on what has been discussed and said about their topic. They force the writer to think more critically about why they’re using a particular source in an essay. A good annotated bibliography can also help other researchers who are doing their own research on the same or a similar topic by summarizing possible sources to consider.

Annotation Length: While the length of annotations can vary depending on the purposes, an annotation is generally about a paragraph, and should be brief in length.

Annotations contain a summary and an evaluation of the source.

Summaries describe the scope of the source and the significant topics discussed within the source. To write a summary, ask yourself what the main argument is of the source? What is the topic? What is the author trying to explain or convince the audience of? What are the counter arguments, if any? Sometimes it helps to look at the abstract, if your source contains one.

Evaluations describe the strengths and weaknesses of the source. To evaluate a source, ask yourself how useful it is to you and your research? Is it biased? Is the information reliable or valid? Are the research methods accurate? What is this source trying to accomplish? Did it succeed? Depending on the project or assignment parameters, it is good to check in with your professor what the expectations are.

Citation Format: In addition to the summary and evaluation, an annotated bibliography includes the citation for each source. The citation format for annotated bibliographies can vary, from MLA, APA, ASA, Chicago style, etc., so it is important to check in with your professor and/or look at the assignment for specific guidelines.

Here are some suggestions on how to structure your writing in the annotations:

Identifying the purpose and argument of the piece

Consider writing … 

• X writes to explain ______________________________. 
• X calls for changes to _______________________________________. 
• X writes to describe ___________________________________. 
• X article explores [the challenges, misconceptions, opportunities, etc.] associated with ___________________. 
• X challenges the notion that ________________________________. 

Make clear when you are summarizing or paraphrasing vs. analyzing or responding to 

If summarizing or paraphrasing consider writing …

• Scholar X argues, “________________.” In other words, __________.
• Essentially, X argues __________________.
• X’s point, succinctly put, is that _________________.
• X writes, “__________.” Plainly put, ____________________________________.
• Politicians, X argues, should _______________________.
• X makes three key arguments in her article. These are: 1) ______________; 2) __________________; and 3) ________________________. 

Rule of thumb = after quoting your source, follow it up with at least one sentence of summary / explanation

If analyzing or responding consider writing ... 

• On the one hand, I agree with X that _________. But on the other hand, I still insist that ______________________.
• X overlooks what I consider an important point about _____________. 
• My own view is that what X insists is a _________________ is in fact a ___________. 
• I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls __________________. 
• These conclusions, which X discusses, add weight to the argument that _____________________________. 
• X is right that ______________________________. 
• Adding to X’s argument, I would point out that _______________. 

Opportunity to ask questions

Don’t forget that you can ask and write questions in your ann. bib. entries! This can be a great drafting/revising space for your own research question.

• This article makes me wonder ____________________________________. 
• X’s point raises the question of whether _________________________________. 
• Given what X argued, I want to know more about __________________________. 

Note: These sentence templates are based on those offered in They Say, I Say (5th ed.) by Graff, Birkenstein, & Durst 

Writing Annotations : Sentence Starters

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What is an Annotated Bibliography?

Writing an annotation.

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An annotated bibliography is the  full citation  of a source followed by  notes and commentary about a source . The word “annotate” means “critical or explanatory notes” and the word “bibliography” means “a list of sources”. 

Annotations are meant to be  critical  in addition to being  descriptive . Annotated bibliographies are useful because they present a list of resources that others can use for research, and each resource has information that describes what is in it and that evaluates it (describes what makes it unique, useful, or helpful).

This video below provides an overview of how to create an annotated bibliography including evaluating resources, writing annotations, creating APA references, and formatting the final document in the APA style. 

An annotated bibliography comprises the complete APA reference for a source followed by notes and commentary about that source. The word “annotate” means “critical or explanatory notes,” and the word “bibliography” means “a list of sources”.  Annotations are intended to be critical in addition to being descriptive.

Annotations are generally between five to seven sentences in length and appear directly under the APA reference. The entire annotation is indented 0.5 inches from the left margin and lines up with the hanging indent of the APA reference.

Use the question prompts below as a guide when writing annotations:

2 to 4 sentences to summarize the main idea(s) of the source.

• What are the main arguments?
• What is the point of this book/article?
• What topics are covered?

1 or 2 sentences to assess and evaluate the source.

• How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography?
• Is this information reliable? current?
• Is the author credible? have the background to write on this topic?
• Is the source objective or biased?

1 or 2 sentences to reflect on the source.

• Was this source helpful to you?
• How can you use this source for your research project?
• Has it changed how you think about your topic?
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Methods of Brainstorming

Brainstorming is another word for thinking. Specifically, it is a lot of thinking at one time about a given topic. Some people organize as they brainstorm, others spill out ideas as quickly as they can without worrying about organization.

There are as many different ways of brainstorming as there are people who brainstorm. Human minds all work differently, so different techniques have been developed to help everyone come up with ideas. The following resources offer a variety of brainstorming options.

Try several different techniques until you find one or two that work especially well for you.

• UNC Writing Center The University of Northern Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center offers up descriptions of 13 brainstorming techniques, including freewriting, listing, and mapping. _________________________________________

This video reminds us that research is not about having the answers at the outset of the process.  It is about exploring an idea to learn more about a topic.

The next video provides insight into how to use brainstorming maps to develop ideas and areas where further research can be explored:

Before You Begin Writing

1.  make sure you understand the guidelines; review the expectations for the assignment & ask any lingering questions you have about the project.   , 2.  consult with your instructor and tutors who can review the guidelines and assist you in understanding the requirements., 3.  use the guidelines as an ongoing checklist to assure you have met the required elements of the project., 4.  organize your notes and research ahead of the writing process., 5.  format your document in the required apa or mla style before you begin to write., shaping an essay.

Helpful Free Tools

NoodleTools is a wonderful online platform that assists students in the writing and research process. This tool is particularly helpful for creating and storing citations and annotations all in one place, with the option to create an annotated bibliography draft based on the material entered or imported onto the platform.

NoodleTools is free for Ivy Tech students (and faculty) to use with a basic sign up process , and additional guidance on how to use it is available from the Library Director.

Annotation & Bibliographies

• Complete Guide to Understanding & Writing the Annotated Bib [Video]
• Annotation Criteria Checklist

Audience Analysis

Audience analysis is a common requirement in writing classes, as well as communication classes.

When you are asked to analyze an audience, you are being asked to consider how your readers (or listeners) bring their own backgrounds, values, thoughts, and opinions of a topic to the table and how these audience elements might affect the way they respond to your own ideas or opinions.

Always refer to your assignment guidelines, but as a general framework, analyzing audience members using these parameters is often a good way to create a deep and thorough consideration of your audience and how these details might influence the way they might embrace--or reject--a subject you want to present to them:

Economic status 

Social status, religious beliefs, educational background, geographical location, how do these elements possibly affect the audience's reception of your ideas, eliminating personal pronouns.

Unless specified otherwise by an instructor, college writing does not involve the use of personal pronouns, especially in persuasive or argumentative writing.

Eliminating these pronouns from an essay is part of audience awareness.  When these pronouns are used, the writing becomes about you, the writer--and not about the general essay topic.

The use of these pronouns can also alienate or offend an audience and prevents readers from being persuaded to agree on controversial subjects.

Avoid using the following pronouns in essays:

First Person Pronouns to AVOID USING

• I'm or I am

Second Person Pronouns to AVOID USING

• You're or You are

Here's an example of this writing mistake and how to correct it:

Using the second person "you" pronoun in this way makes assumptions of the reader. Not all people smoke marijuana, and in fact, some people would be very offended by writing that implies that they do.

Note how this sentence is specific (not just "people" but "Indiana citizens ") as well as objective.  By eliminating "you" from the sentence, it no longer implies that the reader smokes marijuana.. 

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Summary Response Essays

Writing a quality summary response essay requires close reading and annotation skills.

CLOSE READING  involves asking questions about the text as you read it (or about a film as you watch it):

• What is the theme of the story, essay, or film?  What is the author trying to relate to an audience?
• What are the important details provided in the text?  How do the details contribute to the theme?
• How does the author use his or her tools (images, word choices, certain scenes or information) to support the ideas expressed in the text?

See these additional resources regarding how to accomplish college level close reading:

• How to Do Close Reading
• Writing About Literature and Fiction_Avoiding Pitfalls

The following documents can also assist in creating and shaping a summary response essay:

• Summary Response Elements Overview
• Summary Response Worksheet

Understanding Cross-Referencing

1. An in-text citation , which is an abbreviated form of the source citation included in the essay portion of the project

2. A full citation , which is included at the end of the project on a Works Cited page, References list, or whatever type of research format is required for the assignment.

One of your roles as a researcher and writer is assuring this cross-referencing technique is in place and has been used correctly so your readers have a very clear picture of where your research was derived, who provided the research, and how readers can follow your research trail to explore the source material themselves.

Here is an example of cross-referencing in APA 7th edition style:

According to Jones (2022), "Student researchers prefer APA to MLA at a rate of 4 to 1" (p.24).

This in-text citation tells readers that Jones made this statement in source material published in 2022. But the in-text citation also guides readers to the APA References list at the end of the essay for more information regarding the source material:

Jones , S. (2023) . Student research method preferences.  Journal of Research Studies,  12 (3), 19- 24 . https://doi.org/12.3210000

Because this source was fully cross-referenced, readers know that the quote from Jones came from this article on page 24 of the publication. And the article can be located using the information provided in the References list citation.

The same source would look like the following in MLA citation style:

According to Jones, "Student researchers prefer APA to MLA at a rate of 4 to 1"  (24).

Jones, Susan. "Student Research Method Preferences."  Journal of Research Studies, vol. 12, no.3,  2023, pp.19- 24 . doi:12.3210000.

Investigation Essays

The journalist's questions.

The purpose of an Investigation essay is typically to examine a topic from multiple perspectives and then synthesize those perspectives tor the audience. 

The Journalist's Questions are often helpful in shaping this type of examination of opinions or ideas. As you look at the sources you have gathered about your topic, ask yourself

• WHO  said WHAT about the topic?
• WHEN  was it said and  WHERE  was the opinion made available? 
• WHY is the opinion relevant to the debate or exchange of ideas?
• HOW  does this opinion or perspective compare to other perspectives you have found in your research?

Answer these questions for yourself as you examine each source for the essay and you should also be able to express your thoughts in an organized manner for each of the sources you are discussing.

Investigation essays require writers to compare and contrast different perspectives or opinions. These types of essays are also a good time to practice the use of transitional words or phrases to move the writing from one idea to the next.  Here are some common transitional words or phrases.  Note how these phrases are offset from the rest of a sentence using a comma.

• In comparison, 
• In contrast, 
• For example,
• Furthermore,
• Additionally,
• However, 

Basic usage example:

Smith believes that service animals should be allowed on airplanes.  In contrast, Jones is opposed to service animals in any public space.

• List of Helpful Transitions A handy list of transitional words and phrases that can assist in moving smoothly from one idea or perspective to another. Note also that transitions can be used to move from one paragraph to another.

Researched Argument Essays

• Toulmin vs. Rogerian Argument Methods
• Toulmin Argument Worksheet
• Rogerian Argument Worksheet
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