Annotated Citations

Why annotate?

Annotations show that you did valid research with reputable sources.

You are now an expert in your topic. Annotations explain to your audience why your source was a good one.

Annotations provide information about how you used your source to support your conclusions.

Contents of Annotations

Paragraph 1: The author should be identified and his/her qualifications or expertise noted. The publication should be recognized for its quality or reputation and the article should be timely.

Paragraph 2: A summary of what information was provided and learned from the article and how it helped in comprehending the topic or how it influenced your thinking about the topic.

Research the author

Author information is sometimes included under the article

Newspaper bylines usually include a link to other articles written by the author

• Note what other types of articles are typical of this writer

Read laterally; open a new tab and search for more information about the author