Annotated Bibliographies
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography consists of two parts:
The Bibliography
The Annotations
A bibliography is the citation information you normally include at the end of your research paper. It is a list of sources, such as books, eBooks, journal articles, websites. A bibliography may also be called "References" or "Works Cited," depending on the citation style you are using.
The annotations are brief notes for each source listed in the bibliography. What exactly is contained in an annotation depends on your instructor's preferences, but typically it includes some sort of summary and/or evaluation.
Why Use an Annotated Bibliography?
Many students think an annotated bibliography is just "busy work", but completing an annotated bibliography before a large research project is very helpful.
Annotated bibliographies help you understand your sources more fully which helps you prepare for writing your research paper. An annotated bibliography allows you to:
Critically evaluate the resources you choose
Review available literature on a specific topic
Identify any gaps in your research before you start writing
Example
We have provided an example annotated bibliography for APA. Remember, the only thing that would change if you're not using APA is the citation style. The annotations will remain very similar, unless your instrcutor has different requirements.
You can find additional examples of annotated bibliographies using various citation styles on Purdue OWL's website.
Citation Help
If you need help with citing your sources, the HJF Library has guides for APA, Chicago, MLA & CSE Science!
Writing Help
Having trouble with getting started on your paper? Would you like your paper edited before turning it in? Contact the Writing Center for help!
Introduction to Bibliographies
Most students are familiar with and may have even written a bibliography before. A bibliography is a list of sources, such as books, eBooks, journal articles, websites. It is normally found at the end of your paper or other research projects.
A standard bibliography includes the citation information for each source: author(s), date of publication, title, and publisher's information, as well as other information depending on the type of source.
A bibliography (the common term used in Chicago style) may also be called "References" in APA style or "Works Cited" in MLA style.
⚠️ NOTE: This guide will give you basic directions on how to complete a bibliography. As always, follow the guidelines given to you by your instructor.
Rules to Follow
Your bibliography should list your citations in alphabetical order
The whole document should be double-spaced throughout
The first line of each citation should be flush with the left-side margin. All subsequent lines in each citation should be indented one-half inch. This is called a hanging indent.
Follow the appropriate citation style's individual guidelines for spacing, punctuation, capitalization, etc. Most instructors will give you a citation style to follow. If you are unsure, ask.
Introduction to Annotations
Annotations are brief notes for each source listed in the bibliography. Annotations can vary in length from a few sentences to a few pages. What exactly is contained in an annotation depends on your instructor's preferences, but typically it includes three parts:
Summary
Assessment
Reflection
Again, some annotations may contain all of these parts. Other annotations may only include one or two. Make sure to follow your instructor's guidelines!
**NOTE: The following examples vary in length and content. Keep this in mind when viewing the examples and always follow the instructions you were given by your instructor.
Rules to Follow
The Summary:
The summary should be written in your own words. To help you write the summary, ask yourself these questions: What are the main arguments the author(s) is making? What topics are covered? If you were asked what this article is about, what would you say?
The Assessment:
The assessment is an evaluation of a source. Ask yourself: What are the credentials of the author? Is the information provided in the source reliable? Is the source objective or biased in any way? Is the goal of this source to persuade or inform?
The Reflection:
The reflection is based on how your source fits into your own research. Ask yourself: How does this source help shape your argument? What parts of your research does this source help support? Has this source changed how you think about your research?