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Bibliography vs. Abstract vs. Annotated
- Cornell University Library Excellent source describing how to prepare an annotated bibliography
Bibliography
- Also referred to as “references” and “works cited.”
- An alphabetical list of books, journal articles, websites, etc., which you used to write your paper.
- Made up of “citations” which include, author, title, publisher, date of publication, and for journal articles volume and issue number
- Summarizes the work
- Usually short
- Normally do not include an evaluation of the work itself
Annotated Bibliography
- Adds descriptive and evaluative information to the citation
- 150 words (1 paragraph)
- addresses relevancy, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited
- not the same as an “abstract”
LINKS TO EXAMPLES:
- University of Washington -- Bothell Library
- University Library (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Bibliography vs. Abstract vs. Annotated Example
- Example of Bibliography, Abstract, Annotated Bibliography
- Comparing the Annotated Bibliography to the Literature Review
Formatting the Annotated Bibliography
Annotated bibliographies are descriptive and evaluative lists of resources. Annotated bibliographies start with a citation which is followed by a brief paragraph that describes and also evaluated the information.
The citations (bibliographic information - title, date, author, publisher, etc.) in the annotated bibliography are formatted ASPA.
Annotations are written in paragraph form, usually 3-7 sentences (or 80-200 words). Depending on your assignment your annotations will generally include the following:
- Summary: Summarize the information given in the source. Note the intended audience. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say?
- Evaluate/Assess: Is this source credible? Who wrote it? What are their credentials? Who is the publisher? Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
- Reflect/React: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. State your reaction and any additional questions you have about the information in your source. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic. Compare each source to other sources in your AB in terms of its usefulness and thoroughness in helping answer your research question.
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Writing An Annotated Bibliography
This is a general guide to writing annotated bibliographies. Before beginning to write your own annotated bibliography, always look at the course assignment sheet or check with your professor for specific instructions.
What is the Difference Between a Bibliography and an Annotated Bibliography?
- A bibliography is an organized list of works consulted when you are doing research on a particular topic, composed using the standard disciplinary referencing style (MLA, Chicago, APA, CSE, etc.), and placed at the end of a paper, journal article, chapter, or book
- the citation in the proper referencing style
- a one-paragraph discussion (or "annotation") of the source listed above
How is the Annotation in an Annotated Bibliography Different from an Abstract?
- An abstract is a descriptive summary of a single longer text, with content summarized in the same order as the original. It is often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles, in periodical indexes, or in electronic databases
- An annotation enables readers to see the relationship of a number of written works to each other and in the context of the topic studied
- Although what is required in annotated bibliographies differs from discipline to discipline, many annotations are both descriptive and critical and illustrate the writer's library research skills, summarizing expertise, point of view, analytical ability, and understanding of the field
What is the Purpose of an Annotated Bibliography?
- To present the reader with a fairly comprehensive, yet focused, selection of the scholarly sources on a given topic
- Provide a bird's-eye view or general review of a specialized field
- More narrowed prelude to a proposal for future study or to a review of literature
The disciplinary area and purpose of an individual annotated bibliography will determine its character. However, in most cases, it is your chance to:
- Provide an overview of your topic and illustrate that you know your subject well
- Show off your abilities to do bibliographical research
- Identify the theses or arguments of the books and articles you have chosen
- Place research on a particular topic in an historical context
- Assess the value of the reference for other scholars in the field and thus participate in the conversation of your academic community
- Describe the usefulness of the texts for your own research and distinguish areas for further research, thus helping you find your own way toward a working thesis argument
How Should You Format Your Annotated Bibliography?
Each entry in an annotated bibliography provides full bibliographical information (normally in the style* your department or discipline requires), then a paraphrase of, or commentary on, the source. Depending on the length of the annotated bibliography, these entries will be listed either alphabetically (typical in a short student paper), by ascending date, or by topic (in a long student paper). *Note that each style guide suggests its own way of setting up an annotated bibliography.
There are also two writing styles in annotated bibliographies: one is to write in sentences, and the other, emphasizing conciseness, is to write in a kind of point-form using phrases rather than sentences. None of the examples in this handout uses the latter style, but an example of the point-form (or telegraphic style) would be: "An historical view of research in the field in the last century. Contains brief descriptions of important legislation." Ask your professor which style is preferable.
The text of an annotation normally ranges from two to ten sentences. This forces you to focus on the central ideas in the text and to write objectively.
A long annotated bibliography may be preceded by an introduction to the topic chosen, with a discussion of the rationale behind the selection of the entries for the bibliography as well as the exclusion of others, and the timeframe covered. In a very long annotated bibliography, the entries are often numbered (see examples A and B), but this is rare in student papers. As suggested above, other options for longer annotated bibliographies would be to arrange entries under topic and subtopic headings, or in chronological order. Again, check with your professor to find out what organizational style is preferred.
What Referencing Style Should You Use in an Annotated Bibliography?
Generally, MLA, Chicago, or APA style is used, although, as you can see from several of our examples in this handout, this is not always the case in some disciplines. Ask your professor what referencing style you should use. But whatever style you use, make sure the appearance and form are consistent throughout your text.
The Process of Writing and Annotated Bibliography
1. find and record citations for books, journal articles, and other primary documents on your topic, what types of sources should you be looking for and how can you find them.
- This depends upon the discipline, but one good rule is to have some primary sources (original texts, research reports, or documents) as well as secondary (from academic journal articles where a learned author is analyzing other people's work). In the sciences, published journal articles in which scientists are reporting their own research are primary sources
- Try to find published bibliographies (in books, journals, or online) to get a quick start. Look in the Book Review Index for reviews of books, or in online biographical sources to find out more about authors
- Look at reference lists or bibliographies in related (and preferably recent) articles and books. Repeated names indicate that these are essential sources and you should probably include them in your bibliography
- The sources you choose should have some value to your own research question. Even if they don't bear directly on your subject, they might use a theoretical framework that you can apply to (or reject for) your own work
- When you are using a database, note keywords or synonyms you might use as alternatives to find materials that are related to your area of interest
- Use a citation manager to collect citations and record summaries
- When you begin to work on your annotations, start with the major scholarly works first. (You will recognize them as the works most referred to and most cited in other reference lists.) This will give you a good grounding and provide the context for the rest of your entries
How can you evaluate your sources while reading?
- Skim abstracts, prefaces, tables of contents, and indexes to see if it will be useful for you to read the text thoroughly. Remember to check for synonyms to describe your topic if you can't find the exact word or phrase readily in the index
- Take notes as you read. Bibliographic details, a summary of contents, notations of methodology, theoretical perspective, pertinence to your project, and biographical data (about the author) can be stapled to photocopies or printouts of papers, or paper-clipped to books
- Make a chart. Down the side write the names of the authors and texts, and along the top write important sub-topics (such as the author's reputation or background, intended audience, theoretical perspective, centrality to your own research topic, contributions to the field, gaps in the approach, evidence used, comprehensiveness of coverage, level of generality, accuracy of details, date of source, etc.). This will allow you to compare and contrast the value of the works from your chosen perspectives
2. Choose how you will organize your annotated bibliography
- Remember, there are three ways of organizing your annotated bibliography: by author alphabetically, by date, or by subtopics or sections. The latter will not be necessary in a very short paper
- Decide whether you need to write a paragraph as a preface, explaining the scope of your annotated bibliography (within certain dates, within geographic parameters, only in a certain genre, etc.), or noting any other particulars (such as abbreviations, etc.). Most of the time, undergraduate annotated bibliographies are relatively short and simple, and will not need such a preface
3. Write your annotations and save them in a file
- As soon as you read each work, compose what you think is a finished annotation for that text and proofread it while you still have the text in front of
- you to check for any errors. Save your entry for the finished draft of your paper. Don't just make brief notes that you intend to return to when you are writing up your final draft, since later you may not remember what you meant when you made the note
- After finishing a few entries, check to see that that the taxonomy and annotation style is appropriate for your purposes. You may find at this stage that your first entries are too wordy and include too much detail, or that your entries are stylistically inconsistent. Don't worry; that's normal at this stage
- Decide what you need to do to make all of your entries appropriate and consistent; revise what you have done, and continue to create the rest of your annotations with the first entries as a guide
4. After you have written your first draft, check it over
- First, check each citation for accuracy and consistency. Have you focused on the major points of the text? Make sure that you have not mixed the two types of annotated bibliography, with some as only paraphrases, and others as commentary or critical annotations
- Then, check your assignment instructions once again to make certain you have included all the elements you need in each annotation. To do this, make up a checklist and compare each entry against the list
- Read through your document for errors in grammar, punctuation, and style, and to make sure that your annotations (a) are accurate in their description of the original texts, and (b) read logically and coherently. Be sure to note (and check for accuracy) any odd spellings of names
- Check your tenses and be as consistent as is logically possible. Historical present is the tense most commonly used (the use of the present tense to refer to an event in the past), e.g., "Sedgewick relies on ridicule, sarcasm and fear-mongering to argue…." There may be some reasons to use the past tense, i.e., reporting on a paper you heard delivered at a conference, e.g., "The presenter spoke about artistic autonomy" or referring to an historical event in the past, e.g., "Brecht's thought was undergoing radicalization during and after the collaborations."
- Avoid the passive voice if at all possible, e.g., Change "Artistic autonomy was spoken about by the presenter" to "The presenter spoke about artistic autonomy."
- Make certain that you have avoided using quotations, except when the words quoted are important terms that you wish to highlight
- Look over your work to see if you have used key annotation verbs such as demonstrates, asserts, speculates
Samples from Annotated Bibliographies
Annotated bibliographies in the arts & social sciences vs. the sciences.
In the arts and some social sciences, annotated bibliographies will be judged by how critical and analytical they are and often by how the writer links the text's usefulness to his or her potential or imaginary research project. In the sciences and some of the more scientific of the social sciences, annotated bibliographies are rarely used; when they are used, they will often be primarily summary or descriptive—that is, they will paraphrase the original text.
1. Summary or Descriptive Annotations
The purpose of the summary or descriptive annotated bibliography is to give the reader a summary of the main findings or arguments in a source with no analysis or evaluation. Although annotated bibliographies are rarely used in the sciences, when they are used they often take this form. The following sample is from a scientific source 1. Note that this bibliographic entry follows a scientific referencing style. It is all single-spaced, and the annotation is numbered (e.g., 1312) since it is taken from a long book that is an annotated bibliography.
1312. Wilson, M.C. (1996): Late Quaternary vertebrates and the opening of the ice-free corridor, with special reference to the genus Bison. Quarternary International 32: 97-105. One way to gauge the ecological opening of the ice-free corridor is to establish the chronology for the arrival of immigrant animal species. Bison (Bison) have excellent potential because of the abundance of their remains. Bison of 'southern' appearance [referable to ancient bison (Bison bison antiquus)] were present as far N [sic] as the Peace River region until about 10,000 B.P. Bison populations in western Canada apparently underwent a rapid change at that time, such that barely 500 years later, bison of 'northern' appearance [referable to western bison (Bison bison occidentalis)] were established. The rapidity and pervasiveness of this change seem to defy an evolutionary explanation rooted in punctuated equilibrium or phenotypic change, and could indicate a sudden population influx through the newly opened corridor.
2. Critical Annotations
A critical annotation goes beyond simple summarizing of the material in the original.
- It evaluates the reliability of the information presented; the authors' credentials (outlier or influential?); the value of the reference for other scholars; and, if relevant, the appropriateness of the methodologies followed
- It evaluates the conclusions, and discusses how successfully the authors achieve their aims. If the annotated bibliography is intended as a first step to a review of literature leading to a major paper, thesis, or dissertation, then it will also evaluate how useful the information and methodological approaches will be for someone doing research on a particular project
- It may also indicate your own critical reactions to the sources
This might be done by indicating whether the information presented is at odds with other authors' findings or approaches to the subject— and hypothesizing why. For example, did this writer have access to sources that former writers were unable to access; did the writer fail to take important information into consideration? Did the author take a certain approach as the result of a particular theoretical viewpoint? It is always important to note when the author of one of the texts in your annotated bibliography is an outlier (espousing an opinion or approach that is different from the majority).
In the following examples, the critical comments are highlighted in bold text.
Example A—MLA Style:
In the first example 2, the style is MLA, and the original author has used an abbreviation for the title of the journal. Such abbreviations would be used only when the same journal titles are repeated often in a long annotated bibliography and when the abbreviations are identified in a preface to the annotations. Note that in MLA style the left margin should be 1 inch, with double-spacing between and within entries, and the second or subsequent lines should be indented a further ½ inch. Note also that the actual annotation does not begin on a separate line from the citation. You will not normally need to assign a number for each citation unless you are so instructed.
556. Fisher, Alexander J. "Paul Hindemith, Gottfried Benn, and the Defense of the Autonomy of Art in the Late Weimar Republic." HJb 28 (1999): 11-53. Useful but uneven article suggesting that Hindemith's desire to collaborate with Brecht and Benn was motivated by his desire to maintain the artistic autonomy of music against its appropriation by various social agendas (Lehrstück and Lindberghflug as a reaction to the cultural conservatism of the Jugendmusikbewegung; Das Unaufhörliche as a reaction to Brecht's socialism). Hindemith's incomplete understanding of the collaborators' agendas may not have been entirely his fault, as Brecht's thought was undergoing radicalization during and after the collaborations; Benn's nihilism was much less known by the reading public than was his stance on art, and his susceptibility to Nazi ideology apparent only in retrospect. All this is correct up to a point; however, the article falters, as did Hindemith, by failing to acknowledge or challenge the leftist critique that artistic autonomy itself entails a socio-political agenda. Perhaps this explains Fisher's account of Hindemith's attempt to achieve a modus vivendi with the Nazis, which includes the obligatory citations from the Mathis libretto, but is disturbing for being offered (in stark contrast to his analyses of the Brecht and Benn collaborations) almost entirely without commentary, let alone critical evaluation.
Example B—APA Style:
This example 3 focuses on methodological questions and usefulness, and in this case the annotation notes that the article's usefulness is for instructors in Family Studies. An annotated bibliography written by a student will typically focus on the usefulness for the research s/he is either hypothetically or actually going to undertake. Once again, the analytical part of the entry is highlighted in bold text. The APA Publication Manual doesn't have any guidelines for annotated bibliographies, but their organization says that the following layout would fit well in a paper otherwise formatted in APA style. It is double-spaced, with hanging indents for the second line of the citation, a space between the citation and the annotation, and a block indented two more spaces for the annotation.
Thompson, L. (1992). Feminist methodology for family studies. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 3-18. Research methodology encompasses agenda, epistemology, ethics, and methods. Thompson illustrates each of these aspects of methodology with feminist examples from family studies. In so doing, she moves the literature of feminist research beyond the debate of qualitative versus quantitative methods. This article can be assigned to students regardless of whether they are using a feminist perspective in order to assist them in clarifying for themselves how they are addressing these aspects of methodology in their own research.
Example C—Chicago style:
The following excerpt from a student paper 4 annotates a primary source (the text of an original speech). This annotated bibliography was a preliminary step to a thesis researching the history of women and education. The bolded text in the second sentence indicates the writer's analysis of the rhetorical methods used in the primary source, and we can see in the final bolded sentence a suggestion of one of the themes ("the tactics and rhetoric employed by those opposed to equality in educational and professional opportunities") that she may go on to explore in her own thesis. There is a hanging indent after the first line of the citation, and the rest of the annotation continues on with the same hanging indent. Unlike MLA style, there is no double-spacing. Chicago Style has two systems of formatting the actual citation (but not the annotation), depending on whether you use notes (footnotes/endnotes) or the author-date system. Be sure to check the 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style or the Learning Commons handout on Chicago referencing style to find out the differences. This example follows Chicago's "notes and bibliography" citation style.
Sedgewick, R. "The Proper Sphere and Influence of Women in Christian Society [1856]." In The Proper Sphere: Woman's Place in Canadian Society, edited by R. Cook and W. Mitchinson, 8–34. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1976. This is the text of a November 1856 speech that Reverend Robert Sedgewick delivered at the Halifax YMCA. Focusing on the biblical debate that women are meant to be the help-meets of men, Sedgewick relies on ridicule, sarcasm and fear-mongering to argue that it is in the best interest of society to restrict women from courses of education that would take them outside of the home. This speech serves as an excellent example of the tactics and rhetoric employed by those opposed to equality in educational and professional opportunities.
Links to Web Resources on Annotated Bibliographies
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Annotated Bibliography Example: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/02/
MORE INFORMATION?
1 C. R. Harington, ed., Annotated Bibliography of Quaternary Vertebrates of Northern North America: with Radiocarbon Dates (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003), 318–19.
2 Luttman, Stephen, Paul Hindemith: A Guide to Research (New York: Routledge, 2005).
3 Humble, Áine M., et al., "Feminism and Mentoring of Graduate Students," Family Relations 55 (January 2006): 2.
**Information originally located at http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/get-assistance/writing/specific-types-papers/writing-annotated-bibliography
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Creating an Annotated Bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography:.
Annotated bibliographies are lists of sources, with a brief description of the source below each item. Basically, it is a references list with a descriptive paragraph below each citation
What Components are necessary to create an annotation?
Citation: This should be the full APA citation for the resource. It should look identical to citations found in a references list at the end of a paper. Each citation should be alphabetical order.
Annotation: This is a short paragraph (or two), describing, analyzing, and critiquing each resource. The annotation goes directly below the citation. The annotation should be more in-depth than just a summary. There should be an analysis of the resource that goes along with the description. The annotations shouldn't just describe what the source is about, but also how it adds evidence to your specific research question. What is unique about the information presented in this source that will help build an argument? There should also be an evaluative description of the resource that discusses the appropriateness of the resource. It should answer questions like currency, author credibility, suitability of source type, types of evidence presented, and source objectivity.
Other Annotated Bibliography Resources:
- How to Write an Annotated Bibliography (University of Maryland Library)
- The Annotated Bibliography (Cornell University Library)
Example Annotations
- Purdue OWL -- Annotated Bibliography Samples Scroll down to find the example in APA format.
- Annotated Bibliography Example
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APSA Political Science Citation Guide: Annotated Bibliography
- 4 Easy Steps to Referencing
- Annotated Bibliography
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What is an Annotated Biblography?
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 expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.
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.
Sample Annotated Bibliography - ASPA
BOOK Example:
Davis, Natalie Zemon. 1985. The Return of Martin Guerre . Harmondsworth: Penguin. This narrative is the main focus of my argument. A valuable contribution to the understanding of the Martin Guerre story, with considerable detail and references to ambiguities which create a large number of interesting and innovative approaches to the study of sixteenth-century French peasantry.
JOURNAL ARTICLE Examples:
Davis, Natalie Zemon. 1988. “On the Lame.” American Historical Review 93, (3): 572-603. In this article, Davis thoroughly defends her interpretation of the Martin Guerre story, outlining the reasoning behind her approaches, and contributing more complexity to her characterizations. This article informed much of my approach to Davis’ interpretation.
Pringle, Helen and Elizabeth W. Prior. 1986. “Inventing Martin Guerre: An Interview with Natalie Zemon Davis.” Southern Review 19 (3): 229-241. Davis makes clear her intentions to depict the story of Martin Guerre as one revealing many ambiguities. A notable element of this interview was the influence on Davis when observing Gerard Depardieu assume his role for the movie. Entertaining to read Davis’ thoughts in the form of an interview, expressed in a simple and direct manner, which assisted my understanding of her approaches to The Return of Martin Guerre.
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- What is an annotated bibliography?
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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.
Permission to use all content in the tabs on this page granted from: Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services Cornell University Library Ithaca, NY, USA
This guide shared under a Creative Commons Commons Deed, version 2.0 regarding attribution, noncommercial use, and "Share Alike" reuse.
WRITING AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
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 -- here is a page explaining and offering examples of the different major citation styles.
- 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.
SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE
The following example uses APA style ( Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 6th edition, 2010) for the journal citation:
Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51 , 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 , 8th edition, 2016) for the journal citation:
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.
- Additional examples from Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
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What is an Annotated Bibliography?
A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called "References" or "Works Cited" depending on the style format you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following.
- Summarize : Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.
- Assess : After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
- Reflect : Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?
Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all of these, or even others. If you're doing this for a class, you should get specific guidelines from your instructor.
Why should I write an annotated bibliography?
To learn about your topic : Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information. At the professional level, annotated bibliographies allow you to see what has been done in the literature and where your own research or scholarship can fit. To help you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view.
To help other researchers : Extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies are sometimes published. They provide a comprehensive overview of everything important that has been and is being said about that topic. You may not ever get your annotated bibliography published, but as a researcher, you might want to look for one that has been published about your topic.
How do I format an annotated bibliography?
The format of an annotated bibliography can vary, so if you're doing one for a class, it's important to ask for specific guidelines.
The bibliographic information : Generally, though, the bibliographic information of the source (the title, author, publisher, date, etc.) is written in either MLA or APA format.
The annotations: The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The lengths of the annotations can vary significantly from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. The length will depend on the purpose. If you're just writing summaries of your sources, the annotations may not be very long. However, if you are writing an extensive analysis of each source, you'll need more space.
You can focus your annotations for your own needs. A few sentences of general summary followed by several sentences of how you can fit the work into your larger paper or project can serve you well when you go to draft.
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Psci 3300: introduction to political research.
- Library Accounts
- Selecting a Topic for Research
- From Topic to Research Question
- From Question to Theories, Hypotheses, and Research Design
- Annotated Bibliographies
- The Literature Review
- Search Strategies for Ann. Bibliographies & Lit. Reviews
- Find PSCI Books for Ann. Bibliographies & Lit. Reviews
- Databases & Electronic Resources for Your Lit. Review
- Methods, Data Analysis, Results, Limitations, and Conclusion
- Finding Data and Statistics for the Data Analysis
- Citing Sources for the Reference Page
If you select "no," please send me an email so I can improve this guide.
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a an alphabetical or chronological list of citations with each citation followed by a paragraph that gives information about the resource. The paragraphs, or annotations, can be written in a number of styles that will be covered on the next page, Different Annotation Types.
The format of the citations and annotations is determined by the style guide you've been assigned - MLA, APA, Chicago, etc. The Libraries have both online and print style guides. In Political Science Research, you will be asked to use APSA (Reference Manual) and Chicago Author-Date , and Bluebook (for legal research).
There are numerous purposes for writing an annotated bibliography across the disciplines:
- To familiarize yourself with the literature in an area;
- Annotated Bibliographies are great preliminary assignments before writing a full literature review.
- To provide readers of your scholarly work with additional information about sources, such as author backgrounds, your evaluations, or summaries; and,
- To place your research in a historical context for readers.
Types of Annotated Bibliographies
There are numerous ways to write an annotated bibliography, so pay attention to your instructor's directions! This page will show you a variety of approaches, but your instructor may have yet another personal preference for writing annotated bibliographies.
There are at least 4 types of annotations and most of the time your instructor asks you to combine some of the types. If you're doing independent research, think about the type(s) that will suit your purpose best. To see examples, visit the University of Maryland Library website .
- Descriptive: You describe the source in this type of annotation.. The description includes topics in the work, the scope and time coverage of the topics, and any special features, e.g., appendices.
- Summative: In this type of annotation, you present the main arguments and supporting content of the source, but without any critique. The author's background and credentials may also be included.
- Evaluative or Critical: The point of this annotation type is to examine the author's presentation and discuss whether the methodology and reasoning are sound, whether the findings and conclusions contribute to the field, how it compares to other sources, and other evaluative issues. This is often a difficult annotation type for students. Visit the Critical Appraisal and Analysis webpage at Cornell University Library to see the types of questions you might ask.
- Reflective: This type of annotation is your chance to think about the source you've read and write about how it fits into your body of research and all the other investigation you've done.
This is an example of an annotated bibliography in the MLA style from the P urdue Ow l with citations and annotations. It is meant to provide you with a visual of what annotations look like. If you were citing this source in APSA (the standard for political science citations), the citation would look like this:
Lamott, Anne. 1995. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York, New York: Anchor Books.
In general, the citation follows the format of the assigned style guide so it is best to familiarize yourself with the standards of the guide you being asked to use. Most styles call for a hanging indent, meaning the first line is at the margin and the subsequent lines are moved in a designated number of spaces. The formatting of the annotation and the spacing between it and the citation are also determined by the style guide. Any additional citations and annotations to this entry would be listed in alphabetical order by author last name, editors last name or title of article or work.
Annotations are generally 150 - 200 words in length--this sample is 196 words.
If you have questions about annotated bibliographies or citations, please contact your Political Science Librarian, Brea Henson .
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POS 3733 - Research Design for Political Scientists
- Annotated Bibliographies
- Off Campus Access
- Search Strategies
- Evaluating Resources
What is an Annotated Bibliography
Examples & sample annotated bibs.
- APSA Citation Style
An excellent short explanation of annotated bibs and their function in the research process. Created by the library at Brock University (Canada).
Need some help on what an annotated citation and a finished annotated bibliography look like? Here are some links to examples from college/university libraries and writing centers. Keep in mind that your citation should be in APSA style and check your APSA guidelines for notes on the contents of the annotation. Also, annotations could be long or fairly short - 2-5 sentences. Check with your professor to see if there is a desired length.
- Purdue OWL Explains how to craft an annotation.
- College of Liberal Studies at University of Oklahoma Annotated citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles
- Cornell University Library Cornell University Libraries guide to preparing an annotated bib. Guidelines on constructing the annotation as well as samples. Permission to link and share granted by Cornell Univsersity Libraries under Creative Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
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Poli sci 2 intro to comparative politics: annotated bibliography.
- Library Basics
- The Academic Process
- Find Academic Materials
- Annotated Bibliography
What is an "annotated bibliography?"
What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to articles, books, documents, and other materials you have found during your research. Each citation is followed by an annotation , a descriptive and evaluative paragraph of that source. Your annotation informs your reader in your own words of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources you have found and cited in your paper or project, and your reasoning for selecting these sources.
Annotations vs. Abstracts?
When researching a subject, you will come across short descriptions of books and articles in academic databases. These are abstracts , which are descriptive summaries of an article or book or other researched piece. Abstracts are usually written by the author as a quick summary of the piece. Abstracts can help a researcher make a quick decision in deciding to invest the time in reading the full piece. Annotations are descriptive and critically written by a researcher who read and decided to use the article, book, etc in their research project. In addition to a brief summary, annotations may describe the author's point of view, authority, clarity, critiques of the piece, or how the piece fits within the researcher's work.
Cite Your Sources
- MLA Style (online guide)
- Chicago Style (online guide)
- Zotero Consider using a citation management tool such as Zotero, to save and format your citations
How to Create an Annotated Bibliography
Creating an annotated bibliography will help you put together an academic paper. The citations you are finding are like puzzle pieces, and you will use your intellect, creativity, and imagination to put the pieces together to provide your unique viewpoint on the subject. Thinking about and summarizing your research will help clarify your paper/project's logical argument. Below are the steps to creating a annotated bibliography.
- Locate and record citations to books, articles, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas related to your topic. Using the abstracts, choose works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic, including works that support and refute your ideas and/or argument. Thoroughly read the pieces after you have chosen them.
- Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
- Evaluate the authority or background of the author--is the author a professor, a government official, etc. What gives the author authority over the subject? Is this person a respected expert on the subject?
- Comment on the intended audience of the work--is it intended for other academics, the public, etc?
- Compare or contrast this work with another you have found
- Briefly explain how this work fits in with your topic. Does it fill a gap in your understanding, raise new questions, or something else entirely?
- If one or more of your citations appear to be in conversation with another, briefly state that and why?
- What questions does this piece raise? Does it point to a gap in the knowledge on the topic? Briefly explain.
- There are different kinds of annotated bibliographies, so be sure that yours conforms to the parameters in the assignment you're given
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Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts
Annotated Bibliography Samples
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This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS.
Below you will find sample annotations from annotated bibliographies, each with a different research project. Remember that the annotations you include in your own bibliography should reflect your research project and/or the guidelines of your assignment.
As mentioned elsewhere in this resource, depending on the purpose of your bibliography, some annotations may summarize, some may assess or evaluate a source, and some may reflect on the source’s possible uses for the project at hand. Some annotations may address all three of these steps. Consider the purpose of your annotated bibliography and/or your instructor’s directions when deciding how much information to include in your annotations.
Please keep in mind that all your text, including the write-up beneath the citation, must be indented so that the author's last name is the only text that is flush left.
Sample MLA Annotation
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . Anchor Books, 1995.
Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic.
In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.
Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.
In the sample annotation above, the writer includes three paragraphs: a summary, an evaluation of the text, and a reflection on its applicability to his/her own research, respectively.
For information on formatting MLA citations, see our MLA 9th Edition (2021) Formatting and Style Guide .
Sample APA Annotation
Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America . Henry Holt and Company.
In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles in each situation.
An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreich’s project is timely, descriptive, and well-researched.
The annotation above both summarizes and assesses the book in the citation. The first paragraph provides a brief summary of the author's project in the book, covering the main points of the work. The second paragraph points out the project’s strengths and evaluates its methods and presentation. This particular annotation does not reflect on the source’s potential importance or usefulness for this person’s own research.
For information on formatting APA citations, see our APA Formatting and Style Guide .
Sample Chicago Manual of Style Annotation
Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess . London: Routledge, 1998.
Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of the major roles filled by the numerous pagan goddesses of Northern Europe in everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic arts like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant archaeological evidence, patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous research. The book includes a number of black and white photographs of relevant artifacts.
This annotation includes only one paragraph, a summary of the book. It provides a concise description of the project and the book's project and its major features.
For information on formatting Chicago Style citations, see our Chicago Manual of Style resources.
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Formatting the Annotated Bibliography · Summary: Summarize the information given in the source. Note the intended audience. · Evaluate/Assess: Is
What is the Purpose of an Annotated Bibliography? · Provide an overview of your topic and illustrate that you know your subject well · Show off
Annotation: This is a short paragraph (or two), describing, analyzing, and critiquing each resource. The annotation goes directly below the
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150
Writing an annotated bibliography; Example annotations ... An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles
Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a
In Political Science Research, you will be asked to use APSA ... There are numerous purposes for writing an annotated bibliography across
Need some help on what an annotated citation and a finished annotated bibliography look like? Here are some links to examples from
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to articles, books, documents, and other materials you have found during your research. Each
Below you will find sample annotations from annotated bibliographies, each with a different research project. Remember that the annotations you include in
Science Association (APSA) styles are linked from the Library's [[insert