Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography provides specific information about each source you have used. As a researcher, you have become an expert on your topic and have the ability both to explain the content and to assess the usefulness of your sources for those not in the know. Think of your paper as part of a conversation with others 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” (“Annotated Bibliography”).
A quick tour of the what, why, and how of an annotated bibliography. Created to support information literacy instruction at Lincoln Memorial University.
Writers often create annotated bibliographies as a part of a research project, as a means of recording their thoughts and deciding which sources to actually use to support the purpose of their research. Some writers include annotated bibliographies at the end of a research paper as a way of offering their insights about the source’s usability to their readers.
Instructors in college often assign annotated bibliographies as a means of helping students think through their source’s quality and appropriateness to their research question or topic.
Although it may take a while to complete the annotated bibliography, the annotations themselves are relatively brief.
Annotations may include three things:
- A brief summary of the information in that source.
- A brief evaluation of the quality of the source’s information.
- A brief evaluation of whether the source is useful for the purpose of the research.
TAKE A LOOK – SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
NOTE: Although there is a basic structure to annotated bibliographies that most professors will follow, your professor may require something a little different. Be sure to follow your assignment instructions, as each professor may have expectations that are slightly different.
What are some good reasons for writing an annotated bibliography? Check all that apply.
Helps you focus your thoughts when starting on a research topic
Good way to get started when researching a topic
Annotations are useful as they describe what’s in the sources
Having the list of references will save you time later
LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT
- Annotated Bibliographies: An Illustrated Guide. Authored by: Carnegie Vincent. Located at: https://youtu.be/-LpgXJvQnEc . License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License
CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY
- Composition II. Authored by: Alexis McMillan-Clifton. Provided by: Tacoma Community College. Located at: http://www.tacomacc.edu . Project: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License: CC BY: Attribution
- Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL). Located at: https://owl.excelsior.edu/ . This site is licensed under a https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .