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Annotated Bibliography: Creating Your Annotated Bibliography

This guide will help you learn what annotated bibliographies are and how to write and format your annotated bibliography for class.

Steps to Creating an Annotated Bibliography

  • Consider the scope of your annotated bibliography
    • What types of sources will you include? How many sources (ask your instructor if they have specific guidelines for this)?
  • Locate and retrieve your sources by searching our database or catalog.
  • Briefly examine the materials to choose works that provide a variety of perspectives.
    • Read your sources and note your findings/impressions.
  • Cite the materials using the appropriate citation styles (APA, MLA, CSE, etc.)
  • Summarize the central theme and scope. Include sentences that:
    • Evaluate the author and their background.
    • Compare/contrast the work with others you have cited.
    • Comment on the intended audience.
    • Explain how this work contributes to your topic.

Think about these questions when you start writing your annotations:

  • Author Information: Who is the author? What is their educational/professional background? Are they qualified in their field and in the topic?
  • Purpose: What is the purpose of the research?
  • Audience Information: Who is author writing to (scholars, the general public, etc.)? Is this reflected in the writing?
  • Author Bias: Does the author show bias or make assumptions?
  • Methodological Information: How does the author obtain data?
  • Conclusion: What are the conclusions the author draws?
  • Conclusion Justification: Are the conclusions justified? Do the conclusions work together with the original purpose of the research?
  • Relationship to Other Works: How does the article compare to other works cited in the annotated bibliography or in the field? Does it conflict with established scholarship?

The annotations for your sources can include such information as:

  • Evaluations of the authority or background of the author.
  • Comments on the intended audience.
  • Comparing/contrasting the work with other works cited.
  • Explanations about how the work is relevant to your topic.
    • Think about including why an older source is still relevant.