How to Write an Annotated Bib

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 - (6-8 sentences but usually less than 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.

Prepare your paper: Label your paper with proper MLA heading using 1 inch margins, 12 pt. Times New Roman Font Add the title Annotated Bibliography (no underline, italics, bold, fancy font, etc.)

Begin with the MLA Citation From a book Ciccarelli, Sheryl, and Marie Rose Napierkowski, eds. “A Tale of Two Cities.” Novels for Students. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1999. "Trojan War." Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 16 March 2015. From the web; notice the “Web. date at the end.”

Start Your Annotation with a Summary Provide a brief yet thorough summary of the main points, particularly the ones relating to your topic. {2-4 sentences} Here is an easy way to begin a summary: In "[name of article]," [author] states . . . . [State the main point of the article first.] But if you are doing multiple annotated bibs, do not start them all the same way. That is boring and repetitive. For example: In “Computer Chess,” Hans Berliner states that the CYBER 170 series computer can perform well in a chess tournament. (Example from the University of Idaho Tech Writing Tutorial)

Annotation summary “Do's” Focus on the big picture, the main point or purpose Put it into your own words Give the ideas of the source objectively Keep it concise: 2-4 sentences

Annotation Summary “Don’ts” Don’t focus on specific details or examples. Don’t copy the original wording. Don’t add new data or any of your own ideas. Don’t include quotes from the source material.

Next: Add Evaluation/Assessment of the source : State why the source is reliable. Consider the following: Is the author a recognized expert? Is the author unbiased? Does it appear in a credible source? (CDL, Galileo) (Note: Wikipedia is NOT A CREDIBLE source!) Is it in a reputable collection of criticisms, such as Contemporary Literary Criticism or Opposing Viewpoints? Is it found in the reference section of the school or public library? Has it been recommended by the teacher? Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic? Is the information well-documented or referenced?

Reflect on the Relevance of the Source How does the book or article fit into this research? Was the source helpful to you? Does the source relate to your topic? How and where can you use this source in your research project? How is the information relevant to your project? Does it give you an overview or background about your topic? Does the source support your argument or oppose it?

Writing Tips Do not fill the space with generalizations Avoid such vague adjectives as "excellent" and "good." Instead, use adjectives that communicate something specific about the source. Your summary should be brief… there is no need to restate all of the information in the source. Avoid beginning every annotation with "This book..." or "This article..."

Examples of Annotations

Example of Good and Bad Annotations The Good: John Doe writes that children of alcoholics and substance abuse parents are associated with significant medical and psychosocial problems. Children of alcoholics (COAs) are much more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs, and have higher rates of anxiety, depression, poor academic function, and antisocial personality traits. I judged the credibility of this source based on the fact that the article was published in a scholarly journal (the American Academy of Pediatrics), and it contained a bibliography of the sources used. The information validates some of the social and physiological factors that influences children to alcohol abuse. The Bad: The article told me about children of alcoholics. I found it at my school media center so it has to be reliable. It was good.