1. Annotated Bibliography

2. What is an Annotated Bibliography?
Breaking it down:
Annotation: a summary or evaluation
Bibliography: a list of sources used in research1
Annotated Bibliography: a short description, explanation, and/or evaluation of each source used in a research paper2,3
1. Geoff Stacks, Erin Karper, Dana Bisignani, and Allen Brizee, “Annotated Bibliographies,” Purdue Online Writing Lab, last modified March 10, 2013,
2. Ibid.
3. “Annotated Bibliographies,” The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, accessed April 9, 2016,

3. What does it consist of?
An annotation of a source should have at least some of these key elements:
Summary
Evaluation
Reflection4
Which of these elements you include depends on the source and the assignment requirements; some annotations may only require a summary, for example5
4. Stacks, et al., “Annotated Bibliographies”
5. Ibid.
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4. SUMMARIZE
The summary should focus on explaining the source through covering:
Main topics or arguments
Its purpose or application
Methods of data collection or investigation
Main conclusions6
6. Deborah Knott, “Writing an Annotated Bibliography,” Writing at the University of Toronto, accessed April 12, 2016,

5. EVALUATE
The next step you might include is an evaluation or critique of the source. Here, you can assess its:
Usefulness and originality
Methods and conclusions
Reliability and objectivity
Goal or purpose
Limitations7,8
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7. Knott, “Writing an Annotated Bibliography”
8. “Annotated Bibliographies,” The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

6. REFLECT
It can also be important to reflect on a source’s relation to your own research. You may include:
How its ideas connect to your topic
How it influenced your thoughts and perceptions
How it helped shape your argument
How useful it was to your topic
How you utilized it in your writing
How it connects to your other sources9,10
9. Stacks, et al., “Annotated Bibliographies”
10. “Writing Annotated Bibliographies,” Temple University Writing Center, accessed April 12, 2016,

7. Formatting an Annotated Bibliography
How long should it be?
Depends on source length and your assignment requirements
i.e. An annotation for a book would likely be longer than that for a short article
Most tend to be around one or two short paragraphs
Keep it concise11
How should it be organized?
Just like a typical reference list – in alphabetical order, in the correct format, and with all bibliographic information present
Annotation is typically located beneath the source citation, but check your assignment guidelines and the style guide for the format you are writing in (i.e. MLA, APA)12
11. “Writing Annotated Bibliographies,” Temple University Writing Center
12. Ibid.

8. Formatting an Annotated Bibliography
What style should it be in?
Typically, annotations are in paragraph form with complete sentences. These are longer, go into greater depth, and tend to include more elements.
However, your instructor may prefer a telegraphic/telescopic style:
uses phrases and non-sentences; grammar and sentence structure are not the priority here
meant to state the relevant info quickly and briefly13
Always check with your instructor on his or her preferred style of annotated bibliography
13. “Annotated Bibliography,” The Writing Center at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, last modified August 29, 2014,

9. What’s the purpose? Doing so benefits you by…
There are several reasons for writing an annotated bibliography.
Doing so benefits you by…
Proving your comprehension and demonstrating the effort you put into research
Giving you and your work greater credibility
Helping you better understand the content of your sources so you can more effectively utilize them
Making you a better reader and critical thinker15,16
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14. Stacks, et al., “Annotated Bibliographies”
15. “Annotated Bibliographies,” The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

10. What’s the purpose? And it benefits others by…
Giving them further information to look into related to your topic
Helping them decide what sources are worthwhile
Helping them better understand the content of the sources
Letting them check or test your claims/findings
Giving an overview of what’s being said about the topic and what’s important about it16,17
16. Stacks, et al., “Annotated Bibliographies”
17. “Annotated Bibliographies,” The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

11. Annotated bibliographies are a wonderful way to give further information and evaluation on a source used in your work. Doing so enhances and demonstrates your understanding of the content, makes you a better critical reader, and helps fellow researchers by providing more resources to look into. Always make sure to check with your instructor, assignment guidelines, and the appropriate style guide when it comes to formatting your annotated bibliography.
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