What is an Annotated Bibliography? (brief video)
Writing an Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is an organized list of source citations (such as books, articles, and other materials) relating to a specific topic where each citation is followed by an "annotation" about that source, usually in the form of a paragraph or two of discussion. The citations are formatted in a specific citation style, such as APA or MLA (your instructor should indicate the style they want you to use). Annotations consist of one or more elements as prescribed by the specific assignment:
- describe the source's content and/or
- demonstrate the source's relevance to your research and/or
- discuss the reliability of the content and/or
- compare and contrast the authors' conclusions to other sources in your bibliography (a synthesis matrix can help with this) and/or
- present your reactions to the content
Several excellent online tutorials are available to help you arrange, write and format your annotated bibliography (see below). Refer to your assignment instructions (or your instructor) as to what exactly should be included in each annotation.
A key to successfully writing annotations (and research writing in general) is
note-taking, especially since most annotated bibliography assignments ask you to use at least some
scholarly sources. Instead of or in addition to highlighting text,
take notes and jot down your impressions of the source in your own words as you are reading it. These notes can then form the basis for an annotation.
It can also be helpful to review samples of existing annotated bibliographies, too. Remember, however, to follow the style and format that your instructor has indicated in your assignment.
Thanks to Susan Hollis for sharing information for this page.
![X](https://sunyempire.edu/media/images/home/2019/iconmonstr-twitter-3.png"){kind=small}
