ENG 102

HOW TO WRITE AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY…

Source: University of Maryland/University College

First, what is an annotation?

An annotation is more than just a brief summary of an article, book, Web site or other type of

publication. An annotation should give enough information to make a reader decide whether to read

the complete work. In other words, if the reader were exploring the same topic as you, is this material

useful and if so, why?

What is an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources (like a reference list). It differs from a

straightforward bibliography in that each reference is followed by a paragraph length annotation,

usually 75—100 words in length. Depending on the assignment, an annotated bibliography might have

different purposes:

 Provide a literature review on a particular subject

 Help to formulate a thesis on a subject

 Demonstrate the research you have performed on a particular subject

 Provide examples of major sources of information available on a topic

 Describe items that other researchers may find of interest on a topic

There are two types of annotated bibliographies (descriptive & analytical/critical); we’ll be

focusing on Analytical/Critical

An analytical or critical annotation not only summarizes the material, it analyzes what is being said. It

examines the strengths and weaknesses of what is presented as well as describing the applicability of

the author's conclusions to the research being conducted.

Now you are ready to begin writing your own annotated bibliography.

 Choose your sources Before writing your annotated bibliography, you must choose

your sources. This involves doing research much like for any other project. Locate

records to materials that may apply to your topic.

 Review the items Then review the actual items and choose those that provide a wide

variety of perspectives on your topic. Article abstracts are helpful in this process.

 Write the citation and annotation When writing your annotation, the complete

citation should always come first and the annotation follows. Depending on the type of

annotated bibliography you are writing, you will want to include:

1. The purpose of the work 2. A summary of its content 3. For what type of audience the work is written 4. Its relevance to the topic 5. Any special or unique features about the material 6. The strengths, weaknesses or biases in the material