Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a list of cited articles, books or other documents focusing on a specific theme. Each entry consists of a short paragraph that summarizes and evaluates the cited work. An entry* may look like the one below without the boxes.
Annotated Bibliography, a How-to Guide by TAMU University Writing Center
https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/annotated-bibliography
ANNOTATION: Summarize > Evaluate > Relate to your topic
<<* Acknowledgement>> The sample entry was selected from the guide listed above..
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A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called "References" or "Works Cited" depending on the style format you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following.
- Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.
For more help, see our handout on paraphrasing sources.
- Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
For more help, see our handouts on evaluating resources.
- Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?
Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all of these, or even others. If you're doing this for a class, you should get specific guidelines from your instructor. The format of an annotated bibliography can vary, so if you're doing one for a class, it's important to ask for specific guidelines.
The bibliographic information: Generally, though, the bibliographic information of the source (the title, author, publisher, date, etc.) is written in either MLA or APA format. For more help with formatting, see our MLA handout. For APA, go here: APA handout.
The annotations: The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The lengths of the annotations can vary significantly from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. The length will depend on the purpose. If you're just writing summaries of your sources, the annotations may not be very long. However, if you are writing an extensive analysis of each source, you'll need more space.
<<Acknowledgements>> The contents above the divider line are quoted from Purdue's guide at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/
Annotations VS. Abstracts
Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.
The Process
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.
<<Acknowledgements>> The contents above the immediate divider line come from Cornell's guide at http://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotated bibliography
DATABASES USEFUL FOR FINDING SUMMARIES / REVIEWS on BOOKS / ARTICLES
For Articles
Most of the search results from databases include article abstracts. Academic Search Ultimate is a good starting point for all subjects if you are not sure which database to use. For science topics ScienceDirect should be a good one also. If you are familiar with a subject-specific database, use the one you prefer.
For Books & Other Materials
Global Books in Print
is the industry's leading international bibliographic database offering more than 8 million English-language titles from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. PLUS access to annotations, tables of contents, cover images, awards and full-text reviews.
Book Review Digest Plus
includes descriptive summaries of books as well as excerpts of book reviews, with all book review citations and full text of reviews from eleven other H. W. Wilson indexes.
Choice Reviews Online
Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries is an excellent source for reviews of academic books, electronic media, and Internet resources of interest to those in higher education. Each year Choice publishes more than 7,000 reviews that are: Timely - typically the first comment on scholarly publications, Authoritative - written by selected experts in the subject, and Concise - brief but thorough, providing information and recommendations.
Google Books
Enter a book title > and then click on "About this book."