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Annotated Bibliographies

Many professors ask you to write annotated bibliographies—bibliographic information about your primary sources and a short description of each—as preparation for writing a paper. Often, these bibliographies are no more than a page or two in length, but they are important because they force you to get your teeth into the source material and they give your professor the opportunity to comment on your use of sources and suggest some that you may have overlooked.

A good annotated bibliography:

• encourages you to think critically about the content of the works you are using, their place within a field of study, and their relation to your own research and ideas.
• proves you have read and understand your sources.
• establishes your work as a valid source and you as a competent researcher.
• situates your study and topic in a continuing professional conversation.
• provides a way for others to decide whether a source will be helpful to their research if they read it.
• could help interested researchers determine whether they are interested in a topic by providing background information and an idea of the kind of work going on in a field.

What elements should an annotation include?

1. Bibliography according to the appropriate citation style -APA .
2. Explanation of main points and/or purpose of the work—basically, its thesis—which shows among other things that you have read and thoroughly understand the source.
3. Verification or critique of the authority or qualifications of the author.
4. Comments on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the topic being researched and/or your own research project.
5. The point of view or perspective from which the work was written. For instance, you may note whether the author seemed to have particular biases or was trying to reach a particular audience.
6. Relevant links to other work done in the area, like related sources, possibly including a comparison with some of those already on your list. You may want to establish connections to other aspects of the same argument or opposing views.

The first four elements above are always a necessary part of the annotated bibliography; points 5 and 6 may involve a little more analysis of the source, but you need to include them. –Remember, an Annotated will NOT have any bullets nor numbers in the text. You SHOULD however, follow the order above, as you write the annotation and analysis. That will ensure that you have included all necessary information, and as you are being graded, your instructor will be looking for each of the sections in that same order. –Make it easy to grade!

APA (American Psychological Association)

• Natural and social sciences, such as psychology, nursing, sociology, and social work, use APA documentation. It is also used in economics, business, and criminology. These annotations are often succinct summaries.
• Annotated bibliographies for APA format do not require a special title. Use the usual “References” designation; -a running head should be titled Annotated Bibliography
• Like MLA, APA uses a hanging indent: the first line is set flush with the left margin, and all other lines are indented four spaces –this is called a hanging indent.
• After the bibliographic citation, drop down to the next line to begin the annotation, but don’t skip an extra line.
• Be sure that all references are ABC order by last name.