Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: References
• Part 2 of 2: Annotations
• Tips
• Warnings

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations such as books, articles and documents. Each citation is followed by a short descriptive paragraph, the annotation. A well-researched and prepared annotated bibliography provides readers with an insight into the accuracy and quality of the sources cited. (The difference between a regular bibliography and an annotated bibliography is that the former only mentions a list of sources, there is no summary or assessment of the sources). Creating an annotated bibliography helps determine which resources were helpful to you in conducting the research for your project.

To step

Part 1 of 2: References

1. Research sources from books, periodicals or other materials that you want to use for your project. These citations will appear in the list of references you will be using. These are the data you will fall back on to support your claims and get ideas. Examples of sources are:
   • Study books
   • Scientific articles (as in a journal)
   • Summaries
   • Websites
   • Pictures or videos
2. State the book, magazine, or other document using an appropriate (or dedicated) style. If you have to submit a thesis / paper for a university course, ask the teacher which style he / she prefers. If you don't know what style to use, the most commonly used styles are the Modern Language Association (MLA) for the humanities, or the American Psychological Association (APA) for the social sciences. Other popular styles are:
   • Chicago or Turabian Style for publications
   • Associated Press (AP) Style for publications
   • Council of Science Editors (CSE) for beta studies
3. Make sure that the citations are correctly formatted, according to the style to be used. Name the author (s); the full title of the book or article you wish to quote; the full name of the publisher; date of publication; the date of the last revision, in case the source is a web page. A properly formatted MLA resource looks like this:
4. Arrange the citations according to a certain method. This helps to avoid getting lost in all the work involved in writing a thesis. Ranking your citations helps readers digest them and do further research if they want to learn more. Check if your teacher has a preference for one of the following methods:
   • Alphabetically
   • Chronological (by date of publication or period, such as era, decade, etc.)
   • By part topic
   • By media type (articles, books, media, websites, etc.)
   • By language

Part 2 of 2: Annotations

1. Annotate each source. An annotation is a short description, in 1 paragraph, of a specific source. It helps the reader to contextualise the citation. It also helps the reader to decide whether it makes sense to further research a source citation. It differs from a summary in that it provides more contextual information than simply a descriptive summary of a work.
2. Start the annotation by displaying the author's background and references. Also state which institute the author is affiliated with, the published works and reviews. Keep in mind that respected authors are often cited by other authors and teachers.
   • Example: "Currently a departmental Head of English Literature at Cambridge University, Professor XYZ earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton in 1984."
3. Also include any bias or peculiarities of the author. This is especially helpful if the author admits to adhering to those prejudices.
   • Example: "Being more inclined to approach the issue from a Marxist perspective, Professor XYZ admits that his methodology lacks a comprehensive lens."
4. List the main viewpoints or central themes. Give the reader a brief overview of what the work is about.
   • Example: "Marriage and Morals Among the Victorians is a book of essays that profiles notable English persons of the 19th century, examining how their outsized moral sensibilities created both conundrums and conventions during a tumultuous time. "
5. List the topics covered in relation to your own research. Answer the question: "Why do I use this resource as a reference in my research, why do I authorize this resource?"
   • Example: "Himmelfarb profiles Benjamin Disraeli at length, delving into his complicated Prime Ministership."
6. State what the target group is and the weight of the source you mention. Let the reader know whether the resource is primarily academic or not, and whether the resource is also suitable for lay people.
   • Example: “Rorty's examination of American pragmatism is primarily addressed to the niche philosophical community and, as such, makes for a complicated read without the proper philosophical context.
7. Note if there are any special features of the cited work. So whether there is a bibliography, glossary or index - This could simply be something like "with bibliography." Also indicate whether any research instruments or tests have been used.
8. Evaluate every source. Now, after making the overview, look more critically at the sources and ask yourself the following questions:
   • What is the use of this source for my research?
   • Is the information reliable?
   • Is the information subjective or objective? Is the information based on facts or opinions?
   • Is the source of a recent date or is the information outdated?
9. Use the following quote as an example. See how the listing is presented first, in the correct MLA style. The annotation follows the citation, briefly describing the citation and putting it in context.

Tips

• Find sources published by a university publisher; these are usually of a more academic nature.
• Standard MLA style requires double spacing within quotes.

Warnings

• Use the Book Review Index or Book Review Digest to find critiques of the works you quote. Sometimes the critiques mention other works worth investigating. Also compare the criticisms to see if the source you are using is controversial or if the validity of the information is up for discussion.