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Citation Guide

Annotated Bibliography Overview

What is an Annotated Bibliography? 

An Annotated Bibliography is a list of sources - much like you would have on a references or works cited page - BUT it also includes a brief summary and analysis of each source. 

Why bother? 

Annotated Bibliographies accomplish a number of things, including: 

  • They show that you have read the source
  • They show you understand the source fundamentally (summary) 
  • They show you can assess the credibility and usefulness of the source (analysis) 
  • They help you strategize how you will incorporate the source into your paper (application/reflection)

What are the key pieces? 

You need FOUR key components in your annotated bibliography: 

  1. Citation - Each article entry will start with a citation (see formatting tips below)
  2. Summary - Summarize the article you read. 
    • WATCH OUT! Don't stop here! That's just an abstract! You must include the next pieces too!
  3. Analysis - Here's where those critical reasoning skills can shine! To get your analysis rolling, answer these questions: 
    • What is the purpose of this work? To inform? To persuade? Do you notice any bias? 
    • What are the author's credentials? Are they reputable? Do they have expertise in this topic? 
    • What type of source is this? A scholarly journal article? A book? A magazine? A social media feed? What does that mean for the usefulness and reliability of the source? 
    • How current is the article? Is the information up-to-date?
  4. Reflection - Time to get personal. Reflect on how you will apply this source to your research: 
    • How does this source contribute to the body of scholarship on your topic?
    • How does it support your own research? 

Basic Formatting

Formatting your Annotated Bibliography:

Don't forget these elements: 

  • A Title (centered on the page)
  • Your name - typically in the upper right hand corner
  • Start each entry with a citation (either in MLA or APA)
  • Include a hanging indent (if you don't know how to do this, type "hanging indent" into the help box in your word processor)
  • Entries should be in Alphabetical Order, just as a works cited or reference page would be

Here is an example of a shorter entry. Typical entries will be between 250-300 words. 

Notice how the summary, analysis, and reflection are woven together: 

Annotated Bibliography Example

Examples

Need more examples? 

Of course you do! Here are some good ones. 

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Always check the requirements from your professor - they might want longer or shorter annotations depending on the assignment. 

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