20 The Annotated Bibliography

Annotated bibliographies are common writing assignments in many academic fields (both as stand-alone assignments and as introductions to larger research projects), especially in the social sciences and humanities. Annotated bibliographies help critically evaluate, understand, and effectively utilize researched materials.

The sections of an annotation may vary based on your professor’s requirements and the assignment. Some professors ask for the entire annotation to be completed in one paragraph, while others aske to have a separate “Summary” paragraph and combine the “Assess” and “Reflect” parts into one paragraph. Yet, others may ask you to write a separate paragraph for each part.  Check with your professor for details and follow their instructions.

Cite: The first section cites the source in the recommended format. Although there are many different documentation styles, WRC courses use either American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA style.

Summarize: The second section summarizes the source you cited. Check with your professor for specific requirements. Make sure you read and summarize the full text of your source and not just the abstract.

Assess: After summarizing your source, the third section evaluates the source. Again, specific requirements vary, but often when assessing, you want to know if your source is useful? Does it agree and support the claims made by other sources, or does it bring in the opposing point of view? Is it a reliable source? Check the author’s credentials. Is this source biased or objective? See if the author cites other experts within the work. Does the author give you an entire picture of the situation?

Reflect: If you are asked to reflect on a source, ask yourself how this information will fit into your work. How will it help shape your writing?

Format: Based on your professor’s and assignment’s requirements, you will either use APA or MLA style to format your annotated bibliography.