Annotated Bibliography

Learning Objectives

Describe the structure and value of an annotated bibliography

What is an annotated bibliography? Annotated, by definition, means adding notes to, and a bibliography is a list of sources. Plainly put, an annotated bibliography is a list of sources that has notes and details. The bibliography will consist of: a citation, followed by a summary of the work, why the source is important, and how you plan to use it in the essay.

These are especially useful when writing the essay, as it keeps all sources in one area and allows the writer to go back and quickly identify what information is coming from what source. The bibliography should allow you to fully think through the sources you plan on using and may allow you to understand what is useful and usable.

Try It

Purpose of the Annotated Bibliography

Annotated bibliographies are useful for several reasons. If you keep one while you research, the annotated bibliography will function as a useful guide. It will be easier for you to revisit sources later because you will already have notes explaining how you want to use each source. If your research project includes a literature review, an annotated bibliography can give you a significant jump-start. If you find an annotated bibliography attached to one of the sources you are using, you can look at it to find other possible resources.

Format of the Annotated Bibliography

The format for the bibliography should be

  • Citation (with hanging indent)
  • Paragraph summarizing the source (Précis paragraph)
  • Paragraph explaining the importance of the source and how it will be used in the essay (Evaluation paragraph)

Example

An example of an entry for an annotated bibliography might look like this:

Grisel, Judith. “Pot Holes: Legalizing Marijuana is Fine. But Don’t Ignore the Science on its Dangers.” The Washington Post, 25 May 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/25/feature/legalizing-marijuana-is-fine-but-dont-ignore-the-science-on-its-dangers. Accessed 3 Sept. 2021.

In her article, Grisel makes many different arguments for and against legalization. She admits to being a user in her younger days and isn’t against legalization, but wants everyone to understand the potential neurological issues that could become an issue. Most Americans are in favor of legalization, and she is sympathetic to the fact that it is a “benign” drug. However, as a neuroscientist, she brings up several possible issues with long term use, including the inability to find value in experiences, desensitization, and the issues that come with developing adolescents using marijuana (which many already do), including the potential of dropping out of high school before graduation. She also discusses the new studies that are showing potential for passing down mental illnesses that are correlated to marijuana use through genetics. She ends by saying she’s not objecting to legalization, but rather encourages everyone to understand the implications rather than assume there are none.

There are several noteworthy things to pull from this article. First is the author’s credibility. Grisel establishes herself as not only a neuroscientist, but also a former user who does not fully condone nor condemn legalization. She provides several potential issues with the mass use of marijuana, and presents her findings in a fair, unbiased manner. The main focus I plan to use for this essay is the impacts that legalization has on adolescents. My essay is pro-legalization, but the concession will be that it is dangerous for adolescents to use. In her article, Grisel says that neuro implications can be reversed with abstinence in adults, but in developing adolescents, impacts are more likely to be permanent. My counterargument will argue that a legal age still needs to be put in place, but this will help explain the concerns of the other side.

This is one example of what needs to be included in the annotation. If an instructor asks for five sources to be included, each source would have all of these parts.

Rhetorical Précis

A rhetorical précis is a structured, four-sentence paragraph that includes a rhetorically situated summary of its respective source. Each of the four sentences fulfills a specific goal within the structure of the précis.

  • The first sentence includes the name of author, [optional: a phrase describing the author], the genre and title of the work, date in parentheses, a rhetorically accurate verb (such as “assert,” “argue,” “suggest,” “imply,” “claim,” etc.), and a THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the work.
  • The second sentence includes an explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.
  • The third sentence includes a statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order to” phrase.
  • The fourth (final) sentence includes a description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience (Woodsworth, 1988, p. 156-64).

RHETORICAL PRÉCIS SHORTCUT

Here’s a quick way to reference the purposes of the sentences in a rhetorical précis:

Sentence #1: Deals with the “WHAT?”
Sentence #2: Deals with the “HOW?”
Sentence #3: Deals with the “WHY?”
Sentence #4: Deals with the “WHO?”

(These sentences should not be numbered, but they should be in paragraph form.)

Evaluation Paragraph (Analysis and/or Reflection)

Analysis

  • Any analysis included in an annotation should emphasize how skillfully the source explains, maintains, and supports its claims, reasons, and evidence. You can also analyze how and why this source is useful as it relates to your research topic.
  • You may choose to compare a source with other sources in your bibliography.
  • Analysis might also determine if and how information in a source is reliable, whether the source is biased or objective, how you know that, and what the goal or agenda (if one is identifiable) of the source is.

Reflection

  • Reflection included in an annotation might outline how and why a source is specifically helpful to your research.
  • You might explain how the source helps shape, or otherwise engages with, your argument, such as how you might use the source (specifically) in your research project and/or if or how the source changed your thinking on your topic.
  • You can also reflect on how you will specifically use a source, be it for quantitative/qualitative evidence, methodology, background context on your topic, argument structure, etc.
  • Reflecting on a source may also involve addressing whether it led you to other sources through its own references or bibliography.
  • You might choose to reflect on how other researchers may use the source or how it relates to other sources in your own annotated bibliography.

Depending on the instructor, the specific requirements may be different. Some instructors may only require a summary; others may want a summary and how you plan to use it. Be sure to follow the specific instructions set forth by the instructor. In general, all annotated bibliographies should follow the specific format (APA, MLA, etc.) and be in alphabetical order based on the citation itself.

More examples: https://owl.excelsior.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/AnnotatedBibliographyAPA7thEdition.pdf

WRITING THE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Keep these suggestions in mind as you construct an annotated bibliography:

  1. You need a relatively narrow focus (a relatively narrow research question or a working thesis sentence with a clear angle) in order to gain value from having an annotated bibliography.
  2. As you research, select the sources that seem most related to your narrow focus. Skim the sources first; then more carefully read those that seem useful to your research focus.
  3. In your annotation for each entry in your annotated bibliography, summarize the source. Reproduce the author’s main ideas in your own words. Be careful to change the wording and the structure as you put the information from the source into your own words.
  4. After you summarize, analyze the source. Ask yourself questions such as the following: Is there enough relevant information to address my narrow focus? Does the author delve deeply into the subject as opposed to offering a general overview? What type of evidence does the author use? Does the author use statistical information accurately, to the best of my knowledge?
  5. Finally, evaluate the source’s usefulness to the narrow focus of your research. Make connections between the source and your focus for your project.
  6. Be sure to use the assigned bibliographic style (usually MLA or APA style) to create the bibliography entry that begins each annotated source on your list.

In most annotated bibliographies, the summary, analysis, and evaluation for each source becomes the body of the annotation for that source. Some annotated bibliographies may not require all three of these elements, but most will. Be sure to consult your instructor and ask questions if you’re unsure about the required elements within each entry of your annotated bibliography.