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How to Create an Annotated Bibliography. What is an annotated bibliography? .
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A bibliography is a list of the sources (books, web sites, journals, etc.) that you used in researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called “references” or “works cited” depending on the style format you are using. The author, title, and publisher are some of the details provided in a bibliography.
An annotated bibliography paints a picture. The annotation describes the resource for your reader. It summarizes and/or evaluates the resource and gives the reader enough information to decide whether to read the complete work.
1. Descriptive or informative 2. Analytical or critical There are two major types of bibliographies.
A descriptive or informative annotation… describes or summarizes a source, including why it is useful for researching a particular topic. It describes the author’s main arguments and conclusions without evaluating them.
Some questions to ask when creating descriptive annotations What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say?
London, Herbert. "Five Myths of the Television Age." Television Quarterly 10 (1) Spring 1982: 81-89. Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: "seeing is believing"; "a picture is worth a thousand words"; and "satisfaction is its own reward." London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He doesn't refer to any previous works on the topic. London's style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. Sample Informative/Descriptive Annotation
An analytical or critical annotation… not only summarizes the material, it analyzes what the author says. It points out the strengths and weaknesses of what is presented as well as evaluates the usefulness of the work for a particular audience or situation.
Some questions to ask when creating critical annotations Assess the source: Does this source seem reliable and current? Why? Is the research biased or objective? Are the facts well documented? Who is the author? Is she qualified in this subject? Is this source scholarly, popular, or some of both? Reflect on the applicability of the source to your research: How does it fit into your research? Is this a helpful resource? Too scholarly? Not scholarly enough? Too general? Too specific?
Sample Analytical or Critical Annotation London, Herbert. "Five Myths of the Television Age." Television Quarterly 10 (1) Spring 1982: 81-89. Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: "seeing is believing"; "a picture is worth a thousand words"; and "satisfaction is its own reward." London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He doesn't refer to any previous works on the topic; however, for a different point of view, one should refer to Joseph Patterson's, "Television is Truth" (The Journal of Television 45 (6) November/December 1995: 120-135). London's style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London's points, but does not explore their implications, leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.
Writing an annotated bibliography helps you learn about your topic. Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for research. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information. By reading a variety of sources on a topic, you’ll start to see what the issues are and then you’ll be able to develop your own point of view and formulate a thesis.
Writing an annotated bibliography helps other researchers. Extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies are sometimes published. You might not ever get your annotated bibliography published, but as a researcher, you might want to look for one that has been published about your topic.
1. Choose your sources Choose high quality resources just as you would for any research project. Resources include: Books – Use the AHS online catalog to find books on your subject. Databases – Gale, JSTOR, World Book Online, NewsBank and other databases can be accessed at school and from home. Web sites – You can find links to WebPath Express, Sweet Search, Finding Dulcinea, Internet Public Library, and other search engines for students on the library web site. Ask a librarian for help!
2. Review your sources Review the books, database articles, and web sites you found. Choose those that provide a variety of perspectives of your topic.
3. Write the citation and annotation Write the citation followed by the annotation for each source you selected. Be sure to use the proper formatting (MLA, APA, etc.). Gale and World Book Online provide formatted citations at the end of every article. Automatic citation generators such as Bibme.org can be very helpful. Ask the librarian for assistance.
Test your memory • What is an annotated bibliography? • List of resources • Information about a famous person • List of resources with summaries • An annotated bibliography includes: • Citation to a source • Summary of a source • Evaluation of a source • All of the above
3. Annotated bibliographies help researchers because: a. They help organize information b. They can serve as the conclusion c. They format the paper 4. Citations may be written in the following styles: a. ALA b. ERA c. MLA 5. Bibliographic citations do not include: a. Title b. Author c. Size of Book d. Publication Date
