Writing Your Annotated Bibiography
Demonstrate an ability to judge and utilize a range of appropriate sources in the analysis of a work or art-related phenomenon by writing an annotated bibliography.
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (such as scholarly articles and/or books) that illustrates different points of view about a topic. Each citation is followed by an annotation—a brief (approximately 150 words) description and evaluation of the text. You can think of an annotated bibliography as a presentation of "the conversation" that scholars are having regarding a specific topic. An annotated bibliography lets you see what has been done and said about your topic, and how your research could fit into the larger conversation. Your professor may have specific requirements for your annotated bibliography so make sure you've read the assignment and check with them if you have questions.
(based on the work of Ana Ribero, former DePaul Writing Center staff)
Annotations vs. Abstracts
Abstracts are descriptive summaries of articles and are often found in article databases. Annotations also summarize but also evaluate a source critically.
Examples of Annotated Bibliographies
Purdue Owl (for MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style)
Guides to Writing an Annotated Bibliography
How to Read a Journal Article
"How to Read a Journal Article (and Understand it)." ICPSR. https://tinyurl.com/frwn9pt.
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