Explanation, Procedure, Instructions and Examples
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a short (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, annotation. The purpose of annotations is to give readers a brief idea of the relevance, accuracy and quality of cited sources.
Annotation vs Abstract
Abstracts are purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodic indexes. Comments are descriptive and critical; They may describe the author’s point of view, authority, or clarity and appropriateness of expression.
Process
Creating an explanatory bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: brief description, concise analysis, and informed library research.
First, find and record citations from books, magazines and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review genuine items. Then choose works that offer a variety of perspectives related to your topic.
Cite the book, article or document using the appropriate style
Write a short explanation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the author’s authority or background, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare this work with another you cited, or (d) ) explain how this work is published in your bibliography topic.
Critically evaluate a book, article, or document
For guidance in critically evaluating and analyzing your bibliographic sources, see How to critically analyze information sources. For information on the author’s background and views, ask the reference desk for help finding suitable biographical reference materials and book review sources.
Choosing the Right Quote Style
Contact your instructor to find out which style is preferred for your class. Online citation guides for both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) styles are linked from the library’s citation management page.
Sample Annotated Bibliography Entries
The following example uses the APA style (Publishing Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed., 2019) for a journal citation:
Waite, L., Goldschneider, F., & Wittsberger, C. (1986). Non-family life and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51(4), 541-554.
The authors, researchers from the RAND Corporation and Brown University, used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that non-family life by young adults could change their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations. gives, from which they are taken away.
His belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis to be strongly supported in young women, while the effect was less in studies of young men. The separation from parents before marriage has led to an increase in individualism, self-reliance and a change in attitudes towards families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams shows no significant gender differences in attitudes toward sex roles as a result of non-family life.
This example uses the MLA style for the journal citation (MLA Handbook, 9th ed., 2021). For additional annotation guidance from MLA, see 5.132: Annotated Bibliography.
Waite, Linda J., et al. “Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults.” American Sociological Review, Vol. 51, no. 4, 1986, pp. 541-554.
The authors, researchers from the RAND Corporation and Brown University, used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that non-family life by young adults could change their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations. gives, from which they are taken away.
His belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis to be strongly supported in young women, while the effect was less in studies of young men. The separation from parents before marriage has led to an increase in individualism, self-reliance and a change in attitudes towards families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams shows no significant gender differences in attitudes toward sex roles as a result of non-family life.