Writing an Annotated Bibliography

Writing an Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a type of assignment essay whereby reference list entries are followed by
short descriptions of the work called annotations. This type of bibliography provides a brief overview of the
available research on a topic. For the annotation, you are usually required to briefly summarise a research
source and/or assess the value of the source and its validity for your assignment task. Each information
source starts with a reference item that is followed by a brief paragraph. To write an annotated
bibliography, you will need to consider:
1. Purpose
2. Writing style
3. Format
4. Examples
1. Purpose

The task of compiling an annotated bibliography will help the researcher think about the relevance and
quality of the material on a topic. Does the information meet the requirements of the topic? Is the
information from a reliable and academically respected source?
2. Writing style
An annotated bibliography is a piece of formal academic writing and follows the general rules for all
academic writing: The writing structure will depend on the lecturer’s requirements for the task. The
bibliographical information may be descriptive (see points 1–3 below) or descriptive+evaluative (see
points 1–5 below). The paragraph should follow this order:
Descriptive
steps 1–3
Descriptive
and evaluative
steps 1–5
1. Citation details (set out in the same style as a reference list item)
2. A short statement that explains the main focus or purpose of the work
3. A short summary of the theory, research findings, or argument (e.g., intended audience,
subjects covered, major arguments supported, research methods, conclusions reached,
special features)
4. Consideration of the usefulness and/or limitations of the text for your research (e.g.,
reliability of the text, credibility of the author, poor features, left-out content, weaknesses
in argument)
5. An evaluative comment on the work that may take into account how this work will fit into
your research on a topic (e.g., critical comment, critical reflection that describes the
usefulness or relevance of the information for your writing task).
Include in-text citations if you refer to other works within the annotation paragraph.
3. Format
• Begin by writing the reference for the source in your reference list style (including hanging indent)
• Each annotation (about 100–300 words) should be a new paragraph below the reference entry
• Write in full sentences using academic writing style
• Use transition words (e.g., furthermore, moreover, however, therefore …)
• Be concise – mention only significant details in your summary
• Do NOT repeat information (e.g., the title) that is already in your citation
• Arrange your sources and summaries in alphabetical order
• Double space the complete annotated bibliography.