WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
An annotated bibliography is a list of books, articles, or other documents, consisting of a citation followed by a brief evaluation of each work listed.
The citation is a description of the essential elements of the work (including author, title, year of publication, publisher, and publication date), listed in a certain style with specific capitalization, indentation, and punctuation. An annotated
bibliography, like any list of works cited, should be presented in alphabetical order by author's last name.
The annotation is a short critical review of the work and its author. The annotation may include:
No! A summary, often called an abstract, is simply a short retelling of the work. A summary does not include an interpretive statement about the work. An annotation is a critical analysis and interpretation of the work in relation to one's own research.
WHY WRITE AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
Writing an annotated bibliography helps you kick-start research for a paper by helping you get a handle on what research is available to support your own thesis. It also illustrates to your professor the scope and quality of your work and will show that you have read and understood the research in your area of study.
It also informs the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
A SAMPLE OF ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
An example from Mary Lynn Rampolla's A Pocket Guide to Writing in History. 3rd. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001.
Ehrenreich, B. Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2001.
In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to ascertain whether it is currently: possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Wal-Mart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financialstruggles in each situation. An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreich’s project is timely, descriptive, and well-researched.
For more examples, go to Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/
The annotation above both summarizes and assesses the book in the citation. After a brief summary, it would be appropriate to assess this source and offer some criticisms of it. Does it seem like a reliable and current source? 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, some of both?
The length of your annotation will depend on the assignment or on the purpose of your annotated bibliography. After summarizing and assessing, you can then reflect on the source. How does it fit into your research? Is this a helpful resource? Too scholarly? Not scholarly enough? Too general/specific? Has this source helped you narrow your topic?
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN WRITING AN ANNOTATION
The following questions can help you with your writing process. Answer as many of the questions as you can.
STEPS TO WRITE AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
STEP 1: Understand Your Research Assignment
A Typical Research Assignment: Your professor assigns a 4-5 page research paper on a given topic, e.g. social media, and ask you to support your arguments with evidence from at least three scholarly journal articles and two books. You need to provide a reference list for the books and articles you used at the end of your paper.
Your Specific Assignment: Submitting an annotated bibliography at the end of the semester with five annotated sources.
STEP 2: Find Background Information about Your Topic (e.g., social media)
Good research topics should be specific and include a focus that interests you. How do you do that? First, you need to learn a little bit more about your topic. The Library offers online reference books, located in databases, which are your best bet to gain background information about any topic. You can use the databases Credo Reference, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context to find reference books.
To access these databases, go to Library homepage (library.calstatela.edu), select the Databases link, and select one of the database above from the Database A-Z list.
STEP 3: Write Down Your Research Question
After finding background information, you should be able to come up with a statement or question about your research focus. I.e., What are the influences of social media marketing on young consumers?
STEP 4: Identify Main Concepts and Search Keywords
STEP 5: Understand What a Scholarly Journal Article is
Professors often ask you to use scholarly (also called "peer-reviewed") articles. Peer-reviewed means the articles are academic and have been refereed by experts in the article’s field of study. Please read the “Differences” sheet for specific characteristics of a scholarly journal article.
STEP 6: Know What Tools to Use to Find Scholarly Journal Articles and Books
Using OneSearch
Using Google Scholar
Using WorldCat
STEP 7: Avoid Plagiarism & Cite Sources
Visit the About Plagiarism page in Writing & Citing Guide.
Use Find Articles and Find Books and Media pages in this guide to learn how to find articles and books.