An annotation is a summary of an information object such as an article or book. Annotations are usually one paragraph of 100-200* words and contain a brief description of the work and how it relates to your assignment. *Verify the word count with your instructor.
A bibliography is a list of resources you have researched and are using for your assignment similar to your Works Cited page, References, list or End Notes depending on your citation style.
So, an Annotated Bibliography is a list of citations, each with a brief description of the work.
There's more to it than "My instructor assigned it."
An Annotated Bibliography will help you:
The components of an Annotated Bibliography are the citation in your assigned style and the descriptive paragraph immediately following. Your descriptive paragraph should contain an introduction, a summary, an evaluation, and a reflection.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Citation | Add the citation just as you would on your References, Works Cited, or Notes pages. Don't forget they need to be in alphabetical order and indented. |
| Introduction | The beginning of your annotation should start with an introductory sentence, "This article studies the effect of..." The authors state..." "This report outlines the outcome of..." Make sure your paragraph is in present tense. (Don't use "The authors stated" and so on.) |
| Summary | The summary consists of 2-4 sentences that summarize the main points of the resource. What is the study? What topics are covered? What is the point of the article? What methods are used? What are the conclusions made? |
| Evaluation | Here you'll want to evaluate the material in 4-6 sentences. You can use the SCARAB resource. What are the credentials of the authors? Is the resource objective? Is it clearly written and free of grammatical errors? Is it scholarly? How does the source compare with other sources you have found? Is this reliable information? |
| Reflection | Here you will conclude your paragraph with a reflection of the source. Is it relevant to you and your research? Does it change your mind about your topic? Will you include it in your final assignment? |
Harbin, M. B. (2020). Collaborative note-taking: A tool for creating a more inclusive college classroom. College Teaching, 68(4),
214–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2020.1786664
This article discusses benefits of the Collaborative Note-Taking technique, a system where students work together on a shared document to create a community of learners. This technique provides the author with three positive outcomes: creation of a level playing field for students with differing abilities, the ability to check students’ comprehension of the subject and see where problems may arise and improves the quality of classroom discussion. The author also discusses the issues they found when they implemented this technique, including quality of individual note taking, the author’s failure to adequately convey their expectations of the note taking, and the differing levels of student preparation for the class. Depending on the student’s educational background, they may be more or less knowledgeable about the content and their notes reflect that. The author is an instructor of Political Science at the US Naval Academy and uses this technique in their introductory American Government class for first-year students. The article is helpful for educators looking to address note taking strategies in their courses and includes a lengthy list of references.
Atlantic Technological University. (2023). How to Write an Annotated Bibliography. Donegal.
Harbin, M. B. (2020). Collaborative note-taking: A tool for creating a more inclusive college classroom. College Teaching, 68(4), 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2020.1786664
