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Annotated Bibliography Guide - LSC-North Harris

 

What is an annotated bibliography?

It is a list of sources (such as books, journals, and websites) that cover the topic you have chosen to research.  Each source listed is followed by a paragraph that summarizes and evaluates the source.

Starting Point

1. Follow the appropriate Research Guide to help you find relevant sources.
   • Current Issues
     
   • Literary Criticism
     
   • See all North Harris guides

2. Use the Citation Help guide to help you format your paper and construct a citation entry for each source. 

   • Ask your professor which style to use (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.).

   • For each entry, list the appropriate bibliographic elements (author, title, publication place, date, etc.). 

   • Each entry should answer the questions:
     • Who wrote the material you are using?
     • What did the author(s) entitle the piece he/she/they wrote?
     • Where and when was it published (for a book, what city; for an article, which periodical)?
     • If it's an article or a chapter, what pages is your source on?

3. Alphabetize all the entries by the first element.

4. Follow each entry with an annotation composed in paragraph style.

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In each annotation (check with your professor for particulars):

• summarize the source's main points.
• discuss any bias.
• define the purpose and the intended audience of the source.
• describe the currency, quality, relevancy, and accuracy of the source.
• explain how the information compares to other sources you found.
• mention how the source helps you understand the topic.

 

Learn More about Annotated Bibliographies

• Annotated Bibliographies from Purdue Online Writing Lab
• How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography from Cornell University Library