What is an Annotated Bibliography?
Robyn Hartman
Annotated Bibliographies are a common research project that you may see in your courses.
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for resources on a specific subject or related to a specific project, frequently found at the end of a scholarly article.
A bibliography is a list of books, articles, and other information resources about a subject. The Works Cited or References page that you include in papers or presentations is one type of bibliography. Annotation is another word for note, so if you annotate a bibliography, you are adding notes to it. It can be a standalone project or a step on the road to writing a paper, and there are three types of annotations that could be used:
- Descriptive annotations provide a summary of the resource.
- Evaluative annotations criticize or include value judgments of the resource.
- Combination annotations summarize and evaluate the resource.
In this chapter, we will focus on Combination annotations.
Kunel, Maurice. Grasset, 1947. 260 p. César Franck: L’homme et son oeuvre. Paris: Bernard
This biographical study of the composer is written in an accessible and engaging style and the author recounts the important and interesting parts of Franck’s life and career. The author reiterates some well-known anecdotes and but the contents lacks any detailed or analytical investigation of Franck’s music. Kunel freely quotes other materials, but unfortunately does not include any citations and consequently the reader does not know which exact primary sources were consulted. Clearly not intended for an academic audience, this monograph is nevertheless interesting and includes some valuable information, such as a detailed family tree extending back to the 16 th century and an extended bibliography. This book is a good introduction to the life and career of Franck.
(from pg 108 Flynn, Timothy. César Franck : An Annotated Bibliography, Pendragon Press, 2019. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/fhsu/detail.action?docID=5310090. )
Combination Annotation Example 2:
Newman, P.A., Fantus, S., Woodford, M.R., Rwigema, M. (2017). “Pray that God will change you”: The religious social ecology of bias-based bullying targeting sexual and gender minority youth—A qualitative study of service providers and educators. Journal of Adolescent Research, 33(5), 523-548. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558417712013
This study, which concludes that religion plays a role in homophobia, documents bullying trends towards LGBTQ+ teens in Canada through interviews with teachers and therapists. The authors are experts in the fields of sociology and gender studies. This peer-reviewed article presented the results of the well-designed, though small, study which collected data from a diverse population of service providers and used accepted methods to ensure the quality of the data. The Journal of Adolescent Research is well-respected within the field. The information in this study which connects religious faith to homophobic bullying supports the argument that LGBTQ+ teens of faith may suffer mental health consequences if they choose to stay in the church.
(written by Mary Elizabeth Downing-Turner)
Why write an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography lets you, the author, and other researchers obtain a focused and critical summary of the subject and important resources to use in research.
Annotated Bibliographies help you organize your information resources
Using an annotated bibliography is one of the most effective ways for you to organize and manage your information resources throughout a research project. As Steven D. Krause explains in The Process of Research Writing, it helps you avoid the frustration of losing track of valuable sources and ensures that you have all the citation details ready when you need them. By compiling your sources in one document, you can easily access and incorporate them into your final work.
Beyond organization, an annotated bibliography gives you space to reflect on how each source might support your argument or fit into your topic. As you write brief summaries or evaluations of each source, you begin to notice connections, contrasts, and patterns that will strengthen your analysis.
Annotated Bibliography Organizing Example
Krause’s examples from a project on pharmaceutical advertising show how even short annotations can reveal relationships between sources and help you think critically about their perspectives.
Example Descriptive Annotations:
Siegel, Marc. “Fighting the Drug (ad) Wars.” The Nation 17 June 2002: 21.
Siegel, who is a doctor himself, writes about how drug advertising has undermined the communication between doctors and patients. He says that drug ads have driven up the costs of prescription drugs, particularly big-selling drugs like those for cholesterol.
Wechsler, Jill. “Minority Docs See DTC Ads as Way to Address ‘Race Gap.’” Pharmaceutical Executive May 2002: 32, 34. WilsonSelect Database. Eastern Michigan University Halle Library. 20 October 2002. <http://www.emich.edu/halle>.
This article is about a study that said that African-American doctors saw advertising of prescription drugs as a way of educating their patients. The ads are useful because they talk about diseases that affect African-Americans.
Krause writes:
Even from the limited amount of information available in these entries, it’s clear that a relationship between these articles exists. Both are similar articles about how the doctor/patient relationship is affected by drug advertising. But both are also different. The first article is from the newspaper The Nation, which is in many ways similar to an academic journal and which is also known for its liberal views. The second article is from a trade journal (also similar to academic journals in many ways) that obviously is an advocate for the pharmaceutical industry.
Ultimately, keeping track of your research from the beginning, especially through an annotated bibliography, sets you up for a smoother, more thoughtful writing process.
Annotated Bibliographies help others choose information resources
Annotated bibliographies help others choose information resources by providing clear, concise summaries and evaluations of each source. When you create an annotated bibliography, you’re not just listing citations; you’re also explaining what each source is about, why it’s relevant, and how it contributes to your topic. This context allows others to quickly assess whether a source might be useful for their own research.
For example, if someone is exploring a similar topic, your annotations can highlight key arguments, perspectives, or findings that they might want to explore further. They can also see how different sources relate to one another, which helps them understand the broader conversation around the topic. In short, annotated bibliographies act as a curated guide to your research, making it easier for others to identify credible, relevant, and insightful resources.
Tip: When assigned an annotated bibliography for class, always follow the instructions, and double-check with your instructor about what should be included in your annotations.
Chapter Attribution:
7.2: Why Write Annotated Bibliographies? is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Steven D. Krause
A list of citations for resources related to a specific topic, with a summary, analysis, and reflection on the utility of each resource
Pointing out in what sources you found each direct quote and where/who the ideas that you paraphrased and summarized in your research paper, essay, or poster came from. The citing may appear at the point of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing (called in-text citations) and at the end of the document on pages typically called References, Bibliography, or Works Cited. Citations are an integral part of academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism
Peer-reviewed article published in an academic journal, usually at least 15 pages long and summarizing existing research on a topic or presenting new research, with citations
Explanatory notes added to a text or diagram
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