WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited, while identifying areas where the article covers the most relevant information related to the research topic.
Annotations are descriptive and critical; they discuss the author of the article's point of view, clarity of research, and authority on the topic.
Sometimes instructors want you to include an “annotated bibliography.” An annotated bibliography includes three items for each source:
The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, location, and quality of the sources cited.
1. First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
2. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
3. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that:
Below is an example of an annotated bibliography including the citation. This example uses the Chicago Style format for the journal citation. (Note: the second and following lines of every citation are indented (tabbed)).
Waite, Linda J., Frances K. Goldscheider, and Christina Witsberger. "Non-family Living and the Erosion of Traditional
Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review 51, no. 4 (1986): 541-54.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that non-family living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of non-family living.
***Remember an annotated bibliography must be written in your own words, reflecting what you have learned from the article and how it relates to your topic. This means that you need to read and understand the articles you are including in your assignment. Sometimes it helps to have a conversation about your articles with another student as this will help you put the article into your own words.