An annotated bibliography is a list of sources you have read about your topic and are considering for your research project. Each entry or annotation is built as a block paragraph of about 7-10 lines of text (the size of your annotation can vary). Each entry should have a citation at the top of the annotation, a summary, and your critical evaluation. This evaluation is crucial to help you decide how important the book or chapter is for your topic. Annotated bibliographies also help other readers assess titles for their projects.
1. Provide a complete citation using a citation format of your choice. MLA is a standard citation format in the humanities.
2. Provide a summary reflecting what the item is about.
3. The next part of the annotation is your assessment.
The example above includes the following assessment:
"...the manual is an excellent source for students new to philosophy. Like other books in this area, the manual contains sections of grammar, writing strategies, introductory logic, and the different types of writing encountered in various areas of philosophy..."
4. The last part of the annotation is a closing statement referring to the work's value to the research. The example above includes the following closing statement:
"Of particular note, however, is the section on conducting research philosophy. The research strategies and sources of information described there are very much up-to-date..."
Writing Methods
There are three main effective ways to use the work of others in your writing:
Brief presentation, in your own words, of another author's main points as related to your writing.
Useful practice when:
You need only short passages or sentences to convey the meaning
You wish to draw your readers’ attention to particular points, conclusions or observations
Your interpretation of another author's words or ideas, usually shorter passages or paragraphs.
Useful practice when:
Meaning is more important than exact phrasing
Ideas or resources are more important than exact wording
Simplifying concepts will help your reader
Images & sounds
Your use of an author's exact words, terms, or phrases in direct quotes.
Useful practice when:
Author’s words are very effective or significant
Author is a recognized authority
Exactness, accuracy, or conciseness matter
You are pointing to or analyzing the original text
Tip: Summarizing is also a good note taking strategy and allows you to test your understanding. The more deeply you understand a topic, the better you will be at paraphrasing and quoting.
Read actively! Take notes and make annotations. Learn more about when to paraphrase and when to quote.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Lippincott, 1960.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Llanera, Tracy. "Rethinking Nihilism: Rorty Vs. Taylor, Dreyfus and Kelly." Philosophy & Social Criticism, vol. 42, no. 9, 2016, pp. 937-950.
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.
Lukainoff, Greg and Jonathan Haidt. "The Coddling of the American Mind." The Atlantic, 1 Sept. 2015, pp. 42-52.
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical, Day Month Year, pages.
University Libraries: University of Colorado, Boulder. University of Colorado Boulder, www.libraries.colorado.edu. Access 1 Jul. 2024.
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).
Learn more: Citing Electronic Sources
* Note: in works cited pages, the second and subsequent lines of citations are indented by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent. Learn more about formatting.
