Annotated Bibliography: Guide, Examples, and Structure

This annotated bibliography provides a comprehensive overview of what annotated bibliographies are, their purpose, and how to write them. It defines an annotated bibliography as a list of sources with concise summaries and evaluations. The document explains why annotated bibliographies are useful for research, helping to demonstrate valid research, analyze sources, and assist readers. It distinguishes between annotations and abstracts, and details the different types of annotations: descriptive, analytical, and a combination of both. The structure of an annotated bibliography, including topic formulation, source selection, evaluation, citation, and annotation writing is explained. The document also provides rules for writing annotations, such as being brief and specific. References to several sources are provided to support the information.

Annotated Bibliography
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Contents
What is an Annotated Bibliography?...............................................................................................2
Why do an Annotated Bibliography?..............................................................................................2
Annotation vs. Abstract...................................................................................................................2
Types of annotations........................................................................................................................3
Descriptive or informative...........................................................................................................3
Analytical or critical.....................................................................................................................3
Combination.................................................................................................................................4
Structuring an annotated Bibliography............................................................................................4
How to write an annotation..............................................................................................................5
Rules for writing annotations...........................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

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What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An Annotated bibliography is a working list of books, journals articles, online documents and
many others, which are consider by researcher in their essay, research paper or project. Each
reference citation followed by summary considered as an evaluating paragraph that is annotation
of particular source. The purpose of annotated bibliography is to inform the reader about the
accuracy, relevancy, and quality of cited sourced by researcher for project.
The Annotation should be presented in own words of writer, unless quotation support the
statement and being expressed in concise, precise and clear manner.
Why do an Annotated Bibliography?
Here are some reasons:
 Reasons for citing sources as well as accumulating a general bibliography are so that
proves that the researcher has undertaken the valid research, which back up with
arguments and claims.
 Some certain kinds of annotations can provide a brief analysis of a source by author of
paper that includes details about what data, information that is essential, or not, in what
way it fits into the broader scope of the paper. Further, it provides reason why it may or
may not helpful for others.
 The readers, researchers or the instructors of the project have the ability to elucidate
content of sources, evaluating their usefulness and segment this data with others. It offers
separate tasks to motivate writers going beyond the basic literal reading and think
significantly about present work of research (Gorman, 2019).

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Annotation vs. Abstract
An annotation and abstracts are two different terms that varies a lot, the same has been given
below -
 Abstract include the brief summary of research article, review, thesis, conference
proceeding or in-depth evaluation of the certain discipline or subject that used to support
the reader quickly ascertain purpose of paper.
 On the other hand, an annotation performs a dual function that clearly explains the task
including background of its author and evaluates the source critique that explain its
strengths and weaknesses.
Types of annotations
Based on the nature of the presented information in annotation an annotated bibliography can be:
Descriptive or informative
The annotation must give an overview of summary of the text with important points, arguments
and conclusions presented by source.
It includes:
 Author’s information and their credentials
 Summary of content and statement of major points
 Description of methodology
 Contribution to field of research with focus on its importance (Piwek, 2012)
 Indication of unique characters of text such as glossary, graphs

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Analytical or critical
It evaluates usefulness of material, examines the strengths of source, expose its weaknesses and
relationship with the specific research field.
It includes following:
 It shows the usefulness, accuracy and trustworthiness of source to research field or
audience.
 Originality or reality by presenting new ideas or opinions based on their own
understanding of content
 Applicability of the source to own project of research
 Limitations of the research (Van, Et al, 2010)
 Work’s that contribute to the literature of subject
Combination
Most annotated bibliographies are combination of above as they include one or two sentences
that summarizing or explaining the content with one or two sentences that are offering an
evaluation. This approach merges the elements of analytical and descriptive annotation. These
types of annotation generally start with broad comments with the emphasis on source then moves
to details that are more relevant and evaluate comments.
Structuring an annotated Bibliography
1. Formulation of topic: Conducting the inquiry for determined challenges as well as
issues

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2. Search and opting: Explore for number of sources from library, databases of subjects,
Google scholars. Note down main words and synonyms for research concerned topic and
look at bibliography and footnotes in selected material for more relevant sources.
3. Evaluation of materials: Analysis the located records and choose relevant sources for
research issue. The summarization of the source requires article abstract that plays a vital
role in the process. While evaluating the reading, must focus on relative strengths and the
weaknesses of the task, its theory, arguments, methodology, place within or contribution
to the research field and its overall effectiveness. For instance, you may comment on
evidence, information, case studies or examples used. The choosing work of actual items
provides a variety of viewpoint on the given topic.
4. Provide a complete citation: Each citation requires arranging as per recommended style
of referencing and needed to utilize it constantly through the complete task. Disciplines
of several subjects use the different manual style. Be sure to check with supervisors on
their suggested style of referencing before using any style of referencing.
5. Write an annotation: In the annotation, it is required to inform reader that how well the
resource fulfills criteria of assessment and explain the source value for complete topic of
research. In many cases, the initial paragraph includes a statement developed around the
thesis of document, question of research. The second paragraph examines and assesses
the source with respect to its audience, validity and gaps in an argument. The annotations
required to be concise, insightful and comprehensive (University of Chicago press, 2018)
6. Review: read an annotation and
 check if it addresses the outlined questions in the given topic
 check the text for writing the mistakes

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 Whether entire sources cited are correctly or not.
How to write an annotation
The goal of writing an annotation to offer reader an insightful summarize source that explain its
importance towards the research topic. These are usually a single concise paragraph but may be
lengthy if it is summarize and evaluated (Coates library, 2019).
Rules for writing annotations
 Be Brief- Avoid use of unnecessary word and long involved sentences annotation include
only the required information for the source and should not be longer than 150 words.
 Be Specific- While writing annotation beware about generalization.
 Analyze as well as evaluate the material (Piwek, 2012)
 Attempt not to begin every annotation with “This article” or “The book”.
 Try to avoid use of adjectives that include words like good or excellent

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References
Coates library. (2019) creating an annotated bibliography. [Online]. Available from:
https://lib.trinity.edu/creating-an-annotated-bibliography/ [Accessed: 18/07/2019]
University of Chicago press. (2018) a manual of style. Chicago: Creative media partner, LLC.
Van Deursen, A., Klint, P. and Visser, J. (2010) Domain-specific languages: An annotated
bibliography. ACM Sigplan Notices, 35(6), pp.26-36.
Piwek, P. (2012) an annotated bibliography of affective natural language generation. Technical
report, University of Brighton.
Gorman, F. (2019) Advantages of an annotated bibliography. [Online]. Available from:
https://classroom.synonym.com/advantages-annotated-bibliography-1029.html [Accessed:
18/07/2019]