- What is an annotated bibliography?
- Annotations and abstracts – what is the difference?
- What does the annotation include?
- Which citation style do I use?
- How do I get started?
- How do I write the summary?
- How do I write the critique?
- Sample annotated bibliography entries
1. What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is an organised list of citations to books, journal articles, and other documents. It also includes a descriptive or evaluative paragraph about each resource - the annotation.
An annotated bibliography can:
- Guide for the reader to relevant sources on a topic
- Assist the writer to become familiar with the literature in a subject area
2. Annotations and abstracts – what is the difference?
Annotations: Summarise the scope and content of a work and may also provide a critical comments.
Abstracts: Give an overview of the main points of the work but usually do not involve any critical evaluation.
Each annotation should be concisely written - approximately 150 words long. It may answer some or all of the following questions:
- What is the main focus or purpose of the work?
- Who is the audience it was written for?
- What is its usefulness or appropriateness to your topic?
- Are there any special features that were unique or helpful?
- What is the author’s background and credibility?
- What conclusions does the author draw?
- What observations or conclusions have you made?
4. Which citation style do I use?
Consult with your lecturer as to the correct bibliographic citation style to use. Once this is determined, you will find various style guides included How to reference and cite.
5. How do I get started?
- Select a range of readings relevant to your subject
- Skim each reading to gain an overview of the main issues and debates. Then read in more detail, analysing the content further
- Record the full bibliographic details (for a book this includes the author or editor, title, publisher, place and year of publication; for a journal article this includes the author, article title, journal title, journal volume and number if applicable, date and page numbers) in the chosen citation style (see guide above)
- Write the annotation paragraph - a short summary of the main ideas of each work followed by a brief critique
6. How do I write the summary?
To write an informative summary, identify the main ideas and write them succinctly in your own words. You may like to ask yourself the following questions to avoid including non-essential content:
- What point is the author actually making?
- What ideas and evidence are used to support this view?
The written structure of your reading may provide a framework to follow – e.g. the chapter headings of a book or the subheadings of a journal article.
7. How do I write the critique?
The critique is your own evaluation of the reading. It follows the summary. To write a useful critique, consider the other reading you have done in the subject area and then ask yourself:
- How does this work help to build my understanding of the subject?
- What specifically does it add to my knowledge?
- How does this reading relate to the other works I have read?
- Would I recommend it to a friend? Why? Why not?
The answers to these questions will structure your critique.
8. Sample annotated bibliography entries
A Book (Harvard style)
Radloff, A., A. Hermann and R. Fox. 1999. Successful Learning Skills: Your guide to tertiary studies through open, distance and flexible learning. Wagga Wagga: Bobby Graham Publishers.
This book contains strategies to help students studying in the distance mode to become more effective learners and covers areas such as: taking charge of your learning process, achieving your learning goals, becoming a more effective learner and developing your reading and writing skills. Radloff et al.'s book covers a similar range of topics to many other study skills books. It does, however, focus particularly on the needs of students studying at a distance who will find this a valuable resource for getting started and developing tertiary learning skills. In particular, students returning to study after a long break will find working through the checklists and key questions a useful strategy to identify their strengths as learners.
A Journal Article (Harvard style)
Goldschneider, F. K., L. J. Waite and C. Witsberger. 1986. Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51: 541-554.
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 nonfamily 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 nonfamily living.