A bibliography is a list of resources that you used in your research. These can include books, articles, websites, and other materials you cited or consulted.

An annotated bibliography is a bibliography (list of references) that also includes a short summary, also known as an annotation, for each source you cite.  Each entry in an annotated bibliography has two distinct parts:

• the reference: the full citation formatted in the style your instructor requires (eg. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
• the annotation: a brief summary or explanation written in your own words

Read more below on what to include in your annotation. Some instructors have specific preferences, so always be sure to read through your assignment instructions carefully to ensure that your annotations include the appropriate details.

Keep in mind that annotations are different than abstracts. An abstract is a summary of an entire article, and they are typically found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles.

An annotation is written by you and focuses on the topic that you are researching. Your main goal is to summarize resources as they relate to your topic.

Your annotations should summarize the resource in your own words. Consider:

• What is the thesis statement?
• What is the main argument or purpose of the author/resource?
• What did the author(s) do to investigate the problem? (ie: collect data, review literature, etc.)

If you are asked to evaluate the resource, consider:

• Is the resource reliable? What about their references?
• What are the resource's strengths and weaknesses?
• How did the author arrive at their conclusions?
• Is there anything that they've missed?

If you are asked to explain how the resource fits into your own research, consider:

• Does it support or contradict your argument?
• Has it changed how you think about the topic?
• How do you intend to use it in your research?