A bibliography is a list of resources (e.g., articles, books, websites, or reports) that you've cited or consulted in doing an academic assignment. Bibliographies are
However, an annotated bibliography is slightly different. Annotated bibliographies contain additional information that describes and, quite frequently, evaluates a given resource.
Each entry in an annotated bibliography has two distinct parts:
There are different types of annotated bibliographies, and there aren't any formal names for these types.
An annotated bibliography is basically a list of resources that you have discovered through research. These resources could be any of the following, depending on what your instructor is asking you to find:
Instructors will often ask in their assignments that your annotated bibliography do one or more of the following things:
Summarizing and evaluating/critiquing resources are typically done in most annotated bibliographies, but you may be asked to configure yours in a certain way. Make sure you're following any specific guidelines from your instructor. |
The example below is of an entry in an annotated bibliography that attempts to
The example is written in MLA style. To see other citation styles, scroll down this page for other examples.
Chowdhury, Tufayel, Darren Scott, and Pavlos Kanaroglou. "Urban Form and Commuting Efficiency: A Comparative Analysis across Time and Space." Urban Studies 50.1 (2013): 191-207. Web. 21 July 2014.
Chowdhury, Scott, and Kanaroglou examine the relationship between the form of a city and the efficiency of commuting. The study compared commuting efficiency rates in three Canadian cities: Halifax, Nova Scotia; Hamilton, Ontario; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Amongst their conclusions, Chowdhury, Scott, and Kanaroglou state that even though commuting is generally more efficient in cities where there is a balanced jobs-to-housing distribution, this may not be the case with Vancouver: even though people in Vancouver may live closer to their workplaces than in Halifax, their commute has not decreased. The article covers new ground in that it uses an alternative approach--specifically, a modified form of a quantitative methodology known as Brotchie's triangle. The authors claim that this approach provides a way to look at a city's commuting patterns with respect to urban form, but they also admit that it may not be the best measure of comparing the distance between jobs and housing. This article is quite useful in my assignment as it provides a clear contrast to the article by Hodson and Vannini, who have used a qualitiative, ethnographically-based strategy to explore the lives of a specific set of British Columbia commuters. |
The examples below attempt to summarize the main points of an article and its methodology, as well as provide a reaction and short evaluations of authors' study. Note the two distinct parts:
Example in APA style
Notice how hanging indents are used in APA:
Hodson, J., & Vannini, P. (2007). Island time: The media logic and ritual of ferry commuting
Hodson and Vannini explore the notion of time as it is experienced in a bodily way by |
Example in MLA style
Hanging indents are also required in MLA style:
Hodson, Jaigris, and Phillip Vannini. "Island Time: The Media Logic and Ritual of Ferry Commuting on Gabriola Island, BC." Canadian Journal of Communication 32.2 (2007): 261-275. Web. 17 July 2014.
Hodson and Vannini explore the notion of time as it is experienced in a bodily way by |
Example in Chicago style (Author-Date System)
Hanging indents are also required in Chicago style:
Hodson, Jaigris, and Phillip Vannini. “Island Time: The Media Logic and Ritual of Ferry Commuting on Gabriola Island, BC.” Canadian Journal of Communication 32, no. 2 (2007): 261-75. Accessed July 17, 2014. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.viu.ca/ docview/219578486?accountid=12246.
Hodson and Vannini explore the notion of time as it is experienced in a bodily way by |
Citations: These can be written in any citation style--for example:
Check with your instructor about the preferred citation style.
Annotations: Most annotations are written in paragraph form.
They can range from a sentence or two to a couple of pages.
Every annotated bibliography assignment is different when it comes to length expectations, so check with your instructor.
Here are other guides you can check out for help on writing annotated bibliographies:
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL): Annotated Bibliography Samples
Concordia University Libraries: How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
[Some of the information on this VIU guide has been adapted from these sources.]
Citing Your Sources: Check VIU Library's guide to information on using well known citation styles such as APA, MLA, and Chicago.
VIU Library | email:library@viu.ca | Nanaimo: 250.740.6330 | Cowichan: 250.746.3517 | tiwšɛmawtxʷ: 1.888.920.2221 ext.6330 | Report a Problem