The annotated bibliography often works as a scaffolding assignment for research-based papers and projects. A standard bibliography simply offers a list of sources, while annotated ones contain notes about the source. Although it may look like busy work, the process of completing an annotated bibliography will help guide your research and keep track of your sources.
Many professional writers and academics complete annotated bibliographies even when nobody directly requires them. They might publish these bibliographies in print or online as resources for other researchers. In turn, these writers will look for annotated bibliographies to help jumps start their work. They use the descriptions of sources to make initial decisions about what to include in their reading, what to exclude, and where to focus their database searches.
Many of them consist of two parts: a research narrative, and a source list. The research narrative offers 2-3 paragraphs or more that describe your topic and why these issues matter to you and others. The narrative also explains what strategies and techniques you’ve used to gather sources, how your understanding of your topic has evolved, and what challenges you’ve encountered.
The main body of an annotated bibliography contains your source list: several entries for books and articles, each one offering a standard citation and at least one analytical paragraph. This paragraph should briefly summarize the overall argument and purpose of the source. It should also offer a few sentences of evaluation about your plans for using the source. Consider the following:
- What did you learn from reading this source?
- Do you plan to include the source in your paper? Why?
- Does the information conform to the CRAAP model?
- Has this source raised additional points or questions you need to explore?
Annotated bibliographies might include anywhere from 5 to 20 sources. Book-length bibliographies contain hundreds. Your teacher will ask for a specific number and offer specific guidelines about how to structure and format your entries.
You should strive to preview and read as many sources as possible. Even if your assignment requires only 5-6 sources, you should try to read double that many. Completing an annotated bibliography isn’t just about meeting quotas. Writers use this genre to engage in a meaningful process of source vetting. This assignment will be most useful if you gather a dozen or more articles and then read the abstracts and introductions, drilling down deeper on articles that seem relevant to your topic. When you exclude a book or article from your reading, keep it in a “discarded” folder on your computer. Make a brief note in your bibliography about why you decided not to use it. The exclusions you make can inform your research narrative, and help clarify your purpose.
Your teacher will ideally offer brief feedback on your annotated bibliography before you begin officially drafting your paper. If you give them a detailed narrative about your search process, they can use that to help identify any places where you’re struggling. They can also offer practical tips and strategies for more successful database searches and source evaluation techniques.
Annotated bibliographies can also provide lists of subject and keyword terms related to their topic. Your teacher may require this so they can see what terms you’re using to locate sources. They can usually offer advice and feedback, including additional keywords to try, and which ones may be too broad or specific to return helpful results.