WHAT IS IT?
  An annotated bibliography is a list 
  of sources (books, journals, websites, 
  periodicals, etc.) one has used for 
  researching a topic that includes a 
  summary and evaluation of each of 
  the sources. 
  PURPOSE
  The purpose of the annotation 
  is to inform the reader of the 
  relevance, accuracy, and 
  quality of the sources cited. 
  EXCELLENT PREPARATION 
  When you have to write annotations 
  for each source, you’re forced to 
  read each source more carefully. You 
  begin to read more critically instead 
  of just collecting information. 
  FORMAT OF THE ANNOTATION
  Use the third person – do not use “I”, 
  “me”, or “my.” Use the literary present 
  tense. Examples: “This article 
  discusses…” “In this article the author 
  supports…” “This book gives a detailed 
  view on…” “This article describes…” 
                                    • Highlight any special features of 
YOU NEED TO..                       the text that were unique
 • Provide the full bibliographic 
 citation                           or helpful (charts, graphs etc.)
 • Indicate the background of the  • Discuss the relevance or 
 author(s)                          usefulness of the text for your
 • Indicate the content or scope of research
 the text                           • Point out in what way the text 
 • Outline the main argument        relates to themes or concepts
 • Indicate the intended audience in your course
 • Identify the research methods    • State the strengths and limitations 
 (if applicable)                    of the text
 • Identify any conclusions made  • Present your view or reaction to 
 by the author/s                    the text
 • Discuss the reliability of the 
 text