LibGuides: Annotated Bibliography: Home

How to start

Read your assignment: what is being asked? Check what citation style is required (e.g. APA, CSE, Chicago, MLA, etc.) and if your annotated bibliography needs to follow a particular organization (a list of all sources in alphabetical order is the most common, but organization by topic or sections may also occur; you may also be required to write an introduction, depending on your assignment).

Define your topic: annotated bibliographies can be a preliminary phase for a larger research project, so it is also important to consider your topic, research question, thesis, and the different aspects/angles/arguments you may want to explore.

Find meaningful sources: explore a range of different sources by using the Discovery Search and library databases. Use our subject guides to explore about specific topics, and our Research Guide on how to define your topic, search strategically, and select/evaluate sources.

Start writing: make a selection of sources that are meaningful for your research and write an annotation for each of them. Generally, annotated bibliographies may require some or all of the following:
- Summary: provide a description of the contents of each source. What is the goal of the source? What are the main arguments? What is covered? What were the conclusions?
- Assessment: how is the source useful in the field? How does it related to other sources? Are there identifiable gaps or biases?
- Reflection: how can you use this source in your particular project?