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Resources for Education Grad Students: Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliographies

What is it?

Annotated bibliographies are a great way to keep track of the sources you might use in your literature review. 

The Basics Components:

A Bibliographic
Citation
  • List your sources following a standard citation style (ex. APA style)
  • Alphabetize your list by author's last name

An Annotation
  • Write your annotation in paragraph format
  • Provide a summary of the scope, main points, and central theme of the article
  • Describe any conclusions that can be drawn from the article
  • Comment on the intended audience
  • Compare or contrast this source with another you have cited
  • Point out any notable biases or gaps you detect
  • Evaluate and explain why this source is relevant or suitable for your topic

How is this different than a literature review?

This video from UCF Libraries explains the differences between an annotated bibliography and literature review. 

Make it your own

If you are using the annotated bibliography as a way to stay organized, and not as a class assignment, you can personalize it to fit your needs. This means that you can treat the annotated bibliography more like a research log and keep track of your thoughts, quotes that jump out at you, and anything else that is on your mind as you research. Here is an example of an "imperfect" annotated bibliography/research log created by your librarian using Google Docs.

Useful Online Resources