ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION:
An annotated bibliography is a list of cited sources about a particular topic, in which
each citation is followed by a brief annotation, or discussion of the source. The annotation
usually consists of just one paragraph, but your instructor may require more. An annotated
bibliography is useful for documenting your research in a specific area, exploring varying
viewpoints, and summarizing main points from different sources. Format requirements of an
annotated bibliography vary greatly from one documentation style to another; please refer to
a style manual for specific format requirements (ex: MLA, APA, CBE, Chicago, etc.). There
are two parts to every entry in an annotated bibliography: the citation and the annotation.
The Citation:
The citation includes the bibliographic information of the source. The documentation style
required for this information depends upon your particular academic field and will usually be
assigned by your professor (some common styles include MLA, APA, CBE, and Chicago).
Follow the instructions for the assignment, and the guidelines in the appropriate
documentation handbook. Citations are organized alphabetically.
DEFINITION OF ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY :
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each
citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative
paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the
relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited
The Annotation:
The annotation is a brief paragraph following the citation. Purpose of the Annotation: The
annotation of a source can serve several different purposes; your professor may require your
annotations to do some of the following:
 condense the content of the source (write a brief summary of the information
 evaluate the credibility of the source (analyze for authority, accuracy, currency,
objectivity)
 assess the usefulness or relevant application of the source
 discuss the writer’s background (examine expertise or layman knowledgeability)
 analyze the intended audience (education, age, experience, needs, bias)
  describe your reaction (credible source? value of source? analytical/emotional
reaction?
The length of an annotation depends upon the assignment. Shorter annotations
will most likely cover only main points and themes; longer annotations may require a
more in-depth description, discussion, or evaluation of the source. Consult the specific
requirements for your assignment as your professor may dictate a word count or
length for each annotation.

TYPES OF ANNOTATIONS:Annotations may be written with different goals in mind.

Indicative annotations

This type of annotation defines the scope of the source, lists the topics and explains what the
source is about. In this type of entry, there is no attempt to give actual data such as
hypothesis, proofs,author etc.[4]

Informative annotations

This type of annotation is a summary of the source. An informative annotation should include
the thesis of the work, arguments or hypothesis, proofs and a conclusion.[4]

Evaluative annotations

This type of annotation assesses the source's strengths and weaknesses, in terms of usefulness
and quality.[4]

Combination annotations

Most annotated bibliographies contain combination annotations. This type of annotation will
summarize or describe the topic, and then evaluate the source's usefulness and a summary .[4]

PURPOSE OF AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

An annotated bibliography may serve a number of purposes, including but not

limited to:
 A review of the literature on a particular subject
 Illustrate the quality of research that you have done
  Provide examples of the types of sources available
 Describe other items on a topic that may be of interest to the reader
 Explore the subject for further research
 The annotated bibliography may be selective or comprehensive in its coverage.
 A selective annotated bibliography includes just those items that are best for the topic
while an exhaustive annotated bibliography attempts to identify all that is available on
a subject.
ORGANIZATION OF AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY :

 The organization of the annotated bibliography, if not prescribed by faculty

instructions, may be one of various methods, including but not limited to:
 Alphabetical
 Chronological: either by date of publication or by period of subject matter (century,
era, decade, event, year)
 By subtopic
 By format (articles, books, government documents, media, web pages, etc.)
 By language

ELEMENTS OF AN ANNOTATION 

Information found in an annotation may include:

1. qualifications of author(s);"Based on 20 years of study, William A. Smith,

Professor of English at XYZ University...";
2. purpose/scope:"...sets out to place John Turner in eighteenth century England and
show the development of his philosophy in relation to contemporary social mores";
3. audience and level of reading difficulty:"Smith addresses himself to the scholar,
albeit the concluding chapters on capital punishment will be clear to any informed
layman";
4. bias or standpoint of author :"Turner gears his study more to the romantic aspects
of the age than the scientific and rational developments";
5. relationship to other works in the field:"Here Turner departs drastically from A.
F. Johnson (Two will not, New York, Riposte Press, 1964) who not only has
 developed the rational themes of the eighteenth century but is convinced the romantic
elements at best are only a skein through the major prose and poetry";
6. findings, results, and conclusions (if available); and
7. format/special features(e.g., bibliography, glossary, index, survey instruments,
testing devices, etc.).

STRUCTURE OF AN ANNOTATION :

 Length: Generally, annotations constitute one paragraph and are approximately 100
-150 words long, with a goal of concise and explicative annotations
 Person: The third person is the standard, though first person may be appropriate for
certain types of annotated bibliographies.
 Language and Vocabulary: Use the vocabulary of the author, as much as possible, to
convey the ideas and conclusions of the author. If you use a quotation excerpted from
the work set it within quotation marks. Vary your sentence structure and try to avoid
repetivitive vacuuous phrases in your annotations, such as, "The author states," "This
article concerns," or "The purpose of this report is," as well as sentences starting with
"It was suggested that," "It was found that," and "It was reported that."
 Format - Sentences: Whole sentences are preferable, but single descriptive words, and
simple phrases or lists may be acceptable.
 Format - Paragraphs: Annotations should be one paragraph long. The paragraph
should contain a statement of the work's major thesis, from which the rest of the
sentences can develop.

Citation Format  

The bibliography portion of the annotated bibliography usually follows one of the
standard citation formats, APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. Citation format information is
available from the library's Cite a Source web page. The most complete citation
resources remain in print; copies of the APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, ASA and
ACA style guides are available at the reference desk.
Examples of an Annotated Bibliography Entry  

Example 1:

Broude, Norma. Impressionism: a feminist reading. New York: Rizzoli, 1991.

In this publication Broude has taken full advantage of her feminist lens to scrutinize
modern French science. Her text is accessible and reader-friendly and uses
poststructuralism without becoming a slave to its theories. Her systematic
examination of the field, particularly in "The Gendering of Art, Science, and Nature
in the Nineteenth Century," reveals underlying patterns of gender discrimination
inherent in traditional French philosophy, which upholds Descartes' "I think, therefore
I am." Her examination of the social relations between art and science compels
readers to take a harder more skeptical look at the sexual politics of postmodernism,
whose theory seems to be rooted within the French Cartesian tradition. Her book
should be required reading for anyone interested in art, the feminine principle, and
how it is treated in a male-oriented universe. (From Feminist Art Criticism; an
annotated bibliography. New York, G.K. Hall, 1993)

Example 2:

Dorival, Bernard. "Ukiyo-e and European Painting." pp. 27-71. In Dialogue in Art;
Japan and the West. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1976.
Known in France around 1860, Ukiyo-e prints had an immediate influence on
the vision and the craft of painters. First, Theodore Rousseau and Millet and then
Whistler, Manet, and mainly Degas were profoundly affected. Asymmetrical
compositions, scenes and landscapes represented from above or below, figures shown
in close-up, pale palette, flat areas of color, the replacement of Albertian perspective
with the system of opposed diagonals: all these innovations were taken up by the
Impressionists, particularly Monet, who learned moreover not to reduce the scene he
was painting to the limits of the canvas, and absorbed a pantheistic feeling for nature
contrary to traditional Western humanism. Japanese graphic art had a continuing
influence on French painting from the Post-Impressionists to the Nabis and the
Fauves, as well as on the work of Ensor, Munch, Klimt and others. After the
Renaissance rediscovery of ancient art, nothing had so influenced European painting
 as Japanese prints. (From Les Fauves; a sourcebook. Westport, Greenwood Press,
1994)
APA referencing style is used in used in this fact sheet.

Descriptive steps 1-3 1. Citation details (set out in the same style
as a reference list item)
2. A short statement that explains the main
focus or purpose of the work
3. A short summary of the theory, research
findings or argument (e.g. intended
audience, subjects covered, major arguments
supported, research methods, conclusions
Descriptive and evaluative steps 1-5 reached, special features)
4. Consideration of the usefulness and/or
limitations of the text for your research (e.g.
reliability of the text, credibility of the
author, poor features, left-out content,
weaknesses in argument)
5. An evaluative comment on the work that
may take into account how this work will fit
into your research on a topic (e.g. critical
comment, critical reflection that describes
the usefulness or relevance of the
information for your writing task)

 Examples according to APA

Chrisholm, P. (1996, March 11). The ADD dilemma. Maclean's, 109, 42-44.

This magazine article looks at the use of Ritalin in Canada. Specifically, it covers the
drug's side effects, why there is so much debate surrounding its use and how teachers have
come to rely on it to control problem students. The article is based on information taken from
interviews, statistics and studies that were conducted. Overall, it is well written and well
researched.

Kirkey, S. (2001, November 27). Jury's still out on Ritalin. The Gazette, A1.

This newspaper article focuses on a study published in the Canadian Medical

Association Journal about the short and long-term effects of using Ritalin. The information
comes from a reputable source and is based upon fact. This article was useful for my research
as it helped support my idea that Ritalin may not be the answer for treating children with
ADD.

Mercogliano, C. (2003). Teaching the restless: One school's remarkable no-Ritalin

approach to helping children learn and succeed. Boston: Beacon Press.

Mercogliano describes how depending on medication, such as Ritalin, to treat

students with attention deficit disorders may not be the right approach. The book also calls
into question how teachers deals with students who have ADD.

Annotated Bibliography Format Styles

1.Summary Format Styles

The basic format of an annotated bibliography is the same as a non-annotated bibliography

entry. The difference is that the publication information about the source material is followed
with the annotation that reviews and evaluates the material.

Here are the two basic format styles:

2.APA (American Psychological Association) Style

StyleBaker, T. (1995). Gun control and You.  Stevenson Learning Law Review, 45 (2),
180-193. The author researches several federal and state firearms regulations and their effect
on the everyday citizen. By testing his hypothesis that firearms regulations have an inherent
effect on everyday citizens, findings yield in support of the hypothesis. In contrast, Baker
cited in an earlier study the complete opposite findings. 
3.MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

StyleJohnson, Jaime. "Gun Control: Your Only Means of Defense.” Researcher's Special
Journal  (1999): 254-325. Print. The author researches several federal and state firearms
regulations and their effect on the everyday citizen. By testing his hypothesis that firearms
regulations have an inherent effect on everyday citizens, findings yield in support of the
hypothesis. In contrast, Baker cited in an earlier study the complete opposite.

4.Full 3-Component Format Style

Crohn’s and Colitis - An Annotated Bibliography

Crohn’s and Colitis Drug Effective in Trials. (2013). Medical News Today. Retrieved from:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265128.php 

Published on the website Medical News Today, this article discusses the research findings of
two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Vedoluzimab is a drug being
tested to help Crohn’s and Colitis patients deal with the debilitating effects of these diseases.
The article briefly outlines the research suggesting effectiveness of the drug. 

MediLexicon International, the publisher of the article, is a U.K. based health care internet
publishing company that is dedicated to providing top notch unbiased content. Publishing
since 2003, this reputable company’s articles are reliable for use for research support. 

Glover, Sonia B. Coping With Crohn’s, The Pain and The Laughter. Newfoundland and
Labrador: Boulder Publications. 2007. Print
This insightful account of one woman’s struggles with her symptoms and diagnosis of
Crohn’s provides valuable personal information for those struggling with Crohn’s. 

 Published by Boulder Publications, a self-proclaimed “publisher of high quality books,” this

book is a useful tool to understand Crohn’s disease. It is a reliable resource for anecdotal
information about Crohn’s disease. 

 
Creating an Annotated Bibliography

Some tips for creating a well-annotated bibliography include:

 Consider which writing style is required of your research. One of the things to keep in mind
about APA and MLA format is that there is a distinguishing difference. For example, MLA
format is usually double spaced within the citation and between each citation.
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
Mrs.R.AMIRTHAGOWRI,M.Sc(N) V.VANITHA
LECTURER,CON,MMC M.Sc(N)-Ist year
Mrs.J.ALAMELU MANGAI,M.Sc(N) CON,MMC
NURSING FACULTY GrII, MADURAI
COLLEGE OF NURSING
MADURAI MEDICAL COLLEGE,
MADURAI