*Research and Writing: Integrated Skills & Strategies*

An annotated bibliography constitutes a list of sources that you have identified for your research paper and includes a brief summary and analysis of each source. The goal is to briefly summarize the source, generally in 50 to 150 words, and explain why it is important for a topic. Annotations are a single concise paragraph, but might be longer if you are summarizing and evaluating.

The style of annotations can vary from simply summarizing sources, or taking it a step further, and provide an evaluation of sources. For an evaluative annotation, start by analyzing how the source changes your topic: what does it add to your understanding of the topic and the debate on the topic? What new questions does it bring up? Also, relate each source to your research question. Ask yourself how your research question may change because of the source.  Below, you'll find instructions on writing evaluative annotations. 

The components of an evaluative annotation

1. Citation: Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style. 

2. Summary: 1-2 sentence overview of the main arguments in the article or book

3. Annotation: Assess & reflect 

• evaluate the authority or background of the author
• comment on the intended audience
• compare or contrast this work with another you have cited
• explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic

What to include when assessing and evaluating

• Purpose - Why are they writing the article or doing the research? 

• Author - Who is the author? What is their occupation/position, education, experience? Is the author qualified? 

• Author Bias - Does the author make assumptions upon which the rationale of the article or research rests? What are they? 

• Relationships to Other Works - How does this study compare to similar studies? Are there specific examples with which this source agrees or disagrees? 
• Source Content - What method of obtaining data was employed? Is the source based on personal opinion or experience? Interviews or library research? Experiments or tests? Etc. 
• Intended Audience - Is this intended for the general public, scholars, or someone else? Is this reflected in the author's style of writing/presentation? 
• Author Conclusion - At what conclusion does the author arrive? 
• Significant Attachments - Are there appendices such as charts, maps, bibliographies, photos, tests, or questionnaires? If not, should there be? 
• Justification - Does the author satisfactorily justify the conclusion from the research or experience? Why or why not? 

Source: Undergraduate Library University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Example of an evaluative annotations for a book and journal article, MLA style

Source: University of Washington Libraries