Definition
An annotated bibliography is a an alphabetical or chronological list of citations with each citation followed by a paragraph that gives information about the resource. The paragraphs, or annotations, can be written in a number of styles that will be covered on the next page, Different Annotation Types.
The format of the citations and annotations is determined by the style guide you've been assigned - MLA, APA, Chicago, etc. The Libraries have both online and print style guides for you on the Citations and Style Guides page.
Purpose
There are numerous purposes for writing an annotated bibliography:
- To familiarize yourself with the literature in an area
- To prepare to write a research paper and make a record of your impressions of the sources
- To provide readers of your scholarly work with additional information about sources, such as author backgrounds, your evaluations, or summaries.
- To place your research in a historical context for readers