Annotated bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography provides an overview or a brief account of existing research on a given topic. It consists of a list of research sources, with each entry consisting of a citation followed by an annotation - a short paragraph summarising and evaluating the source. An annotated bibliography may be a stand-alone assignment or a component of a larger project.
- Purpose
- Structure
- Steps
When set as an assignment, an annotated bibliography helps you familiarise yourself with the material available on a particular topic. Depending on the specific requirements of your assignment, an annotated bibliography might:
- Review the literature on a particular subject
- Demonstrate the quality and depth of your reading
- Exemplify the scope of available sources, such as journals, books, websites, and magazine articles
- Highlight sources that may be of interest to other readers and researchers
- Explore and organise sources for further research.
Each entry in an annotated bibliography has two components: 
- a bibliographic citation followed by 
- a short paragraph (an annotation) that includes concise descriptions and evaluations of each source. Ìý
The short paragraph briefly summarises the content, along with a short analysis or evaluation of the research piece. Depending on your assignment, you may be required to summarise, reflect, critique, evaluate, or analyse each source.
- Length -Ìý
While annotations can sometimes be as brief as one sentence, a paragraph is more commonly expected. Aim for around 100–200 words per annotation. - Format -
Just like a standard reference list or bibliography, entries in an annotated bibliography should be arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name.
Always check with your lecturer or tutor, or refer to your marking criteria regarding word limits and the required elements for each annotation, as these may vary across faculties and assessments.
- Choose your sources – locate and record citations for research sources that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic
- Review the items you have collected in your search
- Write the citation using the correct style
- Write the annotation.
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Questions to consider when selecting sourcesÌýÌý
The sources for your annotated bibliography should be selected carefully. Start by reading abstracts or skimming content to identify relevant sources. Remember, while annotated bibliographies can be 'stand-alone' assignments, they may also serve as preliminary research for a longer literature review. Aim to select sources that, together, provide a comprehensive overview of the topic.
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- What topic/ problem am I investigating?
- What question(s) am I exploring? (Identify the aim of your literature research).
- What kind of material am I looking at and why? Am I looking for journal articles, reports, policies or primary data? 
- Am I being judicious in my selection of sources? Does each one relate to my research topic and assignment requirements?
- Have I selected a range of sources? Choose those sources that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic
- What are the essential or key works about my topic? Am I finding them? Are the sources valuable or often referred to in other sources?
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When reading your selected texts, take note of:
- the author’s theoretical approach
- which parts of the topic are covered
- main points or findings on the topic
- the author’s position or argument. 
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Record evaluations in your notes and consider:
- How, and how effectively, does this source address the topic?
- Does it cover the topic thoroughly or only one aspect of it?
- Do the research methods seem appropriate?
- Does the argument seem reasonable?
- Where does it stand in relation to other studies? Agree with or contradict?
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- Each annotation should be concise. Do not write too much - annotations should not extend beyond one paragraph (unless assignment guidelines say otherwise)
- The summary should be a brief outline of the argument(s) and main ideas. Only mention details that are significant or relevant, and only when necessary
- Any information apparent in the title of the source can be omitted from the annotation
- Background materials and references to previous work by the same author usually are not included As you are addressing one text at a time, there is no need to cross reference or use in-text citations to support your annotation
- Find out what referencing style you need to use for the bibliographic citations and use it consistently
- In-text citations would usually only be necessary for quotations or to draw attention to information from specific pages
- Unless otherwise stipulated, you should write in full sentences using academic vocabulary.
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An annotation may contain all or part of the following elements depending on the word limit and the content of the sources you are examining.
- Provide the full bibliographic citation
- Indicate the background of the author(s)
- Indicate the content or scope of the text
- Outline the main argument
- Indicate the intended audience
- Identify the research methods if applicable
- Identify any conclusions made by the author/s
- Discuss the reliability of the text
- Highlight any special features of the text that were unique or helpful e.g. charts, graphs etc.
- Discuss the relevance or usefulness of the text for your research
- Point out in what way the text relates to themes or concepts in your course
- State the strengths and limitations of the text
- Present your view or reaction to the text.
Sample annotation 
The citation goes first and is followed by the annotation. Make sure that you follow your faculty’s preferred citation style, or the style outlined in your marking criteria, if applicable. The summary needs to be concise. Please note the following example is entirely fictitious.Ìý
In the sample annotation below, each element is numbered (see Key)
(1)  Trevor, C.O., Lansford, B. and Black, J.W., 2004, ‘Employee turnover and job performance: monitoring the influences of salary growth and promotion’, Journal of Armchair Psychology, vol 113, no.1, pp. 56-64.Ìý(2) In this article Trevor et al. review the influences of pay and job opportunities in respect to job performance, turnover rates, and employee motivation. (3) The authors use data gained through organisational surveys of blue-chip companies in Vancouver, Canada to try to identify the main causes of employee turnover and whether it is linked to salary growth. (4) Their research focuses on assessing a range of pay structures such as pay for performance and organisational reward schemes. (5) The article is useful to my research topic, as Trevor et al. suggest that there are numerous reasons for employee turnover and variances in employee motivation and performance. (6) The main limitation of the article is that the survey sample was restricted to mid-level management, (7) thus the authors indicate that further, more extensive, research needs to be undertaken to develop a more in-depth understanding of employee turnover and job performance. (8) This article will not form the basis of my research; however it will be useful supplementary information for my research on pay structures.Ìý Ìý |
Ìý Key
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