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Cite It Right!

Citation information to be used with the Cite It Right - Got Research? workshops

What Does an Annotated Bibliography Include?

Annotation = your summary & evaluation of each source

Bibliography = a list citations for sources (books, articles, newspapers, videos) that you found when researching a topic

An annotated bibliography is a list of the sources that you have found for your paper.  Each item on the list includes 1) a citation for each source and  2) a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources.

  • Summarize: Each source entry has a summary about the source. Consider the following:
    •  What are the author’s main arguments?
    • What topic is this source about?
    • What support does the author use for their claim?
  • Assess/Evaluate: Next evaluate the source itself. Consider the following:
    • Is this source helpful/useful for your research?
    • Does the source seem reliable or biased?
    • What is the source trying to accomplish?
  • Reflect: After summarizing and evaluating the source, think about how this source may be applied toward research in your topic. Consider the following:
    • Is this source helpful to me?
    • How does this source help shape my topic and argument?
    • How can I use the source in my research paper?
    • Does this source change my view on the topic?

Your sources should be listed in the citation style used for your class such as APA or  MLA.

Your annotations should be in paragraph form,

Annotated Bibliography - Two Videos

The 2 videos posted below show the basic information about how to create an annotated bibliography. 

In 3 minutes you can easily learn how to get started.

"Annotated Bibliography." YouTube, uploaded by Suffolk County Community College Library, 11 Nov. 2011, https://youtu.be/ffN96B5-IJI

"Research Bites: The Annotated Bibliographies." YouTube, uploaded by Oakton College Library, 23 Nov. 2021. https://youtu.be/IXfl9ejeYCQ?si=afl0cg8fyXIfa63T