Skip to Main Content

ENG 111: The Pursuit of Happiness - Cambridge

Definition

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for the sources (books, articles, websites, films, journals, etc) you are using in your research. Each citation is followed by a 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.

Writing an annotated bibliography

1.  MLA Citation

2.  Annotation.  Several sentences explaining to your reader what information was included in the resource, how/why you used it in your paper, and an evaluation of the resource including (as appropriate) information about quality, bias, strengths/weaknesses, etc. 

    ► Summary of the source

  • What are main arguments?
  • What is the point?
  • What does it cover?

    ► Evaluation of the source

  • How does it support or fit into your argument?
  • Does it provide new or different information?
  • What is unique about it as a source?