Annotated Bibliography How To

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (approximately 150-word) 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.

Annotations vs. Abstracts:

Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.

The Process:

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

• First, locate and record or print citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic.
• Briefly examine and review the actual items.
• Choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
• Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
• Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that
  • evaluate the authority or background of the author,
  • comment on the intended audience,
  • compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or
  • explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

Critically Appraising the Book, Article, or Document:

For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, please see Critically Analyzing Information Sources. Two comprehensive book review sources include Book Review Digest (available through the Library Gateway) or Book Review Index. Many paper and online periodical indexes also contain records of book reviews. Appropriate biographical sources may provide information on the author's background and views. Useful online biographical sources include Contemporary Authors and Biography and Genealogy Master Index, or the biographical information located in the publication itself can be used to determine the author's credentials. For more information on various authors or locating book reviews, ask for reference assistance at one of the 19 Cornell libraries that contains the appropriate research materials for your topic.

Choosing the Correct Citation Format:

Ask your instructor to recommend the preferred citation format for your topic. You may also ask reference staff for citation format guidance. Style manuals for various citation formats are often kept in the reference collection. For online assistance, please see Citing Sources: APA Citation Style and MLA Citation Style.

Sample Annotated Bibliography for a Journal Article:

The following example uses the APA format for the journal citation:

Goldschneider, F. K., Waite, L. J., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51 (4), 541-554.

The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the national Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams, cited below, shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.