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HON: Honors College Program: What is an Annotated Bibliography?

This guide was created to support undergraduates doing research through the Honors College program.

Important!

All professors have different expectations about the length and contents of annotations. Be sure to check the assignment sheet or ask your professor what they require for your annotated bibliography.

What is an annotated bibliography?

reference list is a list of citations to books, articles, and other sources used while researching a topic. Reference lists may also be called "Bibliographies" or "Works Cited," depending on the style manual used.

An annotation is a summary or evaluation.

An annotated bibliography is a reference list/bibliography with annotations for the items cited.

Descriptive Annotations

Descriptive annotations focus on describing the cited items and may include information such as:

  • Contents and purpose of work
  • Intended audience
  • Research methods used
  • Author's conclusions
  • Special features of the item, such as illustrations, maps, graphs, etc.

Understanding the Annotated Bibliography

APA and MLA Annotated Bibliographies (Video)