Annotated Bibliography Examples and Guide

What You Need to Know About Annotated Bibliographies

An Introduction to Annotated Bibliographies

What is an annotated bibliography? Annotated bibliographies are aggregated lists of resources that correlate with a research topic. Students and researchers actively seek out exceptional resources about a specific research topic and develop a list of the best resources they’ve found. In addition to information about the source (such as the title, author’s name, publication information, and other identifiable information), writers also include a brief synopsis of each source to provide readers with information about its contents.

Follow the directions below to form a bibliography with annotations.

How to Do an Annotated Bibliography

The act of compiling a bibliography of this type involves:

  • Choosing an annotated bibliography topic. Choose a topic which interests you to make the assignment more enjoyable to organize and complete.
  • Seeking out relevant resources that directly correlate with a research topic.
  • Creating a citation for each resource, including the title, author’s name, date of publication, and other identifiable information.
  • Writing a very brief analysis or summary of each source.

Why Are Annotated Bibliographies Created?

These specific bibliographies are created for numerous reasons, including:

  • To encourage students and researchers to become experts on a topic or area of study.
  • To demonstrate and advance information literacy skills necessary in the 21st century.
  • To provide helpful sources to others researching the same or similar topics.

What Elements Are Included in An Annotated Bibliography?

Follow these recommended guidelines:

  1. An introduction: Include the research topic, the types of sources included, the process used to locate the sources, and any other relevant information.
  2. A list of the sources and their annotations: Each source should have a full reference citation followed by a brief annotation summarizing the source.

Annotated Bibliography Examples

Below are examples of annotated bibliographies:

Annotated Bibliography Example #1: A MLA style bibliography with summary annotations

Topic: Research Habits of Young Children

Karalar, Halit, and Sabri Sidekli. “How Do Second Grade Students in Primary Schools Use and Perceive Tablets?” Universal Journal of Educational Research, vol. 5, no. 6, 2017, pp. 965-71. ERIC, doi: 10.13189/ujer.2017.050609.

This case study examined how digital natives use tablets and found varied usage patterns.

Knight, Simon, and Neil Mercer. “Collaborative Epistemic Discourse in Classroom Information-Seeking Tasks.” Technology, Pedagogy and Education, vol. 26, no. 1, 2017, pp. 33-50. ERIC, doi: 10.1080/1475939X.2016.1159978.

Focused on student discussions during information-seeking tasks and identified positive learning outcomes.

Annotated Bibliography Example #2: An APA style bibliography with critique annotations

Topic: Research Habits of Young Children

Knight, S., & Mercer, N. (2017). “Collaborative epistemic discourse in classroom information-seeking tasks.” Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 26(1), 33-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2016.1159978

Concluded that student discussion aids research understanding, although results may not be widely applicable due to sample size.

Karalar, H., & Sidekli, S. (2017). “How do second grade students in primary schools use and perceive tablets?” Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(6), 965-971. http://dx.doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2017.050609

Explored 2nd graders' usage of tablets and highlighted how they engage with technology in varying contexts.