Annotated bibliography

Annotated bibliography is one of the papers that you are likely to come across in your studies. Therefore, it is important to understand the importance of the type of writing in order to deliver a successful and comprehensive paper. It is specifically meant to provide clarity on a particular topic by giving a list of sources concerning the topic. Annotated bibliography also provides the readers with the significance of the selected sources with regard to the topic of research. Here are some important tips on writing annotated bibliography:

  • Establish the purpose

Annotated bibliography can be used for different purposes, either as part of another research project or as a separate independent paper. Therefore, it is important to understand the type of the assignment. Other reasons for writing the paper may include, organization of sources for future research; selecting the relevant sources for a particular study; gauging the range of sources available; evaluating the quality and depth of sources, or, simply, as a literature review study. Therefore, you should identify what purpose your literature review plays.

  • Selecting sources

After establishing the purpose of the paper, you will need to determine which sources you will include in the bibliography based on their relevance and significance. However, before doing so, you need to determine your scope by examining the following: the topic of study, type of materials of the research i.e. books, journal, articles etc., and search valuable source using the keywords of the topic.

  • Write a summary of the source based on the research

Annotated bibliography consists of the source citation and a paragraph summarizing argument of the source. The paragraph should be between 100-300 words and should summarize the vital findings and discussions of the bibliography entry. Nevertheless, the summary should explain the significance of the source to the research. As such, you should establish the main argument of the source when writing. These include the thesis, methodology, theories and the important section of the source.

  • Evaluate the relevance and quality of source

Since annotated bibliography focus on specific topics it is important to establish the value and the relevance of the annotations. Whether it is an independent or as part of another project, you must establish the how the source contributes to the research.

  • Use the correct format

Finally, you should ensure that you use one format in all your bibliographical entries. Arrange your sources in an alphabetical order using the authors’ surnames. Consult with you instruction to establish which is the most appropriate format to be used in your studies.

Ensure that all your entries have the citation and bibliography entry. The bibliography explains the central argument of the source by briefly discussing the research methodology, finding and conclusions. The entries to ultimate express the relevance of the sources to the research topic.