2. What is a Bibliography?
What is an Annotation?
A Bibliography is a list of citations put together
on a topic of interest.
An Annotation is a commentary a reader makes
after critically reading an information source.
It includes a summary of the reading and the
readerâs response to the reading.
3. What is an
Annotated Bibliography?
An Annotated Bibliography is a list of
bibliographic citations that includes a
descriptive and evaluative paragraph of each
citation.
Its overall purpose is to support your study of a
particular subject by providing a collection of
succinct article summaries that will negate the
need for rereading of an article.
4. Where do I start?
ď¨ Begin by critically reading the article. View the
reading as an interactive process in which
your interpretation of authorâs words is
influenced by your own knowledge and
experiences.
ď¨ Critical readers attempt to dialogue with the
text by asking tough questions on the articleâs
purpose, audience, language and content.
5. Questions to ask about an
article
ď¨ Who is the author? His/her credentials?,
biases?
ď¨ Where is the article published? What type of
journal is it? What is the audience?
ď¨ What do I know about the topic? Am I open to
new ideas?
ď¨ Why was the article written? What is its
purpose?
ď¨ What is the authorâs thesis? The major
6. Questions to ask about an
article
ď¨ Did the author support his/her
thesis/assertions?
ď¨ Did the article achieve its purpose?
ď¨ Were the supporting sources credible?
ď¨ Did the article change my viewpoint on the
topic?
ď¨ Was the article convincing? What new
information or ideas do I accept or reject?
7. Writing the Annotation
A strong annotation contains:
ď¨ A summary of the article
ď¨ Your response to the article
8. The Summary Paragraph
ď¨ Begin by succinctly stating the articleâs thesis
and major points.
ď¨ Describe/define key points and how they are
connected or substantiated.
ď¨ Describe the usefulness and the limitations of
the article
ď¨ Limit in length (75-150 words)
9. The Response Paragraph
ď¨ Describe your reaction to the article as a whole.
ď¨ Describe the relevance, accuracy, and quality of
the citation and its conclusions.
ď¨ Document your response to the authorâs ideas,
argument, writing style or any other notable
aspect of the article.
ď¨ Limit in length (50-75 words)
10. The Response Paragraph
ď¨ Describe your reaction to the article as a whole.
ď¨ Describe the relevance, accuracy, and quality of
the citation and its conclusions.
ď¨ Document your response to the authorâs ideas,
argument, writing style or any other notable
aspect of the article.
ď¨ Limit in length (50-75 words)