How to Write an Annotated Bibliography That Works?

Sooner or later, each student faces such a task as writing an annotated bibliography. If you are also confronted with this task but do not know where to start, then you are in the right place. First, let’s look at what an annotated bibliography is and then how to write an annotated bibliography step by step correctly.

What is an annotated bibliography?

So, what is an annotated bibliography? An annotated bibliography is a report of your research on a particular topic. Simply put, the annotated bibliography looks like a list of research sources in alphabetical order. In addition to bibliographic data, you should give a brief overview of each source, its value evaluation, or relevance to your topic. Moreover, this kind of work can be either an independent task or one of a part of a large research project.

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The formalization of the results of educational and scientific work (coursework, thesis, scientific article, report) is one of the most important stages of scientific research and creative work. This stage of work (formalization of the bibliographic part of the manuscript) includes:

• Use of quotes and references;
• The formulation of the list of literature;
• Bibliographic description of the documents in this list;
• An annotated bibliography can have different purposes depending on its purpose;
• Providing a literature review on a particular subject;
• Formulation of a thesis on a specific topic;
• A demonstration of your research on a topic;
• A demonstration of relevant sources that are available on the topic;
• The description of subjects that other researchers can find on the topic;

Annotated Bibliography Introduction

From what do you to start in the introduction? Usually, here you need to identify the topic of your research. Also, explain why these sources were chosen and how they helped in the course of your research. Notice how you searched for and selected these sources. Were they chosen specifically for your topic or were more general. Remember that your introduction should be short enough, and also consist of several paragraphs. However, it sometimes happens that the introduction can consist of only two or three sentences. These sentences will briefly talk about the purpose and what was done during the study. Please note that for the best possible performance of such a task, consult all the requirements with your professor.

What are MLA and APA?

Note that you must write your work with your own words and according to the requirements of a particular style. Typically, when performing this task, the following styles are usually used: MLA and APA. In order to correctly use one of the formats, you need to clearly understand the essence of each. Let's look at each of them.

• So, in the MLA annotated bibliography formatdate follows the publisher in the quote, but is not in parentheses. It is necessary to write the first and last name of the author. The title should be underlined and all words in the title come with a capital letter. The original page is called “Works Cited” The author’s surname and page number are used in the MLA. Remember that this format does not use commas for separating or before page numbers.
• In this format, the date will be after the author and in round brackets. Surnames of the author and his initials are written. In this format, only the first word of the title, title, and proper nouns (surnames, names) are capitalized. Note that the title is writtenin italics. The home page is called “References”. Please note that APA uses the author’s name and date, and also uses commas.

The sample MLA annotated bibliography: Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900. The Picture of Dorian Gray. London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin, 2003. Print.

The sample APA annotated bibliography: Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900. (2003). The picture of Dorian Gray. London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin,

You should clearly understand these formats, and never mix them in your work. Specify with your professor what specific type you should use when performing your task. Whichever style you use you should make sure that your work is fully consistent. Do not neglect this stage.

What do you need to cite work?

After you have dealt with the previous material, you are ready to begin to perform the annotated bibliography.

• Choiceof sources. You should prepare your sources, for this, you need to review all entries in materials that are relevant to your topic.
• Study all the points. You should select those elements that represent a wide range of perspectives on your topic.
• Next, prepare your quote and annotation. Remember that first comes your quote, and then an abstract.
• Also, pay special attention to the fact that annotated bibliographies can be located not only in alphabetical order but also in chronological order. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you clarify this with your professor.

What to include in annotation?

Here is a standard plan what to include in your annotation (it can vary depending on the type of annotated bibliography):

• The purpose of your work;
• Brief contents of the work;
• The target audience;
• The value of the work done for the topic;
• The uniqueness of the material;
• Strengths and weaknesses, relevance or variations in material.

How to Save Time for Writing Reference List?

How can you speed up and facilitate the writing process? When reading the source, you should focus on understanding the basic ideas. You will need to take notes and this will form the basis of your resume:

1. What is the purpose of the study?
2. How the study was conducted, what methods of collecting information were used.
3. Describe the main argument and the result of the study.
4. Determine the scope of the study.
5. Find out the evidence for the conclusion.
6. What problems were solvedas a result of this study?
7. Give quotes that sum up the main argument.

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