What is a Bibliography?

A bibliography is simply a list of references that were consulted in a scholarly work. It is usually placed at the end of the text and arranged in an alphabetical order or in a numbered form – depending in the referencing style. Therefore, bibliographies can be in APA, MLA, Chichago, Harvard, and many other official styles of referencing. If you are not sure with the citation style, be sure to check with your instructor.

What is an Annotation?

An annotation is basically an evaluative, descriptive, or an analytical summary (mostly 150 words) of an article, website, or any other type of publication. It includes distinctive features of an item and may question or uphold the author’s stand.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

Therefore, an annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources/references each followed by a paragraph long description illustrating its relevance. The narrative can either be descriptive or analytical depending on the task at hand. Annotated bibliographies are mostly done after research papers as they indicate the relevance of each source consulted.

Guidelines to Writing an Annotated Bibliography

The process of writing an annotated bibliography is very simple and direct. Here is the process:

• Choose a citation style

• Choose your sources

• Review the sources

• Write the Annotated Bibliography

• Edit and Finalize

1. Choose a Citation Style

There are quite a number of citation styles used in writings – practically a thousand. However, the main, and the most used styles, are APA, MLA, Harvard, Vancouver, Chicago, ALWD, Bluebook, and ASA citation styles. It is important to choose a citation style that you are well conversant with. In most cases, however, students are assigned with the writing styles they ought to use. If you are not sure with what style to use in your bibliography, contact your instructor for instructions.

2. Choose Your Sources

While conducting a thorough and an elaborate research, it is paramount to choose your sources prudently. Do not take shortcuts, magnificent annotations are achieved only by actually reading the material referenced. Ensure you adhere to the instructions concerning the number of sources required for the assignment.

3. Review the Sources

This process involves concise exposition and succinct analysis of the sources consulted upon. Analyze the main idea of the source and evaluate whether it is relevant to your search. These ideas can be found at the abstract, introduction, or conclusion part of the article you’ve chosen. You can use article critique ideas to review and analyze your sources exquisitely.

4. Write the Annotated Bibliography

Now it comes to the actual writing of the bibliography. First, Write down all your references and arrange in alphabetic order or number accordingly – depending on the writing style you are using. Second, write a short description that analyzes and illustrate the importance of each source. Here is a video summarizing the same, with step-by-step examples:

5. Edit and Finalize

After writing your annotated bibliography, it is eminent to go through it and identify mistakes within your text. Ensure that you have followed all the rules and guidelines within the citation style that you have chosen. Moreover, ascertain that your language is official, concise, and direct to the point. You can then use grammar checking tools to ensure impeccability in your grammar. If you need any sort of assistance at any point within this guideline, do not hesitate to contact us. We help with such tasks at the lowest and affordable prices – while delivering grades that will help you achieve your dreams. Order a paper with us and smile all the way to the notice board!