Geography & Environmental Resources

What is it?

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (bibliography) that includes comments, or summaries and evaluations, about each source. These comments are called annotations.

Annotations:

An annotation includes:

• A summary of the arguments or findings in the source
• An evaluation and assessment of the credibility of the source and how the source will help support your thesis/topic.

Summarize

For your first paragraph,  summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? 

Evaluate & Assess

For the second paragraph, point out the article's strengths and evaluate its methods. Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source? Then assess the source: How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

Formatting guidelines:

• The title "Annotated Bibliography" is centered
• Page numbers are at the top right corner
• Double spaced
• Hanging indent for second and subsequent lines of the citation
• Indented annotations
• Entries are listed in alphabetical order

Annotated Bibliography Entry Example: