M.S. Instructional Design & Learning Technology

For information about preparing a literature review, see the library's Literature Review Research Guide which provides an explanation of what the literature review is, resources to help understand / prepare a literature review, the structure and development of the listerature review, and mistakes to avoid.

An annotated bibliography is

"A list of sources that gives the publication information and a short description — or annotation — for each source. Each annotation is generally three to seven sentences long. In some bibliographies, the annotation merely describes the content and scope of the source; in others, the annotation also evaluates the source’s reliability, currency, and relevance to a researcher’s purpose."

Hacker, D., & Fister, B. (2006). Research and documentation in the electronic age. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.

When creating an annotated bibliography you will need to know how to summarize and analyze, and know how to do library research.

1. Develop a research question and thesis, and come up with search terms (keywords).
2. Locate books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic.
3. Examine and read resources. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
4. Cite the book, article, or document using the APA citation style.
5. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article.
6. Review your work; be sure that your annotations are based on on the citations you have selected.

Annotated Bibliographies consist of two parts:

1. The bibliographic citation: The citations (bibliographic information - title, date, author, publisher, etc.) are formatted using APA style.
2. The annotations: The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form, usually 3-7 sentences or 80-200 words.

Depending on your assignment your annotations will generally include the following:

1. Summary: What are the main arguments? What is the point of this source? What topics are covered? What is the source about?
2. Evaluate/Assess: Is this source credible? Who wrote it? What are their credentials? Who is the publisher? Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
3. Reflect/React: State your reaction and any additional questions you have about the information in your source. How does this source fit into your research? Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic. Compare each source to other sources in terms of its usefulness and thoroughness in helping answer your research question.

After selecting your References, create your annotated bibliography.  If you need assistance, watch the video tutorial below about how to create a annotated bibliography.