All students are aware of the notions of “bibliography” and “annotation.” A bibliography is a list of references. As a rule, scholars and researchers use it to avoid plagiarism troubles. Besides, it shows the depth of the provided investigation. An annotation is a piece of writing found at the beginning of a book or a publication. It briefly introduces its plot and expectations. What about an annotated bibliography? Who needs it? How to write an annotated bibliography?
This guide lets everyone understand the concept of this academic paper. You will be ready to write it successfully.
An ABC Explanation of an Annotated Bibliography
If one analyzes the words separately, it will be possible to understand the meaning. Generally, it is a list of sources with a brief description. A traditional annotation introduces one source. Here, a person writes several annotations for different sources and orders them alphabetically. Besides, one needs to format them to meet college requirements.
The number of resources depends on the tutor. Traditionally, teachers assign from 5 to 10 sources. One should pay attention to the assigned requirements. They decide what font, data order, or other things come first or last.
What Does an Annotated Bibliography Reflect and Who Needs It?
It is not a secret that many students cheat while providing sources of information. They want to impress their tutors and mention everything they find. However, academic writing is not easy to trick. Most universities demand annotated bibliographies. They reflect the work students have done while selecting literature. They also demonstrate a student’s ability to analyze, conclude, and systematize information.
A good annotated list serves as a perfect source of information. It is valuable for students and other researchers. Instead of reading the whole book or article, they can first ensure they do need it. Besides, it is a kind of a short review. It stresses the value or negative aspects of the source. In other words, a reader knows the influence of the research on the researched topic.
Each scientific publication brings something new to the investigated field. An annotated bibliography shows the contribution of the authors.
How to Structure an Annotated Bibliography?
This academic paper looks like a list of applied literature. The only difference is a short analysis of the source. There are such structural parts:
- Citation or search information. This is the basic data about the source such as authors, title, date of publication, and other details.
- Summary. This is a surface introduction to the resource with key findings and arguments. One should avoid details to preserve the required volume limit.
- Evaluation. It is necessary to assess the worth of the material. What methods were used? Is the material verified?
- Reflection (obligatory only for some universities). A researcher can discuss how well the source matches the investigated topic. Was it influential concerning the project in general? Or was it confusing and misleading?
Each annotation looks like a short numbered paragraph. So, one must be specific to meet the requested length but cover all the necessary information. Usually, this assignment takes from 1K to 2K words. One source takes up to 200 words. Students can analyze 5-10 resources for this task.
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography?
This section is for those who write an annotated bibliography for the first time. It includes several essential steps.
Research and read a lot
An annotated bibliography should concentrate on one topic. Each selected source must match. This step is the most challenging. Students must spend weeks and even months to find the required list.
Afterward, one should analyze them. It is necessary to define the methodology that allowed an author to get the material. Besides, it is necessary to say how they help you understand the research topic.
Jot down essential details
You already know what the constituent parts of the paper are. Yet, you should know how to create them. How to annotate a source being limited in words?
- Be specific without providing too many details. Avoid wordy combinations. 100-200 words are your maximum.
- Identify the core message and its relevance to the claimed subject. Specify the target audience.
- Does the source sound biased? Is it credible? You should not base this sentence on your viewpoint. It must be a professional investigation.
- Imagine that you are a critic. Is the chosen source reputable? Can you trust it? Can you refer authors to experts?
- How does this literature help you in your research? Will you use it in your thesis or other academic papers? How does it help you comprehend your subject?
When you answer all these questions, you will be ready to tackle the task of how to write an annotated bibliography.
Manage your time
You should plan your writing depending on the deadline. It is essential to stay organized. Keep your notes systematized. Later, you will be able to use valuable facts in your research paper. There will be no need to reread the literature many times to find the required number or citation.
Formatting is a must
Your writing should not only be precise and informative. The second top requirement is to format this literature review using the correct citation format. The style can be decided either by discipline or by a mentor.
For example, there is an APA style that almost all psychological papers demand. Harvard is usually a must for humanities like History or Linguistics. IEEE is a typical citation format for Computer Sciences.
They have distinctive features. You must ensure you know everything about the one you need to apply.
Double-checking
Finally, you should read what you have created. It is a good idea to have bibliography examples at your fingertips. Ask your mentor or a professional writing agency to show some. Annotated bibliography writing service can even help you do everything mistake-free. So, proofread it before handing it in.
