Annotated Bibliographies!

What is an Annotated Bibliography, anyway?

Annotated Bibliographies seem intimidating, but they just add an extra step to the typical Works Cited page that we have all grown accustomed to.

Before I discuss the differences and tell you about an Annotated Bib, I want to state that I personally believe that a regular Works Cited Page should only take up about 5-10 minutes of your time so that you can emphasize on your work within the space of your paper (the most important thing). The best way to make this a possibility is to utilize the online generators (Yay! Technology!). It pains me to think of how students would memorize MLA formatting for those bibliographies in English classes before the Internet…but, luckily, we have so many helpful tools and resources at your disposal in this modern realm of education.

The most helpful generators I’ve found:

1. www.easybib.com (lots of ads, though)

2. https://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/

Here’s a helpful video about a basic works cited process & using online generators:

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Now, for an annotated bibliography, it does sound intimidating (almost frightening…maybe because of all of those syllables), but you’ll create your typical Works Cited entries, except you’re adding a brief summary underneath.

That’s it.

Typically, I advise about 100 words or so of summary underneath your source, but it varies based upon professor expectations and guidelines.

If your professor isn’t very specific or strict, I recommend a few sentences of summary of the article's main points, and then a sentence or two where you reflect on how the article is applicable to your ideas and research.

Here’s a more detailed video that demonstrates this process:

Helpful link with more info on Annotated Bibs: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/index.html

Remember, we are not actually creating an Annotated Bib in this class, but I want to keep you informed so that you don’t feel overwhelmed if you encounter it in the future.