What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a document that contains the citations used in a research paper, as well as annotations along with them. First, you provide a full citation of your resource. Directly following the citation, you will write three separate sections beneath it. These sections (usually 2-3 sentences each, but check your specific rubric) are the annotations. The purpose of the annotation is to help you manage your research and also to inform your professor of a summary of the document, an exploration of its credibility, and relevance to your paper. The summary, credibility, and relevance become your three paragraphs. See how to do this below:
Creating an Annotated Bibliography
Step 1: Provide a Full Citation in your chosen format-
Buxton, D., Potter, M. P., & Bostic, J. Q. (2013). Coping strategies for child
bully victims. Pediatric Annals, 42(4), 57-61. http://doi.org/10.14/ journal.pone.03154517
Step 2: Summarize the source-
Buxton et al. (2013) examined the causes and effects of experiencing bullying as a child. The
authors also investigated ways to screen for post-traumatic stress through a simple
assessment. They called for a process which involves distinguishing types of bullying victims
and the experiences they carry with them.
Step 3: Establish the source’s credibility-
The authors provide a full reference list citing other scholarly sources. The source is peer-
reviewed and considers evenly both diagnostics and treatment of bullying’s effects. The
authors all hold advanced medical and/or doctoral degrees.
Step 4: Explain source’s relevance to your argument-
“Coping Strategies” is relevant because it not only supports the argument that bullying
prevention exists and is not yet effective enough, but it also presents several examples of
therapies that schools can use retroactively.
In APA, this would appear altogether, like so:
Buxton, D., Potter, M. P., & Bostic, J. Q. (2013). Coping strategies for child bully
victims. Pediatric Annals, 42(4), 57-61. http://doi.org/10.14/journal.pone.03154517
Buxton et al. (2013) examined the causes and effects of experiencing bullying as a
child. The authors also investigated ways to screen for post-traumatic stress through a
simple assessment. They called for a process which involves distinguishing types of
bullying victims and the experiences they carry with them. The authors provide full a
reference list citing other scholarly sources. The source is peer-reviewed and considers
evenly both diagnostics and treatment of bullying’s effects. The authors all hold
advanced medical and/or doctoral degrees. “Coping Strategies” is relevant because it
not only supports the argument that bullying prevention exists and is not yet effective
enough, but it also presents several examples of therapies that schools can use
retroactively.
Looking for Additional Assistance?
Try these links to learn more about annotated bibliographies:
- How to Build an Annotated Bibliography Entry
- Literature Review vs. Annotated Bib with Example
- Watch the Academic Support Video on creating an Annotated Bibliography here.