This document provides information and guidance on creating annotated bibliographies. It defines what an annotated bibliography is, noting that it goes beyond a traditional works cited page by including a 150-250 word paragraph summarizing and evaluating each source. It then discusses different styles of annotations and provides examples. The document emphasizes evaluating sources for quality and authority. It also stresses connecting each source to the research topic and thesis.

1. Annotated
Bibliographies

2. What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography goes
beyond a traditional Works Cited
page.
In addition to properly citing your
sources in the citation format
preferred by your teacher, a 150-250
word paragraph follows.
In that paragraph, you summarize the
source and justify your selection of
this source by evaluating its
relevance and authority and its
unique value to your research.

3. Types of Annotated Bibliography
We have just described what University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill calls a combination of
summary and critical/evaluative styles of annotation and what George Mason University calls a
combination of evaluation and reflection style annotations.
When you look at examples of annotations
from various universities, you will see a wide
variety of styles and content.
To help you at the high school level, we have
developed a pretty formulaic approach that
will allow you to “get your feet wet”
You may notice this variety of styles leads to
an opportunity to miscommunicate
expectations. Be sure to communicate well
with your instructor to understand their
specific expectations.

4. Example #1
You may
notice this
is very long.
This
teacher
prefers
strong
analysis
This example
does not
utilize the
latest version
of MLA Style

5. Example #2
While not
as long, this
still has
substance.

6. Annotated Bibliography vs. Literature Review
You may have heard of a literature review and may be
confused about the differences.
“In a literature review, each body paragraph should include several
sources, and sources may be repeated as necessary. An annotated
bibliography examines each source based on its relationship to the topic;
a literature review draws together multiple sources to examine where they
agree or disagree.”
For more information from University of North Alabama
comparing the two. Here is a link to UNAs Writing Center
resources.
In more concise terms, an annotated
bibliography isolates and evaluates one
source at a time. Within a literature review,
they are synthesized.

7. So, let’s get started!

8. We have five categories within our formula:
Summary Connections Source Quality/Authority Citation Style/Formatting Writing
By looking at each
separately, it will help you
ensure each is correct.
We often suggest
color-coding to help you look
at each in isolation

9. If you do not have to annotate every source you use, pick your strongest sources to annotate.

10. Source Quality and
Authority
In this area you will justify why you
believe that this resource has
been provided to you by a reliable
source and its copyright date is
appropriate, etc..

11. Why begin with source quality and authority?
One role of an annotated bibliography is to help you think more
critically about the sources you are selecting. This is why we
annotate at the beginning stages of our research.
It allows you to determine whether a source is qualified enough
to use. At this point in time you ask, “should I keep it or leave it?”
for every resource.
Source quality and authority is the largest reason to “leave” a
resource. Since you are most likely to throw out a source
because of source quality and authority, we start here to save
you potential wasted time.

12. What to say within the annotation about source quality/authority
● If you have an author, is their field of work and place of employment mentioned?
● What is their point of view (determined by their field of work) and how does that point of view influence their perspective in relation to
your research?
● If you have no author but an organization or publisher, have you written about their mission or purpose?
● Are any awards or special recognitions mentioned?
● Do they appear to specialize in one area of expertise?
● Did you write about the author or organization on your own versus copying and pasting a biography from another source? (do not
plagiarize!!)
● Did you assume that since they are “published” they are reliable? (be specific in your coverage of their qualifications without assuming
or being vague)
● Did you account for any possible bias they may represent? (this is okay, but identify the bias and explain your plan to balance it)
● Is it an older copyright date but justifiable to your research? (should you directly identify that? Maybe it is a classic work?)
Which is better?
Dr. Carole Lee Deemer is an English professor at Yale University who has specialized in American literature with a focus upon the 20th Century. She has published many books about the
American Dream and speaks often at conferences about her studies.
Carole Lee Deemer is a professor at Yale University.
Which is better?
This source is credible because the author cites and states the sources he used for his information and because it is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.
This source provides a wealth of information about how aviation has played a crucial role in the military. The National Naval Aviation Museum provides many articles about different planes
and their importance in different war efforts. The museum states that its mission is to “select, collect, preserve and display historic artifacts relating to the history of Naval Aviation.” These
articles on aviation are written by experienced members who take pride in the integrity of their work.
Remember to refer to the example on slide 4 for an additional example of exemplary work in the area of source quality/authority

13. Tip Time: Perform a Google search on your author along with their place of
employment OR along with the name of the journal they were
published within to learn more about them!

14. Misinformation
You are likely to not have solely
used scholarly journals and will
need to annotate other source
types.
Will you be on the lookout for
misinformation?
The following slide will give
suggestions for you to determine
whether you have fallen prey to
misinformation.

15. Methods to check your information
conduct a “linear search” or “read laterally. This is the
process of searching outside of the source on the regular
web for the same information. Look for whether multiple
sources published the same information. Look for whether
the URL domain is the same as within your article or
whether it is slightly manipulated. Did they manipulate or
amplify the content found from other sources? Did they
place it into false context? Is there an “about us” page, an
author, a publication date? If you search more more
information on the author, is it readily available through a
simple Google search?
Botometer this tool looks for bots and automated accounts
on Twitter
Reverse image search Compare if the image is the same as
the original (it may be hard to find the original to compare if
the content was shared too widely)
Watchdog and fact-checking sites (Factcheck.org, Snopes,
etc.) - there are studies that indicate that even these may
be politically driven at times.

16. Additional Considerations related to misinformation
Consider your emotional response If it is high, take a few minutes to consider whether you may be prey to misinformation
Consider whether it is hyper-partisan If it is extreme in its political spectrum, take a few moments and consider whether you
want something with this level of opinion. If so, how will you balance it?
While it is not 100% guaranteed that you will identify misinformation,
a heavy combination of these techniques will help you.

17. Let’s have you record yours!
Link to the graphic organizer. Fill out portion 4.
Portion 4: Identify the author and their qualifications in 1-2 sentences
(check that this is the length your instructor prefers). Follow the guidelines identified on slide 11.
Example: With research led by Dr. Mariska Kleemans, the reader can see her mission to improve the
relationship between children and the news come into consideration as she queries the particular topic
of image manipulation and its effect through this publication. Each co-author is, likewise, employed at
the Radboud University within the Behavioural Science Institute in the Netherlands.

18. Once you are comfortable with your source quality, you can move on with your annotation.

19. Connections
In this area you have three types of
connections that you can make:
• Identification of unique attributes of
each source type
• Connections to subtopics
• Interconnectedness of resources

20. What to say within the annotation about connections
● Connections are another area where you may determine your source is not worthy for your research
○ You may notice it is redundant to your other sources and doesn’t actually add much unique content
○ You may notice it doesn’t fit well into your research (maybe you like the content of the article but it really doesn’t support any
of your main points)
● Are the special attributes (unique qualities) of source in comparison to the other sources that you have selected?
○ There may be a political, military, religious, or cultural viewpoint
○ There may be a great deal of quantitative data (statistics) or qualitative data (people’s feelings or beliefs)
○ It may be a unique source type (podcast, blog, video, interview, government publication, religious document, diary)
● Have you identified one or more connections to the main points of your thesis statement or outline details? (proving that it does support
and directly connect to your thesis) Some instructors prefer direct identification of where the content will support the paper.
● If you “laid all of your sources out on a table” how would they complement each other? Does one balance another? Does one expand
upon the content another laid excellent groundwork for?
Which is better?
This information will help me in my essay when I talk about point A in my thesis statement which is the physical addiction to drugs.
This information will support my research by helping me to argue that there is a strong physical addiction that develops in drug addicts.
Which is better?
This resource was different from the other resources that I found because it analyzed the long term effects of the bomb on Japan where the other resources focused more on the short term
effects.
In comparison to my other sources, this one is more centered on the long term effects of the atomic bomb rather than the short term benefits of saving lives and ending the war. Information
included on this webpage will be beneficial to the third body paragraph of my essay.
Warning: pay very careful to this section. Connections and Source Quality/Authority are the top places students lose points on their grade.

21. Let’s have you record yours!
Link to the graphic organizer. Fill out portion 2.
Portion 2: Explain the relevance of this source to your paper in one sentence. Identify the subpoints
from your thesis statement and outline this source will support and help you to develop.
Example: The content of this study will help me to argue that social media negatively impacts
self-esteem.

22. Let’s have you record yours!
Link to the graphic organizer. Fill out portion 3.
Portion 3: Explain how this source is unique in comparison to the other sources or connects to those
other sources that you have selected in one to two sentences.
Example: Within this article, the social comparison tendency was referenced, yet not thoroughly
explored. This led me to search and locate another article that better explains that concept, allowing a
natural bridge from that source to this source which allows me the unique opportunity to delve into
statistical data on immediate psychological response.

23. Summary
We list summary as the first portion of
the annotation.
However, as a writer, you can choose to
place it anywhere within the annotation
that it flows best!

24. What to say within the annotation about summary
● Summary is likely to be one of the easiest entries within the annotation. We are saving this content for you to add last
because it is the least likely to be the cause for removal of a source.
● Does your summary pinpoint useful information related to your topic versus just listing everything in the source?
● You do not need to identify contents within the resource that are “unnecessarily extraneous” to your research (with
information that does not apply to your focus)
● Did you reflect upon the author’s purpose within their provision of the content?
● Does your summary highlight the unique content or insight that is available within the source?
● Is your summary concise (2-3 sentences)? (check with your teacher to ensure this is the length they prefer)
● Did you write your own summary versus copying and pasting from an abstract or summary of the article? (do not
plagiarize!!)
Which is better?
This book gives information on chemistry and the information within is: the four elements, prelude to the birth of chemistry, the skeptical chymist, the discovery of the elements, …
This book provides a history of chemistry along with some interesting information about the birth of chemistry as a scientific field and discusses elements and atoms in great detail…
Which is better?
This article has a lot of information about President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It also has information about Truman’s military experience and
qualifications to make such a decision, as well as events leading up to the Battle of Okinawa, Soviet involvement, and conditions after the war.
This source focuses on the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union before and after the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. The article highlights how the creation of
the atomic bomb changed relations between the two nations, and how the United States ultimately saved other nations from Soviet rule through the attack. Examples are provided as to
how the bombs gave the United States confidence and power, saving Western Europe from turning to the Soviet Union for help.

25. Let’s have you record yours!
Link to the graphic organizer. Fill out portion 1.
Portion 1: Summarize the main points of your source in 2-3 sentences.
Example: The focus of this study was to determine the psychological impact of manipulated images on
girls aged 14 to 18 years old. Such images are widely used on social media sites. The researchers
gathered data after the presentation of both original and manipulated images and recorded their effect
upon young girls, especially those with a high social comparison tendency.

26. Writing
There is more than spelling and
grammar to consider when your
teacher or professor grades your
writing.

27. How to ensure that the writing portion of your rubric is addressed
● It is ok to use first person in your annotation, but remember to keep your writing formally styled
● Are sentence beginnings varied and strong?
● Did you avoid a formula approach by starting at times with something other than summary? (various formulas offered
below)
● Are your words both professional and appropriate? Do they mirror those you have seen within top-notch articles?
● Is your annotation free of spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors?
● Is your writing too repetitive?
● Check to make sure all numbers are spelled out, titles are italicized or in quotes, etc.
● Check to ensure that your content is detailed with specific examples
Possible formulas for arrangement
This source covers (insert 1 sentence which summarize content here) which will be helpful to me in arguing that (insert the points within thesis statement that this article supports here). I
selected this (insert source type) because (insert why this article stood out to you here). The author, (insert author name here), is an expert in (insert field of work here) and is a (insert
professional position here) at (insert place of employment here).
Written by (insert author name here), a(n) (insert professional position here) at (insert place of employment here), this (insert source type) informs the reader on (insert 1 sentence which
summarize content here). Especially helpful to my (insert the points within thesis statement that this article supports here) point(s) within my thesis statement, I will argue (insert argument
here) through the valuable information provided to me within. I have selected this (insert source type) over other resource options due to (insert why this article stood out to you here).
With lots of (insert why this article stood out to you here) within this (insert source type) , I believe that this source will strongly support my thesis, especially where I discuss (insert the
points within thesis statement that this article supports here) . The author, (insert author name here), a(n) (insert professional position here) at (insert place of employment here)

28. Citation Style
You must follow the appropriate
recommendations for whichever
style your teacher or professor
prefers.

29. Ensure that the citation style portion of your rubric is addressed
● If you have used a tool like NoodleTools, when you print/export your work, it will format the annotation properly
● Just make sure that your actual citation is correctly formatted. If you entered something incorrectly in NoodleTools, it
does not fix it for you. That is up to you.
○ Did you use the journal source type to cite all scholarly journals?
○ Did you utilize the citation style that your instructor prefers? (they may prefer APA or another style)
● Check your citations using the Rough Draft Check: Works Cited slideshow. Is your citation and overall Works Cited list
free of errors?
● Is the Works Cited list double spaced with a hanging indent? NoodleTools places the annotation on the same line as
where the citation ended. Check with your instructor to ensure they are okay with that formatting.
Here is a link to the Rough Draft Check: Works Cited Slideshow.
On the next slide are examples of citations formatted for journals in MLA Style (version 8)

30. MLA Citation Examples
Journal article with one author:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of article.” Title of Periodical, vol., no. (issue), date of publication, pp. (if available), DOI or
URL. Date of Access.
Journal article with two authors:
Author’s Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. “Title of article.” Title of Periodical, vol., no. (issue), date of publication,
pp. (if available), DOI or URL. Date of Access.
Journal article with three or more authors:
Kleemans, Mariska, et al. "Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls."
Media Psychology, vol. 21, no. 1, 15 Dec. 2016, pp. 93-110, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2016.1257392.
Accessed 9 Oct. 2019.

31. Let’s put it all together and color-code!
Link to the graphic organizer. Step 3
First, paste your citation (ensure that it has a hanging indentation and that it is double spaced) and then follow the
citation with any arrangement of your summary, source quality/authority or connections. Color-code each section
and review each slide which coordinates to the section to ensure that your work is the best that you can do! Read
over your work as a whole. Does it flow well? Make any necessary adjustments now that you are looking at it all
put together.

32. Let’s do a final check!
At this point in time, you can remove the color-coding system and copy and paste the content into
NoodleTools or your working Works Cited list. You may have a variety of sources that are annotated
while others are not. It is between you and your instructor if this is acceptable. Follow their
guidelines. If they allow a combination of annotated sources and sources that are not annotated, they
are likely to expect that they are arranged properly alphabetized, with the annotated sources “falling
where they may fall” You will title your page Annotated Bibliography instead of Works Cited.

33. Evaluation
An expert researcher will assess and
evaluate the quality of their research,
overall.
In which areas of your research do
you have the strongest resources?
In which areas would you like to
strengthen your resources?
Is it wise to make necessary
adjustments to your sources in order
to produce the highest quality paper?

34. Thanks!!!
Questions?
Contact me at
khornberger@palisd.org

35. Credits
Beach
photography was
taken by the
Hornberger family
Other image credits:
Slide (summary): http://www.davidrumsey.com/maps930086-25594.html
Slide (connections): http://pixabay.com/en/circuits-interconnected-wires-37211/
Slide (source quality and authority):
http://pixabay.com/en/pen-journal-writing-paper-diary-389401/
Slide (citation style): https://www.flickr.com/photos/11435686@N03/15753300259/
Slide (writing): http://pixabay.com/en/creative-writing-editing-library-108545/
Other images were provided through a Google Slides web
search