Helpful Tips for Annotated Bibliographies
In order to prepare students for creating their papers, professors often assign them to produce annotated bibliographies. This is a piece of writing providing a brief description of the sources used for producing an academic work. Though an annotated bibliography consists of one or two pages only, it has great significance. It helps your professor see whether you have used all the necessary sources for writing your paper and give you some recommendations in case particular sources have been missed.
Annotated Bibliography Writing Process
You should bear in mind that your annotated bibliography has to be written professionally. Remember that the way it is prepared will show, to some extent, the quality of your academic paper. Thus, take the following steps to produce a great annotated bibliography:
- Provide full bibliographic details about the sources you are referring to, i.e. author, publishing year, source title, etc., in a way you would present them on the Bibliography page.
- Briefly describe what the source is about.
- Outline the main aspects covered by a specific source.
- Do not use such phrases as “It is worth using this entry, as it contains reliable data about the issue.” Note they provide no useful information.
- The verbs should be used in the present or future tense. Thus, it will be easier for you to impart information to readers.
- Identify the aim of using a certain source, i.e. for creating tables, charts, etc.
- Evaluate the entry you are referring to. Say whether it contains detailed and accurate information about the analyzed matter.
- State whether the used source provides links to other entries.
- Highlight peculiar features of the source. Does it present opposing viewpoints on the investigated subject? Does it provide any new facts about the issue?
Make a proper format so that it is clearly seen that a certain description refers to a particular source.